                       THE BRAILLE MONITOR

                         February, 1987

                    Kenneth Jernigan, 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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             should be sent to the National Office. 

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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

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               WorldWide Web:  http://www.nfb.org
CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 1987


PHOENIX IN 1987

SSI PLANS FOR SELF-SUPPORT:
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PETER WILSON CASE by James Gashel

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR BLIND VENDORS FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
  by James Gashel

BLIND MAN WON'T MOVE, IS CITED by Marcia Dunn

FLYING (BLIND) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH by Loraine E.
Stayer

POLICY STATEMENT BY
REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION

OF BUSES AND BLIND PASSENGERS

TEMPEST IN A THIEL POT
ISRAEL BOILS
BROWN UNRUFFLED
  by Kenneth Jernigan

FROM THE GROUND FLOOR UP by Judy Rasmussen

A VICTORY IN THE BATTLE
AGAINST INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION by Ben Prows

ARE THE BLIND AN UNDERCLASS?  LETTER FROM VIRGINIA REAGAN

ONLY IN AMERICA
  by Stephen Benson

CAB DRIVER FINED
DOG CAN RIDE

A STRIDE FORWARD IN THE DOG GUIDE MOVEMENT by Edwin Eames and
Toni Ann Gardiner

RECIPES

MONITOR MINIATURES

     Copyright, National Federation of the Blind, Inc., 1987

PHOENIX IN 1987

  Have you made your reservations yet for this year's National
Federation of the Blind convention in Phoenix?  Better hurry. 
The headquarters hotel (the Hyatt Regency Phoenix) is filling
rapidly, and so are the other two hotels (the San Carlos and the
Heritage).  The dates are Saturday, June 27, through Saturday,
July 4; and the rates are $25 for singles, $28 for doubles and
twins, $30 for triples, and $34 for quads.  This is in addition
to the tax of 7.4%.
  The Arizona affiliate is planning tours to Rawhide, a
re-creation of a ranch and town of the old West.  There will be
outdoor barbecues and all of the trimmings.
  Within a block of the hotel is Heritage Square, which shows
what Phoenix was like in the last century-- houses that can be
toured, an array of restaurants (complete with mesquite cooking
and fine Mexican food), and a variety of stores and shops.
  Besides the hospitality and fun, there will be the serious
business of the convention--meetings of parents, vendors, blind
lawyers, blind secretaries and transcribers, the National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille, and at least a dozen
other special interest groups and committees.  There will be the
discussions at the general convention sessions to set priorities
and determine action for the year ahead.
  Phoenix in 1987 is definitely where the action is--thousands of
dollars of wonderful door prizes, excellent hotel and meeting
accommodations, stimulating program items, display and
demonstration of new technology for the blind, and all of the
excitement that accompanies a convention of the National
Federation of the Blind.  Don't miss it, and get your
reservations in today.  Write: Convention Reservations, National
Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland
21230.


SSI PLANS FOR SELF SUPPORT:
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PETER WILSON CASE

by James Gashel


  Peter Wilson is blind.  He was born in 1966 in San Jose,
California, and he has lived mainly in Saratoga, California.
  Peter graduated from high school in 1984.  On December 20 of
that year he applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
benefits.  He was later denied, and an appeal was necessary. 
Sharon Gold (President of the National Federation of the Blind of
California) assisted Peter in the appeal, and a favorable
decision has now been reached.  The victory (insofar as Peter
Wilson is concerned) is significant, but the outcome could also
be of great benefit to other blind people who are (or may be) in
Peter's circumstances.  Here are the details.
  Some background on the SSI program may be necessary. 
Eligibility for SSI depends first on being aged (age 65 or
older), blind (using the 20/200 and field restriction standard
definition of blindness), or disabled (being unable to engage in
substantial gainful activity).  Anyone who meets one or more of
these criteria must also be financially in need in order to
qualify for regular monthly SSI checks.
  Financial need is evaluated on the basis of income and
resources.  "Income" refers to funds received from work,
investments, or other benefit programs.  Most forms of regular
assistance (whether in kind or in cash) from any source may also
be counted as "income." But not all income is counted.  The law
allows for certain exemptions, depending upon the type of income
(earned or unearned) and the purposes for which it is being used.
  Some resources are also not counted.  "Resources" may be cash,
funds held in checking or savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and
the equity of any personal or real property.  A home used as the
principal residence of an SSI recipient is not counted as a
resource.  An individual SSI recipient may have up to $1,800.00
in countable resources during 1987.  In 1988 $1,900.00 will be
permitted, and in 1989 $2,000.00 of countable resources will be
allowed for an individual to keep on hand while still getting
SSI.  Couples (when both people are eligible for SSI) can have
$2,700.00 in 1987.  In 1988 the couples' resources allowance will
increase to $2,850.00, and in 1989 the couples' resources
exemption will be $3,000.00.
  When Peter Wilson applied for SSI benefits in 1984, he had
stocks, bonds, and other negotiables valued at $33,400.00 or
thereabouts.  The conventional wisdom would be that Peter is not
eligible for SSI, having resources in excess of $33,000.00; but
the hearing decision (issued on October 24, 1986) correctly
concluded (as did we in the National Office of the National
Federation of the Blind) that Peter was and is eligible for SSI.
  Note the use of the term "countable resources."  Of course,
$1,800.00 of Peter Wilson's $33,400.00 would be exempt under the
first legal exclusion mentioned in this article.  That leaves
$31,600.00 with which to deal.  The exemption of these remaining
resources can be accomplished.  The method for doing it is the
SSI "Plan for Achieving Self-Support," known as the "PASS."
  A PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-
Support) can be used to put aside or disregard income or
resources of an SSI recipient.  There is no legal or theoretical
limit on the amounts that may be excluded to be used for a PASS. 
The essential legal requirement is that the funds (whether income
or resources) are held separately from other funds of the SSI
recipient and are exclusively devoted to meeting costs that are
required for the recipient to complete the Plan for Self-Support.

As long as the SSI recipient's plan is aimed at a reasonably
achievable vocational goal, any amounts of income or resources
that are needed to fulfill the PASS will not be considered by the
Social Security Administration in figuring either entitlement to
or the amount of the SSI payments.
  Peter Wilson wants to be a physicist.  He chose to go to
Harvard University, and the California Department of
Rehabilitation agreed to pay some of the costs.  His application
for SSI was denied on January 24, 1985, apparently for the reason
(not clearly stated) that it would not be necessary for Peter to
attend Harvard in order to be a physicist.  But the regulations
about self-support plans (20 CFR Section 416.226) do not give
Social Security personnel any say as to where a student chooses
to go to school.  The criteria for a PASS are:  (1) that it be
designed specifically for the individual; (2) that it be in
writing; (3) that the PASS be designed for an initial period of
not more than 18 months, but which may be extended for a total
period of up to 48 months; (4) that it show the individual's
specific occupational goal; and
(5) that the PASS designate what resources the individual has or
will receive for the purposes of the plan and how these will be
used to attain the occupational goal.  The PASS must also show
how the resources that are to be set aside will be kept
identifiable from other funds or resources.  The plan must be
approved by the Social Security Administration.  Approval by a
vocational rehabilitation counselor or agency is not required.
  Thus, there is no authority for the Social Security
Administration to withhold SSI payments merely because a student
decides to attend an expensive private institution of higher
education, such as Harvard University.  If the student has the
resources (or if someone else will provide them), the amounts
necessary to pay the educational costs identified in the PASS
must be disregarded in figuring SSI entitlement.  This decision
literally says that the PASS provisions of the Social Security
Act were intended by Congress to help people overcome their need
for SSI checks, rather than limiting their career choices or
means of achieving their vocational goals.  In short, SSI cannot
be used to put people down, keep them dependent, or tell them
they cannot go to Harvard.
  This is truly another great victory for the National Federation
of the Blind.  Of course, we rejoice in Peter Wilson's newly-won
opportunity; but more than that, blind people everywhere can take
heart at what has been accomplished by this single case.  As the
Administrative Law Judge who wrote the decision stated: "This is
a case of first impression."  Several times he noted the absence
of any court or other decisions that might have offered guidance.
  But now there is a decision, and a good one.  Sharon Gold has
done an excellent job in bringing about this victory.  Now, the
blind of the nation can benefit from this latest accomplishment. 
This is why we have the National Federation of the Blind.  The
remainder of this article consists of relevant portions of the
Administrative Law Judge's decision.  It should be carefully read
and considered.  If there had been no National Federation of the
Blind, the outcome of this case would have been quite
different--or, perhaps, the case would never have occurred at
all.

--------------------

DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Social Security Administration Office
of Hearings and Appeals

DECISION

IN THE CASE OF:
Peter Wilson

CLAIM FOR:
Supplemental Security Income Based on Resources

  Neither the legislative history of the law establishing the
PASS criteria nor the actual language of the statutes,
regulations or agency guidelines for the PASS suggest that a PASS
should be disallowed on the basis of the educational institution
(or the cost thereof) at which the individual chooses to obtain
his or her training.  In denying the initial claim and the
claimant's reconsideration request, the District Office failed to
address any of the merits of the plan itself or to indicate how
the basis for denial was related to the underlying law or
regulations.  The undersigned Administrative Law Judge finds that
the PASS meets the broad criteria of the Act, and moreover, it
was prepared in conjunction with the State Department of
Vocational Rehabilitation, who found that the goals were
reasonable.  In enacting Section 301 and the pertinent sections
of the Act, Congress was striving to establish incentives and
procedures whereby individuals who might otherwise be completely
dependent upon others or upon governmental assistance programs
might achieve self-support through vocational or educational
training.  The relevant facts in this case suggest that the
claimant has particular skills and a potential for achieving a
degree of competence that might result in self- support as a
trained physicist.
  The narrow issue raised in this hearing request is whether the
claimant's PASS is legitimate and, if so, whether the denial of
his claim was proper under the circumstances.  As it was
originally submitted, the PASS (Exhibit 9, pages 2-5) was
insufficient in some aspects.  However, that insufficiency is
not, in and of itself, cause for denial since normally, in the
development and adjudication of a claim for benefits, the agency
must advise the claimant when additional information which could
cure a defect in the documentation of a substantial eligibility
factor is needed.  In this case, a request to the claimant and to
his representative has resulted in obtaining additional
documentation which overcomes the insufficiency of his original
PASS.  That documentation, which is attached to Exhibit 30 in the
file, provides a comprehensive outline of the resources, income
and disbursements by the claimant, on a chronological basis, in
achieving his self-support goal.
  The Administrative Law Judge has been unable to find any case
law which deals directly with the issues and problems raised in
this case.  However, the undersigned concludes that the cost-
effectiveness approach, as applied by the District Office, in
denying the claimant's initial SSI application is inappropriate
and is unsupported by the language of the statute or the
regulations....
  The undersigned Administrative Law Judge concludes, on the
basis of the preponderance of the evidence, that the claimant's
PASS should be approved.  As noted above, this hearing decision
resolves only the issue of the PASS and leaves unanswered any
other questions as to the claimant's eligibility for SSI payments
since no other issues were raised in this hearing request.

