                       THE BRAILLE MONITOR

                          January, 1988

                    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 

                             * * * *



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

                             * * * *
 


Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about twenty-five 
dollars per year. Members are invited, and non-members are
requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be
made payable to National Federation of the Blind and sent to: 
 

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

                             * * * *

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

ISSN 0006-8829

                  NFB NET BBS:  (612) 696-1975
               WorldWide Web:  http://www.nfb.org
                            CONTENTS

                                                     JANUARY 1988


THE ALEUTIONS AND THE WHITE CANE LAWS
by Geerat J. Vermeij

ONE WHITE CANE SAGA
by Charlotte Verduin

THE DOUG LEE CASE
by Stephen Benson

HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMITS FOR THE BLIND by Kenneth Jernigan

HAWAII, RABIES, AND DOG GUIDES

THE BATTLE FOR BRAILLE AND LITERACY

MEDICINE BY MAIL AT LOW COST
by Marc Maurer

BREAKTHROUGH IN MISSISSIPPI

AN AGENCY THAT SERVES
by Rami Rabby

OF JIM DICKSON, WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY,
AND A TEMPEST OF WORDS AND WATERS
by Kenneth Jernigan

REHABILITATION'S ONE-WAY STREET

INFORMATION ABOUT DIABETES

OF ELEVATORS AND STAIRWAYS
by Susan Jones

DOG GUIDES AT THE ZOO

TOM ANDERSON HONORED

WHY NOT HAVE IT ALL
by Homer Page

TO PRETEND TO BE BLIND IS NOT HELPFUL

THE LEGACY OF FATHER CARROLL
by Kenneth Jernigan

WELCOME TO CHICAGO
by Stephen Benson

AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTEREST TO VENDORS by Larry Posont

PROCLAMATION

RECIPES

MONITOR MINIATURES


     Copyright, National Federation of the Blind, Inc., 1988

THE ALEUTIANS AND THE WHITE CANE LAWS

by Geerat J. Vermeij


  (Dr. Geerat Vermeij is a professor in the Zoology Department at
the University of Maryland at College Park, where he has taught
since 1972.  He has a Ph.D.  degree from Yale, and he is the
author of short books and numerous scholarly papers.  Dr. Vermeij
has been blind since the age of three.  He is married and has a
daughter.)