FINDINGS

  After careful consideration of the entire record, the
Administrative Law Judge makes the following findings:
  1. The claimant filed a valid application for supplemental
security income payments on December 20, 1984, with a protective
filing date of December 1, 1984.
  2. The claimant's Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS), with
appropriate modifications, represents an acceptable plan within
the guidelines of the Social Security Act and should not have
served as a basis for the denial of his claim for SSI.
  3. The resources and income identified in the PASS would be
excludable as part of an approved PASS if the claimant were
otherwise found to be eligible for SSI payments (20 CFR 416.1181
and 20 CFR 416.1226).
  4. This decision resolves only the issue of the validity of the
claimant's Plan for Achieving Self-Support (20 CFR 416.1225).

DECISION

  It is the decision of the Administrative Law Judge that, in
light of the documentation provided and the fact that the
claimant is following the specific goals outlined in his plan,
that the claimant's Plan for Achieving Self- Support is valid and
should be approved.
  The component of the Social Security Administration responsible
for authorizing supplemental security income payments will advise
the claimant regarding all other disability and non-disability
requirements for these payments, and if eligible, the amount and
the month(s) for which payment will be made.  Particular
attention should be addressed to the specific eligibility factor
noted in the foregoing decision.

Patrick J. Maloney
Administrative Law Judge
October 24, 1986


SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR BLIND VENDORS FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

by James Gashel


  The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program pays
monthly cash benefits to people under age sixty- five who have
worked a sufficient amount of time in Social Security-covered
employment or self-employment, provided they are blind or
disabled under the law.  Licensed vendors in the Randolph-
Sheppard program are presumably blind under the Social Security
Act since the definition of blindness used in both laws
(Randolph-Sheppard and Social Security) is identical.  However,
that does not mean that every blind vendor automatically
qualifies for an SSDI check.
  This article is written to respond to the many questions which
continue to arise from vendors or persons assisting them in
determining their potential eligibility for SSDI checks.  In many
respects the circumstances under which vendors operate and
receive their income are unique and have unique implications that
must be understood to deal effectively with Social Security
issues.  Social Security personnel can apply the requirements of
the law correctly only if we are able to give them the facts they
need to evaluate income and earnings.  This is particularly
important for the vendors and their advocates.  However, many of
the facts and concepts presented here apply to all blind persons
in dealing with Social Security.  Nonetheless, we will highlight
the particular considerations that apply in the case of vendors.
  Besides being blind, there are two other principal eligibility
factors for SSDI benefits.  You need to have worked enough under
Social Security covered employment or self- employment.  The
amount of past work required of any blind person is an individual
determination, depending on when the person became age 21 and the
year in which blindness began, or (if blind before or while
working) the year in which the person stopped doing substantial
work.  For blind people who became age 21 in 1950 or later,
quarters of coverage are calculated as follows: one quarter is
needed for each year elapsing after the year age 21 was attained,
up to and including the year before the person became blind or
stopped doing substantial work, whichever occurred later.  For
blind people who became age 21 before 1950, the years that are
counted to have enough quarters of coverage begin with 1951 up to
the year before blindness or the loss of substantial work
occurred,  whichever came later.  It is not required that
quarters of coverage be earned in any particular year.  It is
only that the number of quarters (regardless of when earned)
needs to total the number of years required for each individual. 
Younger people who became blind or stopped doing substantial work
in their 20's, for example, can qualify with as few as six
quarters, but no less.  Older people may need as many as 36
quarters in 1987 if they first become blind and/or stop doing
substantial work in that year.
  Any blind person who has enough quarters of coverage as
described here is called "fully insured."  The Social Security
Administration will tell you how many quarters of coverage
credits you have.  During 1987 you are credited with a quarter of
coverage by having earnings of $460.00 during a calendar quarter.

Four quarters will be credited with earnings of $1,840.00 for the
calendar year 1987, regardless of when the money is earned during
the year.
  Being blind and being fully insured are the first two important
eligibility conditions for SSDI checks.  Disabled people who are
not blind must also meet a third condition which is called
"recently insured."  They must have worked enough to earn
quarters of coverage in at least 20 out of the most recent 40
quarters.  This means that a substantial number of their quarters
of coverage must have been earned during at least five  out of
the most recent ten years.  Social Security personnel sometimes
erroneously apply this recent work requirement to blind people. 
But remember, the blind need only be "fully insured," not
"recently insured."
  What does it mean when we say that a blind person stopped doing
substantial work?  In addition to blindness and being fully
insured, not doing substantial work is the third principal
condition of eligibility for SSDI if you are blind.  Generally,
any blind person whose "countable income" is less than $680.00
per month in 1987 ($650.00 in 1986) is not doing substantial
work.  The amount of time spent at work and the amount of actual
labor or management work done does not count.  Only income is
evaluated in the case of blind people applying for SSDI benefits.
  All income is not necessarily "countable income."  Your real
income before taxes may be much higher than $680.00 per month. 
But allowed deductions to reach "countable income" may reduce the
income to less than $680.00 per month.  If someone helps out in a
vending business but is not paid, the reasonable value of the
unpaid help should be deducted from the vendor's income.  The
unpaid help is a bonus that must be subtracted to find the
vendor's "countable income."  The vending machine income that
some vendors receive from machines that they do not operate or
service should also be subtracted to reach "countable income." 
This money does not reflect the level of the vendor's work
activity.  The vending machine income is entirely excluded
because it is a subsidy.  But that is not true of income from
vending machines that the blind vendor services.  It must be
counted.
  "Unincurred business expenses" are another form of subsidy that
must be excluded from real income to reach "countable income." 
Although space for the vending facility is provided without
charge in most instances, the value of the space is an
"unincurred business expense."  Without the contribution of the
space the vendor would have to pay the cost, so the free space
artificially inflates the vendor's income.  Its value should then
be subtracted from the vendor's real (before taxes) income.  The
building management should be able to provide an estimate of the
charge per square foot if the space had to be rented.  Free
utilities are also an "unincurred business expense," but their
value can be determined.  It is the amount of the utility costs
(even though the vendor does not pay them) that should be
subtracted from the vendor's income.
  "Impairment-Related Work Expenses" should also be considered
and subtracted from the vendor's income.  Paid help for clerical
assistance, reading, driving, and other services of a work and
impairment-related nature can be deducted to determine "countable
income."  Buying devices that are blindness-related and used in
part (or entirely) for work is another form of Impairment-Related
Work Expense.  Monthly installment payments on accounts for
equipment purchases can be subtracted to reach "countable
income."  So can care of a dog guide or the purchase of some
medications.  Special transportation services, such as taxi fares
when public transit is not available or cannot be used, are also
deductible.  Impairment-Related Work Expenses can actually be any
costs resulting from blindness and necessary (at least in part)
for work.
  In sum, real (before taxes) income is not necessarily
"countable income," especially in the case of blind vendors.  The
Social Security Administration is only interested in identifying
"countable income" and will exclude other income that is not an
accurate measurement of work.  The exclusions include any
subsidies, the reasonable value of unpaid help, unincurred
business expenses, and Impairment-Related Work Expenses.  Once
these standard deductions have been made, "countable income" that
is below $680.00 per month during 1987 will not be called
substantial gainful work.  If "countable income" is above $680.00
per month after all of the deductions have been made, substantial
gainful work has been achieved, and eligibility for SSDI checks
will stop after a trial work period is over.  The trial work
period will normally be over if there have been earnings of
$75.00 in any month for nine months, not necessarily consecutive
months.
  Social Security Disability Insurance
is insurance, not welfare.  You have to earn entitlement by
working and paying in during enough calendar quarters.  Once you
meet the eligibility conditions, benefits can then be paid. 
Being poor is not one of the conditions.  Rich people also
qualify for Social Security.
  The question of whether one agrees or disagrees is not really
relevant.  The law is the law.  While the Social Security Act is
not everything that it might be, the work incentives we have won
give blind people the opportunity to get a foothold and begin to
support themselves without abrupt termination of their Social
Security benefits.  Whatever one may think of the law, it is
certainly better for the blind than it used to be.  And the blind
are not now lumped with other groups of the disabled.  Disabled
people who are not blind can only earn $300 per month before
their SSDI checks are terminated.  Moreover, they have a much
harder time than the blind in establishing initial eligibility
for benefits.
  In numbers there is strength, but numbers alone are not enough.

Knowledge and concerted action are also required.  The National
Federation of the Blind is a force to be reckoned with.  It grows
stronger each day.  What would life for the blind of this nation
be like if the National Federation of the Blind did not exist,
and never had existed?


BLIND MAN WON'T MOVE, IS CITED

by Marcia Dunn
Associated Press Writer


  (This Associated Press article appeared November 28, 1986, in
the Sharon, Pennsylvania, Herald.)

  Pittsburgh--A blind man aboard a USAir jetliner who was cited
by police after refusing to give up his seat near an emergency
exit says the order to move was discriminatory and just one of
many "indecencies" facing handicapped travelers.
  "We don't ask for preferential treatment.  We don't ask to sit
on the emergency row.  (But) we figure we have the same right to
luck of the draw as any passenger," said the passenger, Terry
McManus, President of the National Federation of the Blind of
Pennsylvania.
  McManus did not budge from his seat, which he said he was
assigned by chance, until police officers arrived to escort him
off the plane and cite him for defiant trespass Wednesday
evening.
  Airline officials "will tell you it's a matter of safety, that
they're afraid blind people can't exit.  Yet they will ply the
people in exit rows with as much liquor as they can drink,"
McManus, 36, said Thursday night.
  "They don't ask them if they have any heart problems, they
don't ask them if they have any mental problems....  But blind
people, they just automatically assume we can't handle it," he
said.
  John Rader, a reservation supervisor for USAir, said the
airline normally assigns seats near emergency doors to people who
are "physically capable of getting the door open in case the
situation should arise."
  "We do pick and choose the people who can sit near an exit
door.  Other than that, there are no limitations for anybody," he
said.
  Rader said he did not know why McManus would have been assigned
a seat near an emergency exit.
  McManus said he and his wife, Cathy, 33, who also is blind,
asked only that they not be seated by the plane's bulkhead when
they checked in at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport for
USAir Flight 372, which was scheduled to depart at 7:20 p.m.
Wednesday.
  The Pittsburgh couple, who were traveling with a guide dog,
were headed for a National Federation of the Blind executive
board meeting in Baltimore.
  McManus said he and his wife were among the first to board the
plane, along with other handicapped passengers.  He said they
were asked to move as soon as they sat down.
  "We were told, 'You can't sit there.' We told them, 'No. 1, we
are perfectly able to evacuate an aircraft in an emergency
situation.'  Secondly, we showed them a card. . .clearly stating
there is no federal policy regarding blind and handicapped
(seating) and any policy that does exist is the policy of the
individual airline," he said.
  The card, according to McManus, contained a statement on the
subject by Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole.
  "The stewardess said, 'Well, Elizabeth Dole doesn't run this
airline,'" he said.
  McManus said he and his wife spent more than an hour trying to
convince airline officials to let them remain in their seats.
  "We talked to everybody.  They continually said, 'We can't fly
this plane with you sitting on this aisle,'" he said.
  Concerned about the dog's safety, Mrs.  McManus finally decided
to leave the plane after being informed the flight was canceled
and passengers would be placed on other flights.  A few minutes
later McManus quietly was escorted off by police officers,
according to Allegheny County Police Sgt. Robert Orlowski.
  McManus was cited and released, pending a court hearing.  He
then caught an overnight bus with his wife to Baltimore.
  McManus said he plans to file a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Transportation after he returns to Pittsburgh late
Sunday via USAir--"God willing."
  "It's absurd," he said.  "What they really ought to do is say,
'Let me show you how this exit works.  If we really have an
emergency, you do this and that.'  I don't plan to die if there's
any possibility of me staying alive."


FLYING (BLIND) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

by Loraine E. Stayer


  Having just come back from a convention of the National
Federation of the Blind of New York State, I feel eminently
qualified to make the statement in my title.
  Every time I board a plane (probably an average of four times a
year) my back goes up, and my stomach knots in tension.  But the
cause of this isn't fear of flying.  I've been up and down too
often to worry about that, though I admit to a prayer or two
before take- off.  No, the reason for my anxiety is that my
husband is blind, and the airlines have of late been writing and
enforcing whimsical policies regarding blind passengers.
  Today we were told we might not sit in an exit row (in the name
of "safety") and were placed one row in front of the smoking
section, despite my complaint of being sensitive to tobacco
smoke.  One of our friends, a young woman with a guide dog, was
shifted out of seat 5A on the grounds that "the two-seat section
wasn't wide enough for the dog."  She was put into seat 1E and
then told she might not sit there because it was a bulkhead exit
row, and the dog lying on the floor would block passengers in
case of an emergency.  I invited her to sit with me and was told
that since I was in a two-seat section, that wasn't allowed.  The
other passengers in her new row (7E) traded with me.  It got me
away from the smoking section, for which I was grateful, but it
inconvenienced a number of other passengers and insured that I
couldn't sit near my family.  I challenged the "rule," and the
flight attendant assured me solemnly that the pilot's manual said
it was so.  This, despite the fact my friend had flown up to the
convention on the same plane seated in the two-seat section, row
1, seat A!  No one had moved her then, and the presence of her
guide dog insured that she would be the first one out of the exit
in the event of an emergency.
  Midway through the flight, the same flight attendant told my
friend she would have to wait until everyone else left the plane
before she got off.  My friend told me later she had no intention
of waiting, and that she could get off as quickly as anyone else.

Having had a multitude of experiences I assured her that once we
had landed she could do as she pleased and no one would bother
her, and it proved to be so.
  Twice in my flying experience I have heard blind persons
referred to as "the blinds."  It is a piece of particularly
appalling airline jargon.  I can only conclude they think of
blind persons as pieces of furniture to be moved around as they
please, with about as much feeling as said furniture.
  Other members of NFB have related that they were told they
could not sit in aisle seats.  Some were told on their return
trips that they could not sit in window seats.  Often we hear
that blind persons can't sit in exit rows over the wings but must
sit in the bulkhead row exit seats.  Or conversely that they may
not sit in the bulkhead seats.  Or they are told they may not sit
in the row in front of an exit row or the row behind.  Federal
regulations are quoted as the reason, though FAA representatives
at our national convention have assured us there are no such
federal regulations.
  Airline personnel get extremely nervous when a blind person
with a cane or a dog appears, though they welcome blind persons
who consent to the indignity of riding in a wheelchair, or who
allow themselves to be shifted from seat to seat in a
never-ending game of musical chairs.  If two or more blind
persons ride the same flight, the flight attendants often go into
a fearful tizzy.  They begin talking about safety, though there
are no real studies to show that blind persons have ever caused
or even been involved in airplane accidents or that it takes
blind persons longer to get out of a plane than anyone else.  (It
doesn't.  It takes just as long for sighted people to leave,
owing to the narrowness of the aisles and the multitude of
carry-on luggage.)
  Obviously the issue here is a power struggle and a case of
discrimination against one class of people.  This is plainly
illegal, and blind people often must go to jail to prove it.
  The questions in my mind as I prepare for my next airplane
flight are these:  If there is only the exit row left, will I be
excluded from the flight because my husband is blind?  Will I
actually get to my destination, or will I wind up in a police
station because my husband was arrested for sitting in his
assigned exit row seat and refusing to be moved around like a
piece of baggage?  If he may not sit in a two-seat section, does
that mean we can't ride in a plane that has no three-seat
section?  If he can't sit in the aisle seat and he can't sit in a
window seat and he can't sit in the front row or the wing, what
is really left for us but to take the train?


POLICY STATEMENT BY

REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION


  At the 1986 convention of the National Federation of the Blind
in Kansas City there was a panel discussion on air travel and the
blind.  One of the participants was Gabriel Phillips, Executive
Vice President of the Air Transport Association of America.  The
Air Transport Association of America, which represents the larger
airlines of the nation, is one of two such organizations.  The
other is the Regional Airline Association, which represents the
smaller airlines.
  On Tuesday, July 29, 1986, officials of both the Air Transport
Association and the Regional Airline Association came to the
office of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore for
discussion and negotiation.  Representing the Regional Airline
Association was its Vice President, Tulinda Deegan.  She said
that her organization saw no reason for any restrictions on blind
passengers and that she felt that they would be willing to make
an official policy statement to that effect.
  During the next few weeks discussions continued with Ms.
Deegan, and several draft statements were considered.  On
September 23, 1986, the board of directors of the Regional
Airline Association adopted a policy statement, and in late
October the membership of the Regional Airline Association
followed suit.  This action by the smaller airlines of the nation
is a significant step in the advancement of the civil rights of
the blind.  Here in its entirety is the policy statement:

--------------------

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT Carriage of Blind Persons

  The Regional Airline Association recommends that the following
policies advocated by spokespersons for the blind be considered
by its members with regard to the provision of air transportation
to blind and visually impaired persons.  This policy statement
and guidelines are subject to modifications as each air carrier
deems necessary to insure the safety of the individual and the
flight and the health and safety of other persons, and further
subject to any requirements deemed necessary in the interest of
safety or in the public interest by the Federal Aviation
Administration pursuant to 14 C.F.R.  121.586(c).
  (1) Blind and visually impaired passengers should not be
considered as "handicapped" for purposes of air travel.
  (2) Blind and visually impaired persons to the maximum extent
possible should be accepted and served under the same policies,
terms and conditions, applicable alike to all persons who are not
blind or visually impaired, unless the passenger requests special
services.
  (3) Airlines should not discriminate against blind or visually
impaired persons on the basis of blindness or visual impairment
in the provision of air transportation.

Specific Guidelines for the Provision of Air Transportation Of
Blind Persons

  The following points have been developed to give specific
guidance to airline personnel in working with blind and visually
impaired travelers.
  1. Offer Assistance.  Airline personnel should always directly
address the blind traveler and should not ask any person
accompanying the passenger to speak for the passenger.
  If it appears appropriate, assistance should be offered. 
Sometimes the offer will be accepted and sometimes it will not. 
In any event, let the blind person decide, and act accordingly.
  When blind persons wish to be guided, it is desirable that they
hold the attendant's arm rather than the other way around.  Using
this technique the attendant can stay approximately one- half
step ahead so that turns, steps, etc. can be anticipated.
  If airline personnel are providing assistance to a blind person
traveling alone, they should be cautioned to forewarn the
passenger of corridors or a portion of the corridor that suddenly
becomes a moving walk.  Blind persons can handle this situation
if they are aware of its existence.
  Blind people generally employ one of two methods for
independent travel.  Many use long white canes, often made of
aluminum or fiberglass, while others prefer the dog guide.  Both
techniques enable the user to travel from point A to point B with
little or no assistance.  In maneuvering through crowded
corridors at air terminals, some blind travelers may wish to be
accompanied by ground personnel if this service is available. 
Some would rather make their way from gate to gate and about the
terminal unassisted.  Again, this should be their choice, and if
in doubt, ask.
  Blind passengers using fiberglass, metal, or wooden travel
canes which are flexible, folding, or collapsible may keep their
canes with them, provided that they are stowed beneath
passengers' seats without protruding into the aisle, between the
fuselage and the passenger's seat, or in enclosed overhead
compartments.  Proper onboard stowage of travel canes for the
blind is covered in the FAR's 14 CFR 121.589(e).
  2. Boarding and Deplaning.  Boarding and deplaning present no
difficulty for most blind people.  The modern methods of
independent travel have provided blind passengers with both the
necessary skills and the confidence to handle escalators, steps,
ramps, and so on.  Most blind passengers prefer to board and
deplane along with the other passengers, and they do not require
special assistance beyond the boarding areas.  In situations
where enclosed movable ramps are not available, the blind may
appreciate some guidance from the terminal building to the
aircraft.
  Wheelchairs, special electric carts, and other such conveyances
are not appropriate when assisting blind travelers.  Most have a
strong preference for moving about under their own power, and
they are thoroughly capable of doing so.  The fast-paced walking
through crowded hallways, which is sometimes necessary in making
close connections, poses no problem for the blind.  Most of them
have little, if any, difficulty maneuvering about airports and
making connecting flights.  If a prolonged layover is necessary,
most blind travelers wish to occupy themselves in the same manner
as other passengers by shopping, visiting, and so forth.
  3. Preflight Boarding.  It is not necessary for flight
attendants to conduct special hands-on preflight emergency
briefings for blind passengers.  These passengers can follow the
normal preflight briefings given to everyone.  They will be able
to locate underseat life jackets and overhead oxygen mask
compartments without assistance.  Flight attendants should not
provide hands-on instructions in fastening or adjustment of seat
belts for blind passengers under different circumstances than
they would do so for all passengers.  That is, a flight attendant
would normally provide assistance to any passenger who is unable
or reluctant to use a seat belt.  It is not necessary to
specially inform blind passengers about the location and
operation of emergency exits unless this information is requested
by the passenger.  Many blind persons would appreciate having
emergency briefing cards written in Braille, but should not be
required to read them by the crew to any greater extent than the
crew would require other passengers to read the printed briefing
cards.  If a blind passenger appears anxious, nervous, or unsure
about flying, flight attendants should take the same remedial
action as with other passengers.
  There are no Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's) which
restrict the seating of blind passengers.  Therefore, blind
passengers may be seated according to preference and seat
availability anywhere in the aircraft.
  4. Guide Dogs.  Airline personnel should not give food or water
to a guide dog unless requested to do so or with specific consent
of the dog's master.
  Schools which train dog guides generally teach the dogs to lie
under the seats at their master's feet and not in bulkhead rows. 
Some blind passengers using dog guides prefer to sit in bulkhead
rows and some prefer to sit elsewhere.  The blind person using
the dog guide is the best judge of the most appropriate seating
arrangements based on the training which he and the dog received.

Again, ask the passenger.
  5. Emergency Evacuation.  In an emergency a blind person will,
of course, require the same briefing information as other
passengers and will follow directions along with them.  Should it
become necessary to evacuate the aircraft, blind passengers using
canes or dogs will follow other passengers out of the aircraft. 
It is the master's responsibility to see that the dog is wearing
its harness so that the pair can leave the area quickly once they
are on the ground.  The harness also helps to activate the dog's
sense of responsibility and assurance.  If dog and blind person
should become separated in the course of evacuation, the dog
should be led by its leash after its master has left the plane. 
Flight attendants should keep in mind that the master is
responsible for issuing commands to the dog guide, that the dog
only understands the specific set of commands, and that the blind
passenger is responsible for the actions of the dog guide.