  As the gale blew hard out of the Bering Sea, covering our faces
with a fine cold mist, the skiff pulled alongside the R.V. "Alpha
Helix," and I heard at once the sound of the ship's generator
that had become so familiar years earlier.  Whitecaps covered
Casco Cove as we climbed on the heaving deck.  This moment, late
on a June evening at Attu in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, was
the beginning of a scientific rsearch cruise that would take us
for a thousand miles along the chain of volcanic islands to Dutch
Harbor.  There was another reason why this moment should have
been memorable, for my arrival aboard the "Alpha Helix"
encapsulated the power of the White Cane Laws and the triumph of
reasoned discourse over prejudice.
  It all started two months earlier.  A telephone message was
waiting for me as I returned to my office after giving a Tuesday
lecture in my course on Animal Diversity at the University of
Maryland at College Park.  I was to call Dr.  David Duggins of
the Friday Harbor Laboratories of the University of Washington as
soon as possible.  Together with Charles Simenstad of the
University of Washington and Dr. James Estes of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the University of California at Santa Cruz,
David was organizing a cruise aboard the "Alpha Helix" in order
to study how sea otters influence nearshore marine communities in
the North Pacific.  Knowing about my interests in the geological
and biological history of the opening of the Bering Strait during
the Pliocene (about three million years ago), Dr. Duggins invited
me to join the cruise.  I would be able to make shore collections
of animals and to examine patterns of distribution along the
Aleutian chain.
  Duggins was quick to point out a potential hitch in the plans. 
The University of Alaska, which operates the "Alpha Helix" for
the National Science Foundation, insisted that either my home
institution (the University of Maryland) or the University of
Washington (the home institution of the chief scientist) shoulder
the financial responsibility that would naturally arise by virtue
of my being aboard.  A blind person would, so the argument went,
pose exceptional risks both to himself and to others.  Upon
calling Dolly Deater at the Institute of Marine Science at Seward
(part of the University of Alaska), I soon learned that none of
the other twelve members of the scientific party would have to
meet this requirement.  She also told me in no uncertain terms
that in her opinion the chief danger lay in my transferring from
the ship to the shore and back again by means of skiffs.  After
all, she reminded me, one of the skiffs was swamped last summer
while landing a party on the beach, and in any case work in the
Aleutians just isn't like work in the warm tropical oceans that I
had done previously on the "Alpha Helix" and other ships.  I was
further warned that, even if I could persuade Maryland or
Washington to relieve Alaska of the alleged extra burden, the
final decision about my participation would have to come from Dr.
Patrick O'Rourke, Chancellor of the University of Alaska.
  Now, ship cruises always carry with them a substantial element
of risk.  Aleutian waters are indeed bitterly cold, and seas can
be mighty rough even in summer.  True enough; but the tropics
have their share of dangers, most of them biological--sharks,
sting rays, stonefish, crocodiles, moray eels, venomous cone
shells and snakes, and needle-spined sea urchins--to say nothing
of rough seas and the unwelcome arrival of armed soldiers on
three occasions during my previous "Alpha Helix" cruise to
Indonesia and the Philippines in 1979.
  This affair was rapidly coming to look like a classic case of
inventing ad hoc conditions and criteria for the blind by those
whose opinions about the blind are formed more by preconceptions
and intuition than by experience.  Officials at Maryland were
sympathetic and were unable to ascertain just what Alaska wanted
or why they wanted it.  I tried in vain to reason with Deater and
other officials at the University of Alaska.  After yet another
phone conversation with Deater, I called Marc Maurer (President
of the National Federation of the Blind) and Jim Omvig, whom I
had met some years earlier in Baltimore and who is now Director
of the Louise Rude Center for Blind Adults in Anchorage.  Both
confirmed my suspicion that the imposition of the ad hoc
conditions and the meeting of these conditions were violations of
the White Cane Laws that are in force both in Maryland and in
Alaska.  Armed with this information, I set out the arguments on
paper and sent copies of my letter to all concerned parties.  The
letter, with the ensuing correspondence and telephone calls, had
the desired effect of allowing me to participate in the cruise
without the odious conditions.  The correspondence is reprinted
as part of this article.
  So the cruise came to pass.  From Seattle most of us flew to
Kodiak and then by Coast Guard plane onto Attu, where we joined
the ship.  For the next seventeen days we went ashore at nine
islands.  Never did the skipper discourage me (or anyone else)
from going ashore; in fact, the whole subject of my participation
never came up.  By my count, I boarded or left the skiffs
fifty-seven times.  Only once, when my right foot slipped on some
kelp as I got back into the skiff at Amchitka, did I get even a
little wet as the cold water went over the top of my boot.  I
made excellent collections on all sorts of shores--boulder-strewn
beaches, barnacle-covered benches, shores clothed in layers of
slippery kelp, and even sand beaches--and we hiked over steep
hillsides and across fast-flowing streams in order to reach yet
other bays and points.  All in all, the trip was a great success,
and the material gathered during it will no doubt influence my
research for some time to come.
  What is the point of this episode?  The point is the power of
the White Cane Laws, which prohibit discrimination agains the
blind and the imposition of conditions and criteria only for the
blind.  The point is that reasoned argument and an attempt to
educate can prevail.  In these fundamental ways, the National
Federation of the Blind can take a large part of the credit for
creating laws and a social climate by virtue of which the blind
have more opportunities today than they have ever had before. 
Without this work of thousands, I might well have been dis-
aleutianed.

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

                  College Park, Maryland May 12, 1987

Vera Alexander
Director and Professor Institute of Marine Science University of
Alaska--Fairbanks

Dear Dr. Alexander:

  As you know, Dr. David Duggins of the University of Washington
has invited me to participate in a cruise to the Aleutians aboard
the "Alpha Helix" during June and July of this year.  When he
extended this invitation during a telephone conversation on April
14, he told me that Dr. Dolly Deater of the University of Alaska
raised the objection that, because of my total blindness, I would
pose great risks both to myself and to other participants by my
presence.  In speaking with her that same day, I learned that the
University of Alaska would insist upon an arrangement whereby
either the University of Maryland (my employer) or the University
of Washington (home base for the principal investigators) would
assume the burden of risk for me, whereas for other participants
this risk would be borne in the usual way by the University of
Alaska, which operates the ship.  Until last week, I was under
the impression that these arrangements would be negotiated by Dr.
Deater and other officials of the University of Alaska; but in a
telephone conversation with Deater on May 6 I was told in no
uncertain terms that this was my problem to solve.
  My interest in this cruise stems from research on the so-called
Trans-Arctic interchange, an event beginning about three million
years ago, as the result of which many cold-adapted Pacific
species invaded the North Atlantic.  It is of the greatest
importance to make firsthand observations and collections in an
area close to, and little changed from, the source areas of these
invaders.  Without firsthand experience interpretation of fossil
assemblages chronicling the interchange would be substantially
more difficult.
  Because the cruise is to begin one month from now, it is
imperative that the matter of my participation be resolved at
once.  Resolution has proved to be difficult.  I believe strongly
that Alaska's concerns about my participation are unwarranted and
that the university's attempts to pawn off the allegedly grater
risk on other parties are both illegal and unnecessary.
  As I understand the argument, Deater believes that transfers
from ship to shore involving the use of skiffs pose unusual and
apparently unacceptable risks to me and the other participants. 
This may well be her belief, and indeed such an idea would seem
to make eminent sense to many people.  The trouble is, there are
no data, and the observations that do exist contradict this
supposed common sense.
  What are these observations?  For fifty-four days during 1979
my wife and I took part in a cruise aboard the "Alpha Helix" to
Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Philippines.  Nearly
every day we boarded skiffs to go ashore onto coral reefs,
coastal swamps, sand beaches, and volcanic islands.  Many of
these trips were in rough seas.  Yet, never was there any trouble
in entering or leaving a skiff.  Moreover, Dr.  Deater herself
actually witnessed this procedure, for she came aboard with three
others at Thursday Island (Australia) and left the ship at the
next port of call (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea) in order to
look the ship over for use in Alaskan waters.  During her time on
board, we went ashore by skiff at Ravao Island on the south coast
of Papua New Guinea on June 8.
  In addition to the "Alpha Helix" cruise, I have done shore work
from ships on two other notable occasions.  In August, 1978, my
wife and I spent a week aboard the "Stenella" (which at that time
belonged to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) on the
Pacific coast of Panama; and in July, 1981, I visited Pagan and
several other volcanic islands in the Northern Marianas (north of
Guam) aboard the "Si- Ti-Si," chartered by the University of
Guam.  On all these trips, but especially during the cruise to
Pagan, we sent ashore by skiff in heavy seas and made land falls
on some particularly dangerous slippery volcanic shores buffeted
by heavy surf.  Nothing unusual happened on these many occasions,
and never were objections raised by anyone concerning my
participation.  The only question that ever arose concerning any
of the three cruises was a call from Scripps Institution of
Oceanography (then the operator of the "Alpha Helix") late in
1978.  I was asked if I thought I could handle shore work from a
ship.  After I assured the caller that I had already done this
and that I had extensive experience on all kinds of shores, the
matter was dropped, never to be raised again by anyone.
  Now, any expedition of this kind entails risk.  Having failed
to uncover compelling evidence for differential risk, however, I
cannot understand why the assumption of financial risk should not
be the same for each participant.  In fact, I am advised by Marc
Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, that
this is the kind of discriminatory treatment that is made illegal
under terms of Maryland's White Cane Law.  James Omvig, Director
of the Louise Ruide Center for Blind Adults in Anchorage, informs
me that a similar law in Alaska makes differential risk
assumption with respect to blind persons illegal in that state as
well.
  Had I been a frail woman or a fifty- year-old man, the issue of
risk would probably never even had surfaced, even though one
could make an argument for greater risk that would have been just
as plausible (if just as erroneous) as the one being offered
presently by the University of Alaska with respect to my
participation.  This analogy makes it clear, I think, how ad hoc
and frankly discriminatory Alaska's position has been up to now.
  It is obvious that the issue of my participation has been blown
all out of proportion.  I urge you in the strongest terms to put
an end to it by allowing me to take part in the cruise and by
finding a nondiscriminatory way to assume financial risk.  The
latter may be done either by (1) having the University of Alaska
assume its usual responsibility for all, or (2) having the home
institution of each participant assume the risk.  I think the
first alternative is by the far the easiest and, given the lack
of evidence of differential risk and the success of my previous
shipboard work, a perfectly reasonable course of action.  You may
be sure that, while on the cruise, I shall depend on the ship's
captain and on Dr. Duggins, who has extensive experience with
boats and ships, for determining when and where I am allowed to
use the skiffs.
  I look forward to your favorable response when we speak on the
telephone tomorrow.  It is best to call me after 11:30 your time
at my home telephone (301-779-1959) in view of the fact that I
shall be working at the Smithsonian during the day.  I am sending
copies of this letter to Drs. Deater and Duggins and to Messrs.
Maurer, Omvig, and Mark Neumayr.  You and Mr. Neumayr will
receive the letter by Federal Express, the others by regular
mail.
  In closing, I wish to thank you for considering this matter
carefully.  I seek cooperation and harmony, not conflict and
confrontation.
                              Sincerely, Geerat J. Vermeij
                               Professor

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

                  College Park, Maryland May 21, 1987

Dr. Patrick O'Rourke Chancellor
University of Alaska--Fairbanks

Dear Dr. O'Rourke:

  Thank you for allowing me to take part in the upcoming cruise
to the Aleutians aboard the "Alpha Helix."  I understand from Dr.
Vera Alexander, who informed me of your decision two days ago,
that you wish to have a letter sent by an official of the
University of Maryland certifying that I am capable of doing the
kind of field work required during this cruise.  Despite my
objections (see below), I have asked Dr. Raymond J.  Miller,
Dean, College of Life Sciences, to write you accordingly.
  I have been an active research biologist for twenty years, with
extensive field experience all over the world in environments
ranging from mangrove swamps to wave-swept rocky shores to
tropical rain-forests.  I have worked from ships for extended
periods on three cruises.  There can hardly be any question that
I am competent to handle field situations.  It therefore seems
quite unnecessary to have an official at my university certify
these facts, especially when that official has only second-hand
knowledge of my field performance.  Much more importantly, such
certification would never have been requested had I been, say, a
woman or an older man with vision.  My blindness is somehow seen
as so unusual that any pretense of equal treatment is dropped in
favor of ad hoc requirements and conditions that have little
bearing on the individual's record of accomplishment.
  Needless to say, I hope this cruise will be successful.  Again,
I wish to thank you for allowing me to participate.  If, in the
future, other situations arise in which you must make decisions
about blind people, I hope you will make them with the same
conditions and criteria that you would apply to others.
                              Sincerely, Geerat J. Vermeij
                               Professor
                   Department of Zoology University of Maryland

cc: Dr. Vera Alexander James Omvig
Marc Maurer

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

                       Fairbanks, Alaska June 4, 1987

Dear Professor Vermeij:

  I now have official authorization from Chancellor O'Rourke to
approve your participation in the R/V Alpha Helix cruise.  In
accord with our policy, any shore work will be done at the
discretion and with the final authority of the ship's master. 
The skiff operator is completely in charge during any skiff
operation.  I hope that our work goes well, and rest assured that
we will do everything possible to help you achieve your goals.

                        Yours sincerely, Vera Alexander
                  Director and Professor Institute of Marine
Science
         University of Alaska--Fairbanks


ONE WHITE CANE SAGA

by Charlotte Verduin


  (This article appeared in the August- September, 1987, Month's
News, the publication of the National Federation of the Blind of
Illinois.  Charlotte Verduin is a member of the board of
directors of the Parents Division of the National Federation of
the Blind.)

  My daughter, Cherranne, blind from birth (retrolental
fibroplasia), has had her white cane since age four.  In early
spring, 1984, the annual conference of the Illinois Teachers of
the Visually Impaired was held in Chicago.  At that conference
NFB gave a presentation which included Kids With Canes.  I liked
what I saw and heard, and I decided then and there that Cherranne
would have a cane now.  What follows is one mother's story of
mobility training in a so-called "good" state with a so-called
"good" teacher.
  At the Illinois Teachers of the Visually Impaired conference I
mentioned to Cherranne's orientation and mobility teacher (she
had been getting one-half hour of O&M training once a week since
age three) that I was not going to "start badgering" her for
Cherrane to have a cane and to get training with it.  She
listened and made two comments.  First, she suggested we take
time to discuss "early" (age four-six) cane travel teaching
experiences with the few other Illinois vision teachers who she
knew had taught it.  Second, she agreed to seriously consider
implementing white cane training for Cherranne on an
"experimental" basis.  The responses of the O&M teachers who had
taught younger children were largely negative.  "They develop bad
habits"; "They don't have the abstract concepts"; "They can't
even follow directions"; "They don't know left from right"; etc. 
None of it sounded like a good enough excuse to keep my child
away from the mobility tool she will use for the rest of her
life.  And I became angrier with each patronizing, paternalistic,
power- tripping statement I heard.  By the end of the discussions
I was close to cutting a branch off a tree, as I know some people
have done, for I felt it may be the only way Cherranne would see
a cane before age nine.
  My determination to get some kind of cane into Cherranne's
hands was impressed upon her O&M instructor.  Soon after the
conference I told her that Cherranne would have a cane either
with her support or without it.  I tried to be as pleasant about
this comment as possible, but I was firm.  And she conceded to
begin Cherrane on "diagonal technique" and how to walk with a
sighted guide while carrying her cane for the remainder of that
year.
  I was not yet a Federationist, but I believed Federation
philosophy; and I was determined to go to the Louisville
convention in spite of the negative comments from the
professionals responsible for my daughter's educational program. 
There I learned the inappropriateness of the training Cherranne
was getting.  I am still working two years later to continue
appropriate orientation and mobility goals in Cherranne's
Individual Education Program (IEP).
  At Louisville I was fired up by the Parents of Blind Children
conference.  This was support of the type I needed.  Hearing from
blind adults what their own experiences throughout childhood had
been was so important.  When Federationists met Cherranne and her
cane (named "Bumpy"), encouragement to continue training and
pleasure at seeing a small child using a cane abounded.  Stories
of "mobility training" were shared, teaching me what to teach,
what to watch for, and how to counterargue certain philosophies
and practices of the teaching professionals.  NFB has helped me
know my rights, my child's rights and needs, and how to achieve
and fulfill them.  That is not to say the battle is won.
  Cherranne's teacher for orientation and mobility and I still
disagree strongly over what length the cane ought to be.  I
return from each convention with a long white NFB cane, which
promptly gets "cut down" when school starts.  Cherranne has yet
to be formally taught "touch technique" although she has had her
cane for three and a half years.  I am learning that I will have
to be more assertive in this area, and I intend to be this coming
year.  Stay tuned to the Month's News and Future Reflections, the
NFB magazine for parents and teachers of blind children.


THE DOUG LEE CASE

by Stephen Benson


  (This article appeared in the October, 1987, issue of The
Month's News, the publication of the National Federation of the
Blind of Illinois.  As Federationists know, Steve Benson is
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois and
a member of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of
the Blind.)