OF BUSES AND BLIND PASSENGERS


  The following letter was written by Cherie Heppe, one of the
leaders of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. 
The incident she relates is symptomatic of a pattern.  The final
steps up the stairway of freedom are always the most
difficult--the most resisted, the most resented.
  And in what is happening today in America the National
Federation of the Blind is both catalyst and focus.  It cannot be
said too often that no minority ever goes from second-class
status to first-class citizenship without passing through a
period of hostility.  To those who already have first- class
citizenship or who approve of the status quo, the answer is
simple: Don't rock the boat.  Wait.  Be patient.
  But what of those who are still on the stairway waiting to
emerge?  Is first- class status only for future generations and
not for them?  And if they never insist upon their rights or rock
the boat, what assurance is there (in fact, what reason at  all
to believe) that some miracle will give better treatment to their
children--or their grandchildren--or their great-grandchildren? 
It has to start somewhere, and the actions necessary to alter the
status quo are rarely pleasant:

--------------------

                   Hartford, Connecticut October 3, 1986

Messrs. Dean Bonnano & Ray Clark Connecticut Transit Bus Company
Hartford, Connecticut

Dear Sirs:
  This letter will follow up my telephone conversation of October
3, 1986, in which I reported the deplorable incident that took
place today and which is described herein.  Your administrative
offices had closed by the time I telephoned, so a woman
identifying herself as operator four took down my complaint.  The
inexcusably bad treatment and behavior leveled at me by the bus
driver caused me to be quite shaken and upset.  I wish to
register a formal complaint with Connecticut Transit and request
a written response and determination.
  I am a totally blind student attending Trinity College.  Coming
home from my organic chemistry lab, I took the F bus to downtown
Hartford, transferred to an E bus, and disembarked at Sigourney
Street and Farmington Avenue to transact some business at the
bank.  When I finished I returned to the bus stop to wait for a
westbound bus to go home.
  At four o'clock a bus pulled up, quite crowded, as is usual for
that line at that time of day.  People were standing in the aisle
up to the driver's position with room for several more.  I
boarded the bus.  The driver began by loudly saying I could not
stay on the bus because of the crowded condition and must get
off.  The driver placed her hand over the coin slot of the fare
box, preventing me from paying my fare.  While she continued in
this manner, a gentleman next to me had dropped his nylon travel
bag, which I picked up and gave to him.  He stood virtually in
the same place as I stood on the bus, but he was not being asked
to disembark due to crowded conditions.
  I tried to explain that, just as the other passengers, I rode
on crowded buses regularly with no problems for anyone.  The
driver would not hear my explanations.  I continued by observing
that, at one time, a group of people had been forced to sit at
the rear of the bus.  So now, why could I not ride like other
passengers at the front of the bus?  The driver said this was not
a race issue and advised me to "shut up." She said I was standing
behind the white line and could not ride standing beyond the
white line.  Several passengers were also riding in the space
beyond the white line, albeit they tried to back up after hearing
the driver mention it.
  The driver said she would not continue on her route while I
remained on the bus.  She asserted that I obstructed her view. 
Since I have ridden on many crowded buses in the position I then
occupied and since no other driver experienced difficulties in
seeing, I could not understand how this driver could be having so
much trouble.  The driver said I blocked the door of the bus. 
The several other passengers standing pressed into the aisle
behind me were not mentioned.
  Although the driver was stopped in the bus station, she said
she was blocking traffic and had to move.  At this point
passengers joined the driver's heckling and began jeering and
taunting me, saying: "Yah, blind lady, get off the bus," and
"Come on, we have to get going."  The driver then threatened to
call the police to have me removed from the bus but seemed to be
asking someone outside the bus door to call the police for her. 
Since the buses are equipped with two-way radios (presumably in
good working order) to be used to summon assistance, why didn't
the driver use the radio to call for help?
  The driver would not listen at all.  She suddenly began
coughing and choking, as if something had lodged in her throat or
as though she were experiencing some kind of medical problem. 
When someone from outside the open bus door called out, "Are you
all right, Mrs. Jackson?" the coughing and choking ceased
abruptly.
  The driver now said that another bus was right behind hers and
I could take that one.  I asked the man whose bag I picked up
what the driver's badge number was.  Before he could answer the
driver said her number was #1627.  I must assume from her
reactions to the inquiry about her well-being from outside the
bus that her name is Mrs. Jackson.  Since all I wanted was to get
home, I decided to take the bus which driver #1627 said was right
behind hers.  As I disembarked, I repeated her number to her,
saying I wanted to be sure to remember it right.  Driver #1627
said she would remember me, too.
  The next bus was not right behind the first but came ten
minutes later at 4:10.  This bus was just as crowded as the
first, with people standing in the aisle, ahead of the white
line.  The driver of this bus, #1181, seemed to think nothing of
my boarding and riding the bus.  Because of the crowd, I stood
exactly where I had been standing on the first bus.  The driver
said I did not obstruct his view at all, since the buses came
equipped with mirrors.  He said that passengers often stood
forward of the white line in crowded conditions, as several of us
were doing.  The driver said I was not blocking the bus door and,
in fact, people got off at several stops prior to mine with no
more difficulty than usually experienced on crowded buses.
  The transportation of blind passengers on public transportation
is a right guaranteed to the blind by both state and federal law.

The carriage of blind passengers is not a matter of whim or
caprice.  I, along with many blind people, must ride buses and
other public transportation daily.  I use the bus much as a
sighted person would use an automobile--to run errands, attend
school, visit friends, and engage in the activities of everyday
life.  I handle myself in a reasonable and competent manner.  I
am an American citizen and deserve to be treated as one.
  The woman driver's conduct is unspeakable, and her overreaction
and threats are completely unacceptable in a civilized society. 
For this reason I have written this letter, with the expectation
that such an incident will not be repeated.  Please be so kind as
to look into this matter and send me a written determination and
response regarding the outcome.

                              Sincerely, Cherie Heppe


TEMPEST IN A THIEL POT

ISRAEL BOILS
BROWN UNRUFFLED

by Kenneth Jernigan


  In the November, 1986, Braille Monitor we carried an article
entitled "The Rocky Road of Thiel."  We said that according to
our information Hans Thiel (the inventor of the Thiel Braille
embossing device) had made a deal with VTEK of California,
formerly Visualtek, to sell his machine in this country and that
the honeymoon between Thiel and VTEK was reportedly finished
almost before it got started.  We said that Thiel had reportedly
hired an attorney and was contemplating legal action.  We also
said that we had been told that VETK had sold very few machines
at the time of the writing of our article.
  As might have been expected, Larry Israel (the rather
short-fused head of VTEK) was unhappy with our article.  In a
letter dated December 4, 1986, he accused us of irresponsible
journalism, said we had probably been "used," and said that Lee
Brown (the organizer of the group which bought Maryland Computer
Services) had been "spreading lies about Thiel and VTEK since
about mid-May."  He also said that he dared Lee Brown to sue him
for what he had said.  Here in its entirety is Mr. Israel's
letter:

--------------------

                Santa Monica, California December 4, 1986

Dear Dr. Jernigan:
  I am distressed by the article THE ROCKY ROAD OF THIEL which
you published in the November issue.  It contains misleading and
untrue information, without any indication of a source.  More
particularly, after indicating that Thiel made an arrangement
with us, you say "... our information indicates that the
honeymoon was over almost before it started."
  Subsequently, you say: "We are told that Mr. Thiel is furious
and has engaged legal counsel preparatory to a possible lawsuit. 
It is said that Thiel wants nothing more to do with VTEK and is
urgently trying to find ways to break his contract with them."
  All of what you were told, or heard, as reflected in the above
quotations, is completely false.  Your publication of it is
likely to be quite damaging to Thiel and to VTEK.  It was never
true, and it is not true now.  I don't know who told you these
lies, although I strongly suspect it was Lee Brown, since he has
been spreading lies about Thiel and VTEK since about mid-May (and
I cordially invite him to sue me and try to prove the falsity of
that statement in a court of law!).  I am dismayed that you would
repeat this information without attribution.  "Our information
indicates" and "we are told" and "it is said" are disreputable
ways of disclaiming responsibility for the publication of
scurrilous information.  And if your informant asked you to not
reveal the source of this information, then you are being
severely abused by someone who is using you to spread lies, with
the deliberate intent of causing damage to our firm.  What you
have done is journalistically irresponsible.
  As for Lee Brown contemplating legal action, he has been
threatening that since at least May, against VTEK, Thiel and the
U.S. Customs Service!  Such "threats" were made to me personally
in a phone conversation, in which Mr. Brown said he would file
for an injunction to prevent the importation of Thiel printers
for us to resell.  Anyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of
law would know that to be an entirely futile undertaking, and Mr.
Brown has, to the best of my knowledge, never filed any legal
actions connected with this situation (certainly not against
VTEK).  Since he made the same threat to Mr.  Thiel, Mr. Thiel
did hire an attorney in this country to ensure that his rights
and interests under U.S. law were thoroughly protected.  Mr.
Thiel's attorney confirmed that the agreement between VTEK and
Thiel is completely in order, and that there was no further
agreement with Maryland Computer Services.
  For you to then refer to our press release, which you reprint
in full, as having "wry significance," is to cast aspersions on
VTEK's integrity as well as on the seriousness and validity of
our commitment to marketing Thiel printers in this country.
  The fact is that Maryland Computer Services neglected its
responsibilities to its own customers while it was having
financial difficulties.  Many Thiel users from around the country
later called us, asking for help in getting Thiel maintenance,
and I would be happy to refer you to them by name and address if
you wish to verify the truth of this.  VTEK has undertaken to
provide service at reasonable cost for all existing Thiel printer
installations, even though doing so has in fact been a profitless
venture for us.  We are committed to ensuring that the blind
community in the United States continues to benefit from the
availability of Thiel printers.
  VETK has sent a technician to Germany for service training, and
has had two other technicians trained here in this country.  Jack
Wood was hired as our Product Manager for Thiel printers, and has
been doing a fine job in that capacity.  We have incurred
considerable expense to prepare a better quality manual than
existed previously.  We have hired and trained staff personnel to
support this printer, and we have laid in a stock of spare parts
for use as needed in servicing the equipment.  Shortly before
Thanksgiving I visited Mr. Thiel personally to review our joint
marketing programs and to review his development efforts on an
interpoint embosser.  I had dinner with him, his wife and his
chief financial officer, in his home near Frankfurt.  Does that
sound like the honeymoon is over, or that he is contemplating a
lawsuit?
  Under the circumstances I believe that you owe us an apology
for printing this astounding set of unattributed rumors, which
can be proven to be untrue in all material respects.  I further
request that you publish this letter in the Braille Monitor so
that all your readers can be aware of the misleading and false
information with which they were presented.  It is unfortunate
that publication schedules will result in many months elapsing
between publication of the falsehoods and publication of the
truth!
  If you intend to publish remarks disputing the accuracy of what
I have said, I would appreciate the courtesy of seeing them prior
to publication, and having the opportunity to respond in the same
issue.

                       Very truly yours, Larry Israel, Chairman
                                    VTEK

--------------------

  There are those who might call Mr.  Israel's letter somewhat
harsh, but allowances must be made for temperament.  We recognize
that individuals react differently and with varying degrees of
emotion to the appearance of their names in print.
  Upon receiving Mr. Israel's letter we thought it only right to
call Mr. Brown and read it to him.  He seemed undisturbed and at
peace with himself.  He said that last spring he had, indeed,
suggested to Mr. Israel that he might file a lawsuit against him.

He said this suggestion occurred in a conversation in which Mr.
Israel had tried to intimidate him.  Mr. Brown said that he had
read the November article and that, so far as he could tell, it
seemed to be accurate.
  Mr. Brown, as one might expect, has a different view from the
one held by Mr.  Israel as to what has happened and how things
are.  He says that Maryland Computer Services was top heavy with
management and had a good deal of internal squabbling, that the
situation has been stabilized and may be saved by merging some of
the management functions of Triformation Systems and Maryland
Computer Services, and that the future looks bright.  He further
says that it is true that he contemplated a suit against Thiel
because of Thiel's failure to live up to agreements with Maryland
Computer Services.  He says that Thiel would not come through
with needed parts or with machines which had been ordered and
that at least three orders probably went to VTEK because of this.

He says that his lawyers told him that he could likely get an
injunction to prevent VTEK from importing Thiel machines but that
he refrained from legal action because he did not wish to involve
the field in turmoil and because, in a sense, the whole thing was
in the process of becoming somewhat irrelevant.  He explained
this by saying that Triformation Systems would soon be announcing
a new Braille embossing device which would be better than the
Thiel machine, lower priced, and more up to date in its
technology.  He said that the new Braille embossing device would
probably sell for something in the neighborhood of $12,000 and
would probably be on the market by late next spring or early
summer.  He said that it was his opinion that this had not been a
good year for the sale of Thiel machines and that, after seeing
some of the parts and machines shipped from Thiel to Maryland
Computer Services, he can understand why this might be.
  Mr. Brown had no firm data on how many Thiels VTEK may have
sold, and it will be noted that (with all of his insistence on
setting the record straight) Mr.  Israel did not tell us in his
letter.  He did not dispute our information that he had made very
few sales.  Mr. Brown said that Maryland Computer Services had
sold some eighty-five Thiels before losing the contract.
  So where does all of this tempest in a Thiel pot leave us? 
Mostly nowhere so far as Mr. Israel's fumings are concerned.  At
this stage there are apparently three relatively large producers
of technology in the blindness field: Telesensory Systems, Inc.
(TSI), VTEK, and the combined Maryland Computer Services and
Triformation Systems.  With respect to TSI, there are persistent
rumors that it is undercapitalized and in financial trouble, but
these have not been verified.  Most people I talk with seem to
feel that the Optacon is well past its peak and generally
outmoded although still used by some.  The VersaBraille is well
regarded by some, but there seems to be a general feeling that
its price is too high and that the pushiness and pressure tactics
for which TSI is so well known are a continuing burden to the
company.
  VTEK is thought to be more stable, but it has the drawback of
the reputation and erratic temperament of its owner and principal
spokesman.  Many people feel uneasy about dealing with Mr.
Israel.
  Both Triformation Systems and Maryland Computer Services have
had their troubles and have undergone sweeping reorganization,
but Lee Brown (the force which seems to have brought stability to
both) appears to be stable, determined, and knowledgeable.  He
says that his Text Embossing Device (the TED-600) is performing
extremely well and gaining wide acceptance.  The price ($37,500)
is out of the reach of most individuals, but if the machine
performs as advertized, it could well be worth the money of
organizations, agencies, and libraries.  Mr. Brown says that the
machine does interpoint Braille, easily interfaces with most
computers, and (though rated at 600 characters per second) is
usually scaled down to something over 400 for long-term,
relatively maintenance-free operation.  As already reported, Mr.
Brown says that a new device to compete with the Thiel is ready
for announcement.  He also indicates that he wants input from
blind consumers and is prepared to consider developing and
manufacturing whatever devices and technology blind users
indicate they want.  It may well be that the combined Maryland
Computer Services/ Triformation Systems entity will forge ahead
and dominate the field.
  But, of course, there are a growing number of newcomers and
smaller companies which are coming to prominence and gaining
recognition.  The field of technology for the blind seems highly
fluid and full of new ideas and exploration.  Any way you look at
it, this can only be good for the successful competitors and also
for the blind.  In such an atmosphere the ill-tempered clamoring
of Mr. Israel seems nothing more than untimely and irrelevant.


FROM THE GROUND FLOOR UP

by Judy Rasmussen


  This article appeared in the October, 1986, Braille Spectator,
the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland.  Judy Rasmussen is an investigator with the Office of
Landlord-Tenant Affairs in Rockville (Montgomery County),
Maryland.  She is also blind.  When Judy sits across the desk
from a landlord, blindness is not the thing at the center of
thought or conversation.  In that situation Judy is what the
modern lingo calls an "authority figure."  Usually the landlord
wants something--or, more often, wants to avoid something.  At
the very least, Judy and the landlord meet as equals, with the
edge probably being with Judy.
  But what happens when a blind person applies to the landlord to
rent an apartment--in short, when the new realities and the old
stereotypes come face to face and clash?  The lesson one is
tempted to learn is that public education does not work, that it
is a waste of time and money--but this would be a mistaken
conclusion.  Education and the changing of attitudes are a slow
process, much slower than force or violence or legislation--but
they are also more effective, more permanent, and more certain. 
The effort we spend on public education is never wasted.
  Yes, the landlord resisted, but forty years ago the outcome
would almost certainly have been different.  The White Cane Law,
which the National Federation of the Blind has succeeded in
getting adopted throughout the country to insure equal access to
public accommodations (including housing), would not have been on
the books.  Judy would not have had the job she holds.  The
landlord would not have had the experience of having dealt with
her in tenant negotiations.  The blind person (also a
Federationist) probably would not have had the money to rent the
apartment, might not have known of his rights, and likely would
not have had the background and courage to resist.  The climate
of the 1940's is totally different from the climate of today. 
And when did it all happen--and why?  It happened meeting by
meeting, letter by letter, Monitor article by Monitor article,
banquet speech by banquet speech, state and national convention
by state and national convention, conversation by conversation,
and thought by thought in the minds of blind person by blind
person--it happened in the step-by-step, year-by-year, growth and
activities of the National Federation of the Blind.  Yes,
education works--for the public at large, and also for us.
  Here is one part of the story as told by Judy Rasmussen:

--------------------

  "How will you do your laundry?  How much education do you have?

How will you cook."  Who do you suppose would ask these
questions?  A prospective employer?  A friend wanting to know
more about how you function as a blind person?  Someone you meet
on the street?  If you guessed any of the above, you're wrong. 
Just a few weeks ago these questions were asked of Pat Gormley, a
blind member of the Sligo Creek Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland, as he applied to rent an
apartment in Prince Georges County.  Pat had located an apartment
on the second floor of a building which was convenient to
shopping and public transportation.  The landlord stated to Pat
that she did not want to rent him the apartment because it was on
the second floor, and her insurance company would not allow it. 
She was concerned that Pat would not be able to exit safely
should a fire occur.  Even after Pat's assurances that he had
successfully negotiated stairs all his life, the landlord still
refused to rent him the apartment.  She suggested that Pat might
wish to rent another apartment in another building she owned,
this apartment being located on the first floor.  Pat did look at
this apartment but felt that it was not nearly as convenient to
transportation and shopping and advised the landlord that he
preferred the apartment on the second floor.
  Pat was in constant touch with members of the Sligo Creek
Chapter.  The landlord confirmed to me that everything Pat had
stated was true.  She suggested that we talk with her attorney
about her insurance rates.
  The landlord's attorney stated to me that he would also be
concerned about renting an apartment on the second floor of a
building to a blind person.  He suggested that maybe "special
bells" could be placed in Pat's apartment in addition to the
smoke detector.  He did agree, however, that the landlord could
not discriminate by letting blind people live only on certain
floors, but there was still the problem of fire.  The attorney
was advised that should Pat not be allowed to rent the apartment
and since Pat qualified in every way, the Sligo Creek Chapter,
NFB, planned to contact the press and file a complaint with the
Prince Georges County Human Relations Commission.
  The landlord agreed that Pat was qualified for the apartment,
but she stated that since she served on the Montgomery County
Housing Opportunities Commission, she was not allowed to accept
tenants applying for low-income housing in Prince Georges County.

After checking with the proper agency officials, we found that
this was not true.  We were told that the landlord could accept
low-income tenants in Prince Georges County.  The landlord had
run out of arguments--Pat was qualified for the apartment, the
landlord could not discriminate by only allowing blind people to
live on certain floors, and the landlord could accept low income
tenants in Prince Georges County.  After much consultation, the
landlord agreed to rent Pat the apartment.  On October 3, 1986,
Pat telephoned me and stated that he had been given the keys to
the apartment and that he could move in the next week.
  You would think that landlords and attorneys would be familiar
with the civil rights of minorities by now.  You would also think
that an attorney who represents several landlords in our area
would not consider that it was necessary to have "special bells"
in someone's apartment, in addition to the smoke detector which
the landlord is required to maintain.  It is astounding to me
that this landlord has been in my office negotiating cases and,
presumably, treating me as an equal.  Yet, if I had applied for
an apartment in one of her buildings, she would have asked me the
same questions.  It would not have mattered whether I was a
highly paid executive or someone receiving SSI.  I am still
blind, and she would not have rented to me.
  I believe that if it had not been for the National Federation
of the Blind of Maryland, Pat Gormley would not have been allowed
to rent the apartment.  As Delegate Elijah Cummings so aptly
stated in his speech at the National Federation of the Blind
convention in Kansas City last July, "As long as one of us is
enslaved, none of us is free."


A VICTORY IN THE BATTLE
AGAINST INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION

by Ben Prows


  The organized blind have been fighting the insurance industry
for many years to achieve equality with our sighted peers in our
ability to receive all the benefits provided in various insurance
policies.  As Federationists know, Washington State's Insurance
Commissioner has been somewhat reluctant in the past to work with
us to force the insurance companies to provide insurance to the
blind on an equal basis.
  Readers of the Braille Monitor will remember the exchanges of
correspondence between the Commissioner's office and Scott Lewis
of the NFB in which the stereotypical notions about the blind as
risks were trotted out as justification for not adopting the
National Association of Insurance Commissioners' model insurance
regulation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of blindness. 
Over the past year, however, there has been a marked change in
the attitude of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.  We
have carried on extensive negotiations with Commission staff, and
as a result we have gotten Washington State Insurance
Commissioner Marquardt to agree that insurance discrimination
against the blind must not continue.
  The following press release to all insurance companies doing
business in the state of Washington was released at the beginning
of November, 1986.  This is a significant step forward for the
blind in the fight to eliminate irrational discrimination.  It is
the result of hard work on the part of the National Federation of
the Blind.  No other organizations or individual blind persons
have participated in the process.
  This action by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner is
just another reason "why the National Federation of the Blind."

--------------------

Marquardt Tells Insurers To Beware Discriminating Against The
Blind

  OLYMPIA--State Insurance Commissioner
Dick Marquardt says he is concerned that instances of
discrimination by insurance companies against blind persons have
occurred in Washington.  In a bulletin issued this week to all
life and health insurance companies doing business in Washington,
Marquardt directed the companies to be certain that their
underwriting practices are in full accord with state
anti-discrimination laws.
  In discussions with the Commissioner's staff, Ben Prows, an
officer of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington,
reported getting calls from blind persons asking about their
rights in dealing with insurance companies.  Prows says he
believes that more incidents of blind people being refused or
charged more for life, health, and disability insurance have
occurred here than have actually been reported.  Prows also noted
increasing concern nationally about insurance problems being
encountered by blind people in their dealings with companies and
agents.
  Marquardt says several Washington laws applying to insurance
prohibit unfair discrimination because of sensory, mental, or
physical handicaps.  Although fair discrimination based on
substantiated differences in risk or exposure is allowed under
Washington's Insurance Code, the Commissioner says his office is
not aware of any data with sufficient credibility to establish
differences in risk between blind and sighted people, based on
blindness alone.  To the contrary Marquardt says there are two
studies that show blind but otherwise healthy persons are equal
or better life insurance mortality risks than sighted persons in
similar circumstances.
  All but six states now have laws on their books to deal with
discrimination against the blind in life and health insurance,
according to industry sources, and many are similar to
Washington's.  Marquardt says the companies would be wise to
review all state laws against discrimination and make sure that
the policy manuals used by their employees and agents are in
accord with those laws.
  Prows says that his organization is anxious to help the
companies know and comply with state laws on discrimination, and
so the national office of his group is acting as an information
center.  Companies or individuals wanting information on
mortality and morbidity studies involving blind persons, as well
as proposed state and federal legislation dealing with
discrimination against the blind, are urged to contact James
Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs for the National
Federation of the Blind, by writing him at 1800 Johnson Street,
Baltimore, Maryland 21230, or calling (301) 659- 9314.


ARE THE BLIND AN UNDERCLASS?

LETTER FROM VIRGINIA REAGAN


  Virginia Reagan, who lives in Missouri, is committed to the
church, but she is also committed to the truth of Federationism
and the first-class citizenship of the blind.  When she read what
she regarded as an untrue statement in her church magazine, she
did not remain silent.  She spoke out--not just in the interest
of the blind but also (and at least as important) in the interest
of truth:

--------------------

                   Rogersville, Missouri October 22, 1986

George W. Hunt, S.J.  Editor
AMERICA

Dear Father Hunt:
  I would like to call your attention to a statement made in the
October 11 issue of AMERICA in the editorial "Defining Help for
the Underclass," which was in error.  You listed the physically
disabled and the blind among those of the "underclass," and many
put us there.  But then you stated: "Since these poor will never
be economically self- sufficient, they will always depend on the
aid of family, friends, or in their default, the agencies of the
state."
  This is just not true.  Being both in a wheelchair and blind
myself, I know many physically disabled people and blind people. 
Many of us do not depend on family, friends, or state agencies
for financial help.  I know many blind people who work.  I also
know people with severe physical disabilities, such as
quadriplegia, who work as well.  I know many others, both blind
and physically disabled, who are capable of being economically
self-sufficient if potential employers would just give us a
chance.
  At the risk of being unkind, I will express my honest opinion. 
The help of state agencies is sometimes very slow in coming, and
a person could starve or freeze while they are waiting for it. 
But for an incorrect blanket statement such as yours to appear in
a fine Catholic magazine such as AMERICA is just devastating. 
We, the people of God, are working so hard to make everyone feel
like an equal part of the Church, and a statement such as yours
seems to try to separate us from the rest of the Body of Christ.
  I hope you will print some kind of statement in your next issue
to the effect that this was a general statement and many of us
are economically self- sufficient.  After all, the physically
disabled and the blind are gifted as well as having limitations;
this means we are just like everyone else except for having some
part of our body that does not function in the usual way.
  I should mention that I receive AMERICA on cassette tapes from
Xavier Society for the Blind.

                              Sincerely, Virginia Reagan


ONLY IN AMERICA

by Stephen Benson


  (This article was taken from the December, 1986, Month's News,
the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois.)

  Several years ago I asked Rami Rabby, who was born in Israel
and educated in England, "What is the biggest difference between
Israel, England, and the United States?"
  After a moment's pause Rami said, "Well, in this country you
can pick up a telephone, call your elected representative, make
an appointment, and have a very good chance of actually meeting
with him or her to discuss substantive issues.  You just can't do
that anywhere else in the world."
  I believe there is another significant difference--that is, of
course, the National Federation of the Blind.  Blind people are a
minority, a small minority.  Only through collective action can
we improve the quality of our lives and the lives of blind people
in the future.
  The Federation speaks with an eloquence unsurpassed by any
group of Americans.  We are a vehicle for change.  We are a
bastion of independence and freedom, a democracy in a democracy. 
We take our goals "Equality, Security, and Opportunity"
seriously.  We take our responsibilities as free and independent
citizens, who compete on equal terms with sighted people, very
seriously.
  Only in America can several hundred blind people gather in the
nation's capital to educate the Congress about the needs of blind
people.  Each year, at national convention, we renew our solemn
promise to ourselves and to future generations of blind people,
to continue to work effectively, collectively, to improve the
quality of life for all people.  Each February we gather in
Washington to act on our solemn promise.


CAB DRIVER FINED

DOG CAN RIDE


  Holly Frisch is a long-time member of the National Federation
of the Blind.  She has a dog guide.  On June 7, 1986, she
attempted to hire a taxi, but the driver refused to transport her
because she was accompanied by a dog guide.  She brought the
matter to the attention of the District of Columbia Hackers'
License Appeal Board, and the decision which the Board handed
down has implications not only for blind people in the District
of Columbia but throughout the nation.  Here in its entirety is
the decision:

--------------------

Government of the
District of Columbia Hackers' License Appeal Board

November 28, 1986
ORDER

IN RE: Homayoon Majdi (Respondent) Hollis Frisch (Complainant)

  This cause came before the Hackers' License Appeal Board upon
notice dated July 2, 1986, to the respondent to show cause why
his public vehicle license should not be suspended or revoked or
a monetary fine imposed upon a complaint against him for refusing
to transport and improper conduct in violation of 15 DCMR 819.5
and 822.6.
  This cause was heard by the Board on July 23, 1986.  The Board
consisted of Betty A. Franklin, Chairperson, Lucille Johnson, and
William Wright.  Both the complainant and the respondent were
present and did testify concerning the complaint.  Upon
consideration of the evidence adduced at the hearing, the
Hackers' License Appeal Board makes the following:

FINDINGS OF FACT

  1. On June 7, 1986, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the respondent
was operating a Yellow Cab #39 at the front entrance to the John
F. Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
  2. That on the date and approximate time mentioned above, the
complainant attempted to hail the respondent's cab and was
refused.  The complainant is blind and has a guide dog.
  3. That the complainant requested that an usher hire a cab for
her; that the usher attempted to hire the respondent but he
refused because a guide dog's presence would prevent him from
collecting other fares.
  4. That the respondent admits refusing because his passengers
would not ride with a big dog; that the respondent's passengers
had not yet entered the cab but were waiting outside the cab
while the respondent attempted to solicit additional fares.
  5. And that the respondent refused to transport a passenger
while holding his taxicab forth for hire.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

  On June 7, 1986, at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the front
entrance to the John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., the
respondent did refuse to transport a passenger while holding his
taxicab forth for hire in violation of 15 DCMR 819.5 which
provides:
  "819.5: No driver of a taxicab shall refuse to transport a
passenger while holding his taxicab forth for hire.  Any taxicab
occupying a taxicab stand shall for the purposes of these
regulations be considered to be held forth for hire.  Any taxicab
being operated on the streets: (a) when not occupied by a paying
passenger; or (b) when not displaying an 'On Call,' or 'Off
Duty,' or 'Out of Service' sign as authorized by Sections 815.6
to 815.8, 813.10, 815.7 to 820.4; shall for the purpose of this
chapter be considered to be held forth for hire."
  The respondent did not want to transport the complainant
because she was a "blind lady with a big dog," and that his
potential passengers would not ride with him had he accepted the
complainant.  No driver who engages in shared riding shall accept
a subsequent passenger accompanying any animal (other than a
seeing eye dog) without the consent of the prior passenger or
passengers already being transported, as cited in 15 DCMR 802.13.

The respondent had only potential passengers standing at his cab,
but no one was in his cab.  He stated that his potential
passengers would not tolerate a dog, the reason for this was
unknown to the respondent.  The driver was also aware that the
other drivers would not transport the complainant because of her
guide dog.  Surely he could have transported the complainant, and
located another cab for the potential passengers if they refused
to ride with the complainant.  As a licensed driver the
respondent owes a higher duty of care to the public, and for this
failure he must be held accountable.

DECISION AND ORDER

   Based on the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of
law, it is the unanimous decision of the Hackers' License Appeal
Board that a fine of $300.00 be imposed on respondent.
  This decision takes effect five (5) days after the date of this
Order.  On the effective date (or the next working day if the
effective date falls on a weekend or holiday), respondent must
pay his fine by taking enclosed fine notice to the D.C.
Treasurer, Room 1140, of the Municipal Center.
  Respondent has five (5) days after the effective date of this
decision to petition the Board for reconsideration, or thirty
(30) days to appeal the decision to the D.C. Court of Appeals. 
Filing of such actions, however, does not stay the decision of
the Board.  Respondent is still required to pay the fine imposed.

                   BY ORDER OF THE BOARD Betty A. Franklin
                             Chairperson


A STRIDE FORWARD IN THE DOG GUIDE MOVEMENT

by Edwin Eames
Baruch College (CUNY)

Toni Ann Gardner
Kings Park Psychiatric Center


  As authors of the widely acclaimed best seller "A Guide to
Guide Dog Schools," we have received hundreds of thousands of
queries about new ideas and new directions in the guide dog
movement.  Stimulated by the outpouring of interest in the future
of the movement, we have decided to become pioneers by creating a
new guide dog school.  Let us acquaint you with the unique
features of our school and what we can do for you.
  Have you hesitated about getting a guide dog because they are
so big?  Are you a guide dog user who has trouble getting your
large dog under tables in crowded restaurants and out of the way
in busy buses and subways?  Are people always tripping over your
dog?  Are you afraid that your dog will get hurt?  We have solved
your problem!  Out Of Sight, our new school, will provide you
with a dog which can fit anywhere.  Our breed of dogs, pocket
poodles, will never be obtrusive.  They are the smallest of the
toy poodles and never weigh much more than three pounds.  They
can be carried in pocket, purse, briefcase, backpack, special
pouch, or in one's hand.  Since our dogs are completely portable,
they need never touch the floor.  Therefore, you don't have to
worry about people tripping over them or even about having to
wipe their feet.
  Have you hesitated about getting a guide dog because you are
allergic to dog hair?  For those of you with guide dogs, are you
fearful of wearing wool in the winter because it is always
covered with your dog's hair?  Poodles do not shed and are
recommended by most physicians as non-allergic.
  Are you afraid that if you get a guide dog he or she will eat
you out of house and home?  Are you being eaten out of house and
home by your present large guide dog?  Do you have severe
backaches from carrying tons of food when you travel with your
guide dog?  A five- pound bag of dog food will last our dog six
months!
  Are you reluctant to get a guide dog because you like to sleep
late on your days off?  Do you resent your present guide dog
because you have to put on all of your winter clothes and take
the dog out into the freezing air on a day when you're not going
anywhere?  Have you had to buy stock in the baggies company
because of the necessity of picking up after your dog?  All of
these problems are solved as our dogs are trained to relieve
themselves in a kitty litter pan.  You never have to go outdoors
if you don't want to.
  Do you think twice about getting a guide dog because you have
heard there are problems getting into public places with your
dog?  Have you ever had a taxi driver, restaurant owner, theater
operator, or hotel proprietor challenge your right to keep your
guide dog with you?  Are you tired of hearing: "You can't bring
that dog in here!"  Your problems are over!  Our dogs are so
small that they are rarely seen.  In the event that you are
challenged, just slip your dog out of sight!  Then you can reply:
"What dog?"
  Have you rejected the idea of getting a guide dog because you
don't want to leave your family to spend a month at a guide dog
school some distance from your home?  At our school we invite you
and your entire family to spend the weekend having fun in the sun
while you train.  In one short week you can effectively learn to
work with a pocket poodle.  You can carry the little dog in the
palm of your hand and when the dog wiggles to the left, you turn
left.  When the dog wiggles to the right, you turn right.  And
when the dog lifts its little nose in the air, you stop because
you're now at a curb or obstacle.  If the dog puts its nose down,
you are at a flight of stairs.  The most complicated part of the
training program is learning how deftly to slip your dog out of
sight into your pocket; this is known as "the ole sleight-of-hand
routine."
  You and your family are invited to spend a luxurious weekend at
the Hawaii Hyatt Hilton Hotel.  Rooms are deluxe, meals are
delicious, and every recreational facility is within reach. 
Between training sessions you may wish to spend time on the
beach.
  In our scientific matching process, you enter the hotel banquet
room barefoot, and the first of the 500 trained pocket poodles in
that room to lick your toes becomes your guide dog.  One of the
new frontiers in guide dog ideology is the concept that the dog
should select you.  Scientific studies have demonstrated that
this procedure drastically reduces the number of poor matches.
  We provide aftercare anywhere in the continental United States.

Should you for any reason have to return with your guide dog to
Hawaii, do not fear the quarantine.  After all, your dog is Out
of Sight!  We are anticipating establishing an annual mandatory
walk-a-thon reunion.  However, there are some logistical
problems.  The most serious one is the mass smuggling of pocket
poodles back into Hawaii.
  Who is eligible to receive an Out of Sight Guide Dog?  Any
blind person who can contribute $50,000 or more is eligible for
an Out of Sight Guide Dog.  The school as a charitable trust will
pay all travel expenses and hotel accommodations.  We will also
provide a well trained, healthy Out of Sight Guide Dog.  You
don't have to walk fast or have good balance.  All you need is a
sleight of hand.
  What are some of the additional advantages of our dogs?  Small
dogs, as we all know, live much longer than larger dogs.  Often,
our traditional guide dogs must be retired when they develop
arthritis.  However, since an Out of Sight Dog is carried in the
palm of your hand, this need not be a problem.  The advantage of
carrying your guide dog in the palm of your hand is that you need
never fear about scavenging, sniffing, or running after other
dogs.  No longer do you have to feel like an inadequate weakling
when you cannot pick up your 85-pound dog to weigh him or her. 
You just hold our dog in the palm of your hand, and step on the
scale.  It will barely register a difference from your own
weight.  All of our dogs are trained to fetch on command.  Our
dogs are willing workers but do have difficulty lifting up heavy
wallets and key chains.  However, they are excellent at
retrieving bobby pins and toothpicks.
  Despite the phenomenal success in our new concept of guide dog
training, we must recognize some disadvantages.  With larger
guide dogs, you had the problem of their painful stepping on your
feet.  With our guide dogs, however, should you step on your dog,
a replacement may be needed at once.  Another problem is cats. 
Your Out of Sight Dog is trained to get along well with cats. 
However, if the cat mistakes your guide dog for a mouse, a
replacement might be needed at once.


****************************************

RECIPES

****************************************


  (Laura Aune is a member of the National Federation of the Blind
of Minnesota and works in the state office of the affiliate.)

CREAM CHEESE DIP

by Laura Aune

INGREDIENTS:
2 large packages cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 pint whipping cream

METHOD:
  Whip the cream until stiff (do NOT add sugar).  Add cream
cheese and whip with beater until thoroughly mixed.  Now is the
time to add whatever you wish.  Some of the things I add are:
garlic, salt, chopped onions, canned (drained) shrimp, or chopped
green olives.  The dip with green olives is wonderful for fancy
tea sandwiches.  This is a good dip for vegetables, chips, or
whatever your heart desires.


CREAM CHEESE GUACAMOLE

by Laura Aune

INGREDIENTS:
2 or 3 ripe avocadoes
1 large package cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 16-ounce tub sour cream salt to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon red pepper spice (or to taste)
1 small onion, finely chopped 1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce
12 ounces grated cheddar cheese 2 tomatoes, chopped taco chips

METHOD:
  Peel and seed avocadoes and beat.  Add cream cheese and 8
ounces of sour cream, salt, lemon juice, and red pepper.  Beat
until smooth.  If avocadoes are not quite ripe, dip will be lumpy
but will still taste as good.  Then add onions and mix well.
  On large plate or platter spread mixture evenly.  Then cover
completely (to avoid the avocado from turning brown) with the
rest of the sour cream.  Top with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. 
Serve with taco chips and enjoy.

********************


  (Eileen Bleakley is the wife of Harold Bleakley, who is the
President of Aids Unlimited.  The Bleakleys are members of the
Baltimore Chapter.)

IMPERIAL CRAB

by Eileen Bleakley

1 pound crab meat
bread crumbs (approximately 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup miracle whip (or
other
 mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon prepared mustard 1
tablespoon lemon juice dash tabasco

  Pick over crab meat, mix with bread crumbs, miracle whip, and
seasonings.  Fill buttered ramekins (or shells).  Cover with
buttered crumbs and bake 20 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven.

Serves 4.


MUSSELS 'A LA BRUSSELS

by Eileen Bleakley

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon chopped parsley 2 teaspoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce 2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked, drained mussel meats (freshly steamed are best)
1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine

  In saucepan over low heat, melt margarine, blend in flour. 
Remove from heat.  Add parsley, onion, worcestershire and milk. 
Cook until thick (stir constantly).  Season.  Pour mixture and
mussels into buttered shallow baking dish, top with crumbs.  Bake
uncovered in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or
until crumbs are brown.


EASY BANANA BREAD

by Eileen Bleakley

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas (very ripe) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1-1/2
teaspoons salt
1 cup nuts (broken walnuts or pecans) 2 cups flour

  Mix in order given.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 45
minutes to an hour (until toothpick comes out clean).


MARZETTI

by Eileen Bleakley

brown 1 pound ground beef and 1 onion, chopped
ADD:
1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes 1 small jar spaghetti sauce garlic
powder--generously salt and pepper to taste 1 heaping teaspoon
oregano
1/2 package finest noodles (thinnest) 1 cup water
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

  Simmer all until noodles are done-- stir to keep from sticking.

Serves 4 generously.  Leftovers are microwavable if larger batch
is desired.

********************


  (Darla Hamilton is Peggy Pinder's secretary.)

CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE

by Darla Hamilton

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs 1/4 cup melted butter 3 tablespoons
sugar
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons cream de cacao
1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup whipping cream

  Combine cookie crumbs, butter and sugar.  Press evenly on
bottom of 9-inch springform pan.  Chill while preparing filling.
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat cream cheese, sour cream,
sugar, and flour thoroughly.  Add egg yolks, one at a time,
blending well after each addition.  Whip egg whites until almost
stiff but not dry.  Gently fold into cheese mixture.  Fold in
creme de cacao.  Gently swirl slightly cooled chocolate through
cheese mixture to give marbled effect.  Transfer carefully to
springform pan.  Bake 60 minutes.  Turn off oven and let cake
cool with door open.  When cool, remove sides of springform. 
Whip cream.  Spread over cheesecake.


COCONUT CREAM CHEESECAKE

by Darla Hamilton

CRUST:
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons well-chilled butter, cut into small pieces

FILLING:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature 2 cups flaked coconut 1 cup
whipping cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract Toasted coconut (optional)

  For crust: Combine flour and sugar in large bowl.  Using pastry
blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse
meal.  Gather into ball.  Wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate 15
minutes.
  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Press dough into bottom of
10-inch springform pan.  Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20
minutes.  Cool slightly.  Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.
  For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar
until smooth.  Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time.  Mix in
flaked coconut, whipping cream, fresh lemon juice, vanilla and
almond extract.
  Pour filling into crust.  Bake until edges of filling are firm,
about 70 minutes.  Let cheesecake cool completely.
  Remove springform.  Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap. 
Refrigerate 4 hours.  Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted
almond.  Makes 12 servings.

********************


MONITOR MINIATURES * * * * * * *


**Adopted:
  We recently received the following card in the National Office:

We've added someone special To our family--it's true; And now
we're introducing This precious child to you:

Name: Christopher Allen Robb Morris Age: 16 months
Joined our family on: December 4, 1986 Parents: Dick and Dianna
Morris
  Dick is Recording Secretary for the Springfield Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri and state board
member.

**Egg Head:
The Reverend Henry Ward Beecher Called a hen a most eloquent
creature.  The hen pleased with that
Laid an egg in his hat,
And so did the Henry Ward Beecher.

**Surgery:
  E.U. Parker of Mississippi recently underwent surgery on his
neck.  He is now home from the hospital for recuperation.  We
wish him well, and speedy recovery.

**Elected:
  Ed Meskys writes:
  "On Saturday, November 15, 1986, the Lakes Region Chapter of
the National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire held its
elections.  The following were elected: President, Louise Caldon;
First Vice President, Ed Meskys; Second Vice President, William
Richard Huber; Secretary, Mildred Dickey; and Treasurer, Beryl
Dow."

**Sell:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  Smith Corona Model 8000 electric cartridge typewriter with
bulletin print.  Approximately 18 extra cartridges and parts. 
Very good condition.  $300 including UPS.  Contact Richard Brock,
15806 Fernway Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120; (216) 752- 0355.

**Receive Service Award:
  Allen Schaefer of Illinois writes:  "At the annual Christmas
dinner of the
Prairie State Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois Bill and Ruth Isaacs of Bourbonnais received the Miller
Service Award.  This is the Chapter's highest award for
outstanding and dedicated service.  The 1986 Award Committee was
headed by Helen Vitko of Morris.  Tributes to the Isaacs were
presented by Jack and Charlene McLaughlin of Frankfort, Chapter
President Allen Schaefer of Mazon, and state Second Vice
President Steve Hastalis of Chicago.
  "Bill Isaacs is a charter member of the Prairie State Chapter
and serves as Vice President.  He is also a member of the state
Board of Directors and a board member of the National Association
of Blind Educators.  Employed as an Associate Professor of
History at Olivet Nazarene University, he is active in the
Kankakee community and the College Church of the Nazarene.  Ruth
Isaacs serves on the chapter board and was recently elected state
Secretary.  The Isaacs are leaders in the financial development
of the Federation and were honored last summer as second place
winners in the national competition to recruit NFB Associate
members."

**California Guidelines:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  The California State Department of Education announces that it
has developed a set of guidelines for the education of visually
impaired children.  The "Guidelines" are available in Braille for
$25 per set.  They are also presumably available in print.  Price
not specified.  The Braille Guidelines will be sent Free Reading
Matter unless UPS shipment is desired, in which case an
additional $5 should be sent.  Contact: M.S.M.T., 1186 Yulupa
Avenue, Suite 349, Santa Rosa, California 95405.

**New Chapter:
  Hazel Staley writes:
  "On Tuesday evening, December 2, 1986, our state Secretary,
Mabel Conder, and I met with a group of blind people in Concord
and organized the National Federation of the Blind of Cabarrus
County.  There are eleven members of the Chapter.  Officers are
as follows:  President, Terry Bostian; Vice President, Frances
Copeland; Secretary, Janie Garland; Treasurer, Alice Dussault;
and Board Member, Willard Newaome.  These people have studied our
literature and are very enthusiastic about the Federation. 
Several of them are planning to attend our convention in Phoenix.

I believe that this chapter will be a great asset to our
affiliate and to our total movement."

**No Hassle in Airline Exit Row:  Theresa Herron, President of
the
National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire, writes:
  "On November 30, 1986, I was booked with USAir to fly from
Baltimore, Maryland, to Manchester, New Hampshire, by way of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  At 5:55 p.m. I boarded flight 1930
for Philadelphia.  Since it was a commuter flight, the seating
was 'open,' and I seated myself across from the rear door by
which we had entered.  It did not occur to me it was considered
an exit row until the usual pre-flight blurb, to which I paid
scant attention until the row and door were mentioned and
registered on my consciousness.  In the unpredictable manner of
the airlines, nothing had been said to me about my sitting in an
exit row, only an offer to take my cane, which I politely but
firmly declined.  The flight was full, and some people were asked
to exchange seats in order for children to sit with their
parents, but not a word to me about the exit row across from the
rear door.  One never knows what the policy will be from one
flight to another or one airline from another, simply
inconsistent."

**Inherited or Contagious?
  The following item is taken from the July-September, 1986,
newsletter of the Diabetic Division of the National Federation of
the Blind:
  Question: Is diabetes inherited or how does one catch it?
  First, one does not catch diabetes.  As far as we know, it is
not the result of an infectious agent although in certain cases
an infection may possibly precipitate an auto-immune process that
could result in the development of Type I Diabetes.  The exact
mode of inheritance of diabetes is not well worked out. 
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that it runs in families.  One
factor making it difficult to understand and determine the
genetics of diabetes is that it is probably a group of many
different diseases that have in common hypoglycemia but which
have different modes of inheritance.

**Airlines Ever on Our Minds:
  Mary Ellen Halverson writes in Gem
State Milestones, the newsletter of the National Federation of
the Blind of Idaho:
  Our family recently attended a Thanksgiving banquet at church. 
Before the dinner everyone was visiting in the upstairs lobby
area.  Soon a gentleman announced that it was time for the
banquet, which would be held downstairs.  He said that there were
highchairs for the babies and that those families with little
ones might go on down ahead of the crowd.  He then invited senior
citizens to go on down so that they could get settled ahead of
the rush.
  At this point a warning signal went off in my head, and I said
to my husband, "Pre-boarding!"   Would some well-meaning person
come to us and suggest that we, too, go on ahead of the group?  I
am happy to tell you that this did not happen, and we proceeded
with the rest of the bunch.  Furthermore, no one offered to put
my cane in the coat closet, nor did they seem to see it as a
potential missile!  Our family sat where we chose and settled in
for a very enjoyable banquet.

**Guide to Guide Dog Schools:
  "The Baruch College Guide Dog Book Fund announces the
publication of A Guide to Guide Dog Schools in both print and
cassette form.  Written by Edwin Eames, Toni Ann Gardiner, and
Avrama Gingold, this book describes the ten operational guide dog
schools in the United States.  In addition to describing the
schools, basic issues related to getting a guide dog are
explored.  You can obtain a copy of A Guide to Guide Dog Schools
in print form for $5.00 or in cassette form for $3.50. Checks or
money orders should be made payable to:  Baruch College Guide Dog
Book Fund.  No other form of payment will be accepted.  Orders
should be sent to: Professor Edwin Eames, Box 511, Baruch
College, 17 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10010."

**Elected:
  On November 23, 1986, the following people were elected to
office in the Mahoning Valley Chapter of the National Federation
of the Blind of Ohio: President, Louise Anderson; Vice President,
Mary Lou Cahill; Secretary, Dolly Andervich; Treasurer, Mary Ann
Dravecky; Two- Year Board Member, Helen Tabak; and One- Year
Board Member, Katherine Goldman.

**For Sale:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  "Dorland's Medical Dictionary, Braille edition, 49 volumes,
excellent condition.  Best offer.  Janell Peterson, 303 Harvard
Avenue, East, Apt. 302, Seattle, Washington 98102; phone (206)
328-4778."

**Appointed:
  The November-December, 1986, Blind Missourian says:
  "Annette Grove, member of the Gateway City Chapter, has
recently accepted an appointment from the Commission on
Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).  She will
begin her work in January of 1987 and expects to be assigned to
six agencies during the year.  Annette is currently the director
of the Byron Lippman Counseling and Rehabilitation Center in St.
Louis.  This facility has been accredited by CARF for the past
fifteen years.  Therefore, Annette is quite familiar with the
standards and the process involved.  Unlike some accrediting
bodies, CARF places particular emphasis on consumer involvement
in decision making.  Good luck to you, Annette, and
congratulations to the Commission on their selection."

**Fired--More Iowa Shenanigans:  Time was when public officials
and
members of the press in the state of Iowa were about as sane and
level-headed as any you could find anywhere in the
country--especially, when it came to programs for the blind.  But
that was another era.  The Cedar Rapids Gazette for November 20,
1986, reported as follows:

  The State Board of Regents Wednesday fired Richard M. DeMott,
who had been superintendent of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving
School in Vinton for nine years.
  In a unanimous decision, the regents censured Demott, 45, for
failing to cooperate with the regents' executive secretary, R.
Wayne Richey, in this year's budget and planning process.
  During the open session at a meeting in Iowa City, Richey
accused DeMott of withholding budgetary information, of
forwarding "misleading and inaccurate information," of
purposefully avoiding conversation with the board office and,
finally, of "performing a great disservice to the students and
faculty" of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.
  DeMott denied the accusations.
  In an interview immediately after the firing, DeMott indicated
that he was the victim of a political battle with Richey over a
proposal floated earlier this year to merge the Iowa Braille and
Sight Saving School with the Iowa School for the Deaf....

  This article is typical of the coverage carried throughout the
state, and one hardly knows what to believe.  Early in 1986 the
Regents did, indeed, float a proposal to merge the schools for
the deaf and blind, plus the fact that they have never shown much
real understanding of or interest in learning about the real
problems of blindness.  On the other hand, DeMott has (to use the
kindest terms one can muster) been a lackluster superintendent. 
He may very well, as charged, have withheld information and been
muleheaded.  But then, there is the ineptness of the Governor and
his staff and their positive genius for always managing to end up
being part of the problem instead of part of the solution on
anything dealing with blindness.  Finally there are certain
sensation-hunting newspapers, which apparently feel that to
aggravate tension and exaggerate facts will increase the sale of
papers.  A distasteful spectacle--and that is exactly what it is,
witnessed by the entire nation.  So DeMott has been fired.  Ho
hum.  Who's next?  Who cares?  One day the public of Iowa--an
eminently sensible (even if overly patient) lot-- will have had
enough; and then the reckoning is likely to be both far- reaching
and severe.  Not everyone in the state has forgotten what good
programs for the blind can be.  Not everyone has totally flipped.

**SOCIAL POLICY:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  "SOCIAL POLICY, a magazine for social change, is now available
on audio tape cassette.  The magazine focuses on a wide breadth
of issues: from the new feminism, voting rights, and the self-
help movement to disability rights, initiatives for full
employment, and more.  Beginning with the first issue of 1986
(Winter) cassettes of the quarterly publication are available for
$5 each (plus $1.50 for postage and handling).  A year's
subscription (4 issues) is available at the regular subscription
price of $20, including postage.  Address inquiries or your order
to Social Policy, 33 West 42nd Street, Room 620N, New York, New
York 10036 or call (212) 840-7619."

**Impressive:
  In mid-December the Des Moines Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Iowa issued the following press
release:
  BLIND ELECT NEW OFFICERS:  The Des
Moines Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
held its annual election of officers Friday evening, December 12,
1986.  The new President is Curtis Willoughby, a
telecommunications engineer.  First Vice President is Fred Moore,
a businessman.  Second Vice President is Joel Jeffries, an
attorney.  Secretary is Dick Webb, a musician; and Treasurer is
Jacquie Cummings, a computer programmer and homemaker.  Elected
to the organization's board of directors were Les Secor, a sheet
metal shear operator; Bill Pearce, an attorney; April Enderton, a
homemaker; and Wayne Cooley, a Drake University student majoring
in actuarial science.  All officers and board members are blind.

**New Grandparents:
  Jim and Sharon Omvig are the proud new grandparents of Brittany
Anne Omvig-- born to Jamie and Margaret Omvig of
Baltimore--November 26, 1986.  She weighed in at seven and a half
pounds and measured twenty-one inches.

**Published:
  In the Fall, 1986, HSMAI Marketing
Review (the magazine of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association
International) an article entitled "Does Your Hotel Welcome
Handicapped Guests," appears.  The author of the article is
Harold Snider, President of the National Federation of the Blind
of the District of Columbia and President of the Society for the
Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped.  The HSMAI Marketing
Review is sent to more than 30,000 hotel managers and is widely
read.

**AAAS Announces:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  "The Project on Science, Technology,
and Disability of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) maintains a Resource Group of Scientists and
Engineers with Disabilities.  Members of the Resource Group
consult with schools and colleges, employers, legislators, and
other disabled persons, thereby helping to open doors to
education and careers in math, science, and engineering for
interested disabled people.
  "In addition, the National Science Foundation has awarded AAAS
a grant to publish the Second Edition of the Resource Directory
of Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities in Spring, 1987. 
The Directory lists names and other data about scientists and
engineers with disabilities and is a resource for educators and
students seeking information on better access to educational
programs.  The Directory is especially useful to scientists and
engineers who become disabled mid-career and wish to learn coping
strategies others have developed.
  "AAAS requests that disabled scientists, engineers, and
students of these disciplines cooperate in this national effort
by identifying themselves.  AAAS will contact those persons
identified and will provide more information about joining the
Resource Group and being listed in the Directory.  AAAS will not
use, without permission, the names of individual scientists or
students of science who respond.  Please write or call Diane
Lifton, Project on Science, Technology and Disability, AAAS, 1333
H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202) 326-6678
(Voice/TDD)."

**Recipes:
  The "Recipe" column is one of the most popular items in the
Monitor each month.  Federationists from throughout the country
tell me that they collect the recipes, try them, and enjoy them. 
In response to this upsurge of interest the Editor has pledged to
have not fewer than six recipes in upcoming issues of the
Monitor--but the recipes have to come from somewhere.  We would
like to feature recipes from a different state each month.  This
can be done if Federationists from all of the states make it
possible by sending us recipes.  Please do it--immediately.  Let
us know who should be credited for the recipe, along with any
other tidbits of information you wish to include.

**Killed in Accident:
  As we go to press, we have just learned that on the evening of
Monday, January 12, 1987, Richard H. Evensen, his wife Loraine,
and his guide dog were killed in an accident in Wheaton,
Maryland.  Mr. Evensen, Head of the Braille Development Section
at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, had worked at NLS since the early 1970's.  Before
coming to NLS he lived in Boston.  He was a graduate of Harvard
and had a master's degree in library science from Catholic
University.  He was a member and former chairman of the Braille
Authority of North America.  We have very few details about the
circumstances of the deaths of the Evensens.  We are informed
that they had got off a bus near their home and were starting to
cross the street when they were hit by an oncoming car.