  Doug Lee is a resident of Springfield, Illinois.  He is
entering his third year at the University of Illinois as a
computer engineering major.  In 1986 Doug was awarded a Merit
Scholarship at the 46th annual convention of the National
Federation of the Blind.  He had intended to use the $1,800 he
won in recognition of his academic achievement to purchase a
computer.  Early in 1986 when I spoke with Doug about the
scholarship, he indicated that although the University of
Illinois' rehabilitation institute had an accessible computer, he
could not get enough time to fulfill his academic requirements
and that he had to turn work in late because of it.  Health
problems required Doug to spend much of the $1,800 in ways other
than the purchase of a computer.
  One of the requirements of the scholarship is that each winner
submit the names of newspapers that should receive a news release
regarding the winners of the NFB scholarships.  Doug complied
with this requirement, and the Champaign newspaper carried a
story about Doug.  So did the newsletter of the NFB of Illinois,
and so did the Monitor, national publication of the NFB.
  In addition, Doug wrote to Dr. Joseph Larsen, Director of the
Rehabilitation Institute at the University of Illinois.  Dr.
Larsen replied with a congratulatory letter.
  Against this background, the events that followed are
disgusting and shameful.  One other thing, Doug's gross income
for 1986 was $2,900, not including the NFB scholarship.  Doug's
rehab counselor attempted to allege that Doug had tried to
conceal the fact that he had won a scholarship.  The counselor
alleged that the $1,800 was a so-called "similar benefit," and he
accused Doug of trying to build a financial empire while in
college.  There were other issues concerning DORS (the Division
of Rehabilitation Services) to which Doug took exception, more
than twenty.  But for our purposes here we will focus on similar
benefits.
  Doug contacted the Client Counselor Assistance Project to
determine his rights under the law, for Doug had been told that
he would be required to repay to DORS the $1,800 he had won from
the NFB.  Doug appealed his counselor's decision all the way to
the Fair Hearing level.  By that time he had begun to work with
an attorney appointed by the Client Counselor Assistance Project. 
The attorney was convinced, and attempted to show at the Fair
Hearing, that DORS had, all the way through Doug's case, violated
its own procedures.  He also tried to show that the $1,800 in
question was not a "similar benefit."  The Fair Hearing Panel
that heard Doug's case on July 6, 1987, was reluctant to admit
any evidence other than that specifically related to the issue of
similar benefits.  For the record, Steve Mills, Doug's attorney,
succeeded in getting other evidence introduced.
  As I said, the hearing took place on July 6.  Doug had a
deadline to make.  He had outstanding bills to the University
which, if not paid by July 22, would have excluded him from
school in the fall of 1987.  The attorney attempted to get the
Fair Hearing Panel to rule on Doug's case prior to that date. 
The panel chairman stuck to the book and said that in thirty days
a decision would be rendered.  At the close of the hearing, once
again the panel was urged to make a decision before July 22.
  Susan Suter, Director of DORS, issued her decision on July 23. 
The decision upheld the position that the $1,800 scholarship was
a similar benefit and that he would have to pay that amount to
DORS over the remainder of his college career.
  On August 5, 1987, Sharon Gold (President of our California
affiliate and a member of the 1987 national Scholarship
Committee) and I met with Gil Johnson, newly appointed Director
of the Bureau of Blind Services.  We told Mr. Johnson that the
Department's decision was shameful and that there is significant
difference between a scholarship won on merit and a grant
received simply because one is blind, and there is no similarity
at all.  We told him that for years DORS had erected arbitrary
and capricious barriers to achievement by its clients.  We said
that we intended to go to the press with the story and that it
wouldn't look good for DORS to be demanding that a blind college
student with a gross income of $2,900 pay $1,800 to the state. 
We told Johnson that DORS' policy would give NFB no alternative
but to tell Illinois blind college students that they would not
be considered for competition for NFB scholarships, because if
they won a scholarship, DORS would just take it away from them. 
We emphasized our intention to publicize that as well, and that
DORS' image would certainly be damaged by it.  We asked that DORS
reverse its decision on this case and that it reverse its policy
on "similar benefits."  Johnson indicated that he would try to
resolve the matter.
  In a letter to Doug Lee dated August 18, 1987, Johnson notified
him and me that DORS had capitulated.  Doug would not have to
repay DORS the $1,800.  But the department's policy on siimilar
benefits  had not changed.  He indicated in his letter to me and
in a subsequent phone call that the Executive Council for DORS
would further consider the matter but that a change in policy
might mean as much as a $200,000 increase in DORS budget.
  The NFB will stick to its guns.  No student should be penalized
for seeking or winning an academic scholarship.  If the policy
remains as it is, quality students, such as Doug Lee, will have
no incentive to try for a scholarship.  If the Department does
not change its policy, Illinois would be the only state in the
Union whose blind students would be prohibited from competing for
academic scholarships.  If the policy is not changed, we will
indeed take the issue to the press.  If college students who
received scholarships in 1987 from the National Federation of the
Blind of Illinois are told they must repay anything, we are
prepared to take whatever action is necessary to remedy the
situation.  On August 5, 1987, we told Mr.  Johnson that we
intended to take the issue to court and that DORS' court costs
would likely be more than the $1,800 in question.
  Make no mistake about it.  This is a national issue that could
have impact on every blind student in America.  We intend to see
that it is resolved in the students' favor, one way or another.


HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMITS FOR THE BLIND

by Kenneth Jernigan


  When I was Director of the Iowa State Commission for the Blind
I, frequently had business at the State Capitol.  Ordinarily
there was no trouble finding a parking place quite close to the
building.  However, from January until some time in the late
spring or early summer the legislature was in session, and the
Capitol was always crowded.  Correspondingly, the Capitol grounds
and parking areas were filled with cars, and if one arrived after
7:30 in the morning, he or she was likely to have to walk several
blocks.  If one is not in a hurry and the weather is pleasant
(as, for instance, in early May with the birds singing, the sun
shining, and the appropriations settled), such walking may be
good for both body and soul, evoking thoughts of a just
providence and a well-ordered world; but if the time is January
and the snow lies deep on the ground (with legislators to meet
and appropriations to justify), the perspective changes.
  Now, it so happens that in the Iowa of that day I was a public
figure of considerable note, treated with respect and deference. 
Therefore, when I traveled by automobile to the Capitol to
transact this or that piece of business, the security guards were
pleased to see me and offer assistance.  There was at the very
door of the Capitol a parking place reserved for the handicapped,
and I was a blind person.  The security guards insisted that I
take the parking place.  More than that:  They were hurt and
offended if I indicated that I would park elsewhere and walk back
in the snow like everybody else.
  The problem was not with the guards or my colleagues in
government or the general public.  All would have been glad to
have me use the handicapped parking place.  No, that is an
understatement.  They would have felt downright good about it.
  The problem was not with them.  It was with me.  I knew that I
could walk as well as anybody else and that (regardless of
technicalities or public misconceptions) the intent which had led
to the enactment of the handicapped parking permit law was to
provide easy access to the building for those who had trouble in
walking and truly needed it.  Yet, I like comfort and approval as
well as the next person.  It was not pleasant to walk through the
cold, wet Iowa snow in January, and it was not satisfying to hear
the tone of disappointment and hurt in the voices of the security
guards when I declined the use of the space, regardless of how
courteously and appreciatively I did it.  And it was not a matter
which could be faced, settled once and for all, and then put
behind me.  It happened over and over--because, as I have already
said, I had frequent business at the State Capitol in January,
and the snow storms came with discouraging regularity.  So my
Federationism and my bodily comfort, my wish to be honest and
consistent and my wish to be polite and thought of as a good
fellow--in short, my spiritual aspirations and my carnal desires
were in continuous conflict.
  What do you think I did?  In the circumstances what would you
have done?  Whoever says that the world is not filled with
temptations (for the blind as well as for the sighted) is either
a naive nincompoop or a barefaced liar.  Of such is humanity
made--neither angel nor devil but somewhere between, and always
becoming.
  The question of handicapped parking permits is, of course, not
limited to me or the state of Iowa.  It is constantly with us and
often not honestly met or discussed.  It is partly a matter of
state and local law, but it is far more than that.  It is
something that will not ultimately be settled in the courts or
the legislatures.  It will be settled in the minds of the
public--one way if we do our work well, another if we don't.  And
even more important, it will be settled by us, by the blind. 
What do we want our world and our lives to be like--and what are
we willing to pay to have it that way?  How mature are we?  How
mature can we become?  How mature do we want to become?
  Recently in the state of Washington there has been a
controversy about whether the blind should be allowed to use
handicapped parking permits, and as you might imagine, the
National Federation of the Blind is in the middle of it.  The
American Foundation for the Blind is also involved.  Think
carefully about what the Foundation is quoted as having said, and
consider whether it accords with what you believe blind people
are like and what we need. Also, think about the position which
the Federationists are described as holding; and again, consider
whether it accords with what you think blind people are like and
what we need.  Here is the article which gives the details.  It
appeared in the July 15, 1987, issue of the Vancouver COLUMBIAN:

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

Blind Man Campaigns For Parking Permit

by James Bruggers

  A blind Vancouver man, denied a handicapped permit last week,
is mounting a campaign to change the law.
  Robert Patchen, 60, who lives at Smith Tower apartments,
Tuesday said all he wants is the same privilege he had in
California: the right to carry a handicapped parking permit with
him when a friend takes him on errands.
  Parking lots are large, often packed with vehicles and
dangerous to walk through, he said, adding that a permit would
make life a little easier for him and the person who drives him
around town.
  He said he is not alone.  Many other blind people do not want
to negotiate a busy parking lot or impose upon friends who must
act as escorts, he said.
  Patchen said he decided to challenge the Washington law after
the Clark County Auditor's Office, which processes handicapped
parking applications, denied him a special permit last Wednesday.
  Clark County Auditor Liz Luce said
Friday she wanted to give Patchen the permit but was unable to
because of state codes.  The codes are specific, and only people
with a loss of mobility qualify, she said.  No exceptions can be
made, she said.
  Permit applications list several types of disabilities.  Among
them: loss of both hands, loss of both lower limbs, loss of
normal use of legs, or loss of mobility due to heart or lung
problems.
  Luce has arranged a July 22 meeting between Patchen, several
other local blind people, and House Speaker Joe King,
D-Vancouver.  Patchen said he hopes to explain his point of view
to the legislator.
  However, Patchen's efforts likely will renew an ongoing debate
in the Legislature and are sure to be controversial-- especially
among the blind.
  "All we want is the integration of the blind on an equal
basis," said Michael Freeman of Vancouver.  Freeman, who is
blind, is an official in the National Federation of the Blind, an
organization with about 50,000 members.
  He has opposed previous efforts to modify the Washington law.
  "We really need less help than most people think," he said,
adding that his organization holds that the blind may be
discriminated against if employers or others believe they are
critically handicapped.
  That view, however, is called "selfish" by people like Patchen
or Ed Ruch, a Washington, D.C., consultant for the American
Foundation for the Blind.
  Ruch, in a telephone interview Tuesday, said Freeman's position
"is a bunch of garbage" because it fails to take into account all
blind people.
  "There are blind people who could really use that permit," he
said.
  His office did not have statistics on how many states allow
blind people to qualify for handicapped parking permits.
  He said he thought most states did, though.  In his region, he
said Virginia, New York, and New Jersey each have laws that allow
the blind to park in handicapped parking spaces.
  Oregon has a similar provision.
  In Washington, legislation that would allow handicapped parking
permits for the blind has been killed in each of the past three
legislative sessions, said Paul Dciedzic, director of the state
Department of Services for the Blind.
  Dciedzic said various organizations for the blind, as well as a
state advisory committee, have opposed changing the current
Washington law.
  Dciedzic said his personal view is that blind people do not
need special parking privileges, but added, "What I think isn't
that important."
  He said the issue needs to be resolved among the blind.
  "It's the disabled people who should be the ones who decide,"
he said.


HAWAII, RABIES, AND DOG GUIDES


  The ongoing discussions concerning Hawaii's quarantine laws,
which have the effect of preventing blind persons with dog guides
from traveling freely to and from that state, continue. 
Understandably Hawaii wishes to protect its rabies-free
environment.  Equally understandably blind persons who use dog
guides wish to travel without impediment.  What to do?
  The following letters contain the latest exchange on the
matter.  Sharon Gold, President of the National Federation of the
Blind of California, had in-person discussions with Hawaii
officials in May of 1987.  Her letter and the reply from Dr. Lum
of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture state the positions and
indicate the explorations which are being made.  Perhaps
advancing technology will provide an answer, thereby eliminating
the problem.  In the meantime legislative solutions have been
proposed and will doubtless be attempted again.  As evidenced by
the Gold-Lum correspondence, negotiations and explorations with
the Executive Branch of government proceed.  As in so many other
areas where the interests of the blind are involved, it is the
National Federation of the Blind which leads the way in seeking
innovative solutions.

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

                  Sacramento, California June 9, 1987

Dr. Calvin Lum
State Veterinarian
Department of Agriculture
State of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii

Dear Dr. Lum:

  It was a pleasure to meet you on Thursday, May 28, and to speak
with you concerning the current rules for quarantine of animals
in the State of Hawaii.
  For many years the National Federation of the Blind has been
concerned with the application of the animal quarantine rules to
blind persons who use a dog guide and travel to and from the
State of Hawaii.  Freedom to travel from state to state is a
right guaranteed to all persons in our country by the United
States Constitution.  Unfortunately, this guaranteed right is not
extended to blind persons who use a dog guide and either live in
Hawaii or desire to travel to and within the state.
  Today, blind people are as widely traveled as are the sighted. 
Like the sighted, the blind travel independently, sometimes in
large tour groups, sometimes with small groups of friends, and
sometimes alone.  Many blind persons incorporate the use of a dog
guide as a mobility tool.  To these persons the daily use of the
dog to accomplish movement from place to place is as important as
the use of a pair of glasses to a sighted person, whose mobility
is limited without the use of glasses.  To blind persons using a
dog guide the leaving of their dogs at home imposes marked
restrictions on their ability to travel independently and in some
cases makes a blind person totally unable to travel.  To persons
accustomed to using a dog and for whom the dog is a necessary
mobility aid, the absence of the dog may pose a serious threat to
the person's safety in traveling without the dog.  This sets the
dog guide apart from any other trained or untrained dog since the
dog guide is the only dog relied upon for mobility.  Therefore,
it is reasonable to handle dog guides differently from any other
group of dogs when applying the rules of quarantine.
  While in Hawaii, I spoke with some blind Hawaiian residents,
who use dog guides.  I understand from these persons and from you
that there has been some recent discussion concerning the lifting
of the animal quarantine to allow blind persons using dog guides
the freedom to travel to and from the State of Hawaii.  However,
during the meeting of May 28, you and Dr. Baer of the Center for
Disease Control indicated a concern for impending abuses of such
a lifting of quarantine as to dog guides, notwithstanding
positive identification of the dog.
  I understand that Hawaii now recognizes the prophylactic value
of rabies vaccinations and the almost 100% effectiveness of the
vaccinations if given prior to exposure to rabies and, further,
that rabies vaccinations are now being administered in the State
of Hawaii.  As I pointed out to you on May 28, it would appear
that the Hawaii state government could at least impose suitable
controls over the dog guides residing in Hawaii to allow for the
freedom of those blind persons using dog guides to leave the
state with the dog guide, to travel to the mainland, and to
return home without quarantine.  This would provide the State of
Hawaii with an opportunity to test the effectiveness of a
quarantine exemption on a very limited and controlled
population--those dog guides and their users who live in Hawaii.
  The Hawaii Department of Agriculture
could easily maintain all records on the limited number of dogs
trained as dog guides and residing in Hawaii.  These records
could include a schedule and history of rabies vaccinations;
general identification markings about the dog's body, such as its
breed, color, spotting, height, and weight; imposed markings of
identification such as tattoos and ear and tail croppings (in
those breeds where customary); and very specific special body
characteristics such as nose prints and impressions and castings
of the teeth.  The maintenance of such records would insure the
validity of the return of the exact dog guide leaving the state
and would insure that said dog had received a regular schedule of
vaccinations against rabies.
  We recognize and respect the desire of the State of Hawaii to
protect its rabies-free environment.  However, we do not believe
it appropriate to use rabies prevention as an excuse for
preventing blind persons who require the use of a dog guide from
the freedom to travel when a program to prevent the transmission
of rabies by dog guides can be established using the above
described plan or a reasonable facsimile thereof.  With some
effort on the part of the State of Hawaii and some effort on the
part of the dog guide users, travel by a blind person using a dog
guide should be an immediate reality, at least for dog guide
users who reside in the state of Hawaii and desire to travel to
the mainland and return home.
  I shall appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible
concerning this matter either by letter or by telephone.

                       Very truly yours, Sharon Gold, President
        National Federation of the Blind
                           of California

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

                            Aiea, Hawaii July 24, 1987

Dear Ms. Gold:

  This is in response to your inquiry about Hawaii's rabies
quarantine prevention program.
  Recently the State Departments of Agriculture and Health began
formal inquiries into the possibility of an exemption from
quarantine for guide dogs and companion animals because of
requests received from the visually impaired guide dog owners and
owners of companion animals for the disabled.  Similar requests
for exemption have been received from dog breeders, military
working dog programs, and various law enforcement agencies. 
These inquires have received much attention, and on May 28, 1987,
the Departments of Agriculture and Health met with
representatives from different organizations, including agencies
representing the visually handicapped and Centers for Disease
Control.  Since you were present at this meeting, I will
summarize the state's position as it was presented.
  It is commonly believed that rabies vaccinations are completely
effective in protecting pets against rabies.  This assumption is
incorrect as rabies vaccination does not guarantee that a dog or
cat will not develop the disease especially if it is administered
after the animal was exposed.  Present research shows there is no
adequate diagnostic test to detect incubating rabies.
  Only those animals intended for export out of our state are
vaccinated with a rabies vaccine just prior to shipment.  Routine
rabies vaccination for local animals is currently not required
and for the most part is not being administered to our pets. 
Please understand that vaccine induced rabies cases have been
recorded and it is possible that a local animal vaccinated could
contract rabies.  Therefore, at this time local guide dogs
leaving the state will be subject to our rabies prevention
quarantine upon return.
  We might also add that any rabies that would be introduced in
the Islands would raise the distinct danger of direct
transmission of rabies to our mongoose population.  To date the
elimination of the mongoose population that threatens our native
birds has proved impossible.  Mongoose rabies has been a larger
problem than dog or cat rabies in Granada, the Dominican
Republic, Cuba, and South Africa.
  Exploration into possible modifications to our existing rabies
prevention program will continue in the hope of seeking some
relief for guide dog users living in Hawaii.  We are taking a
close look at the suggestion that we permit certified guide dogs
now living in Hawaii to spend limited periods of time away from
Hawaii while they accompany their owners on short vacations and
business trips with their visually impaired owners.  Upon return
to Hawaii these animals may be exempt from our existing
quarantine and/or be required to undergo some form of provisional
quarantine.  At this time, however, these ideas merely represent
possible alternatives to our program and must not be confused
with the existing regulations.  I will keep you informed of any
changes that we make in this area.
  Be assured that we understand and sympathize with you and your
fellow guide dog users and wish that we could do more for you. 
However, currently no exemption from quarantine exists for any
dog, cat, or other related carnivore.
  We are dedicated to maintaining Hawaii's rabies-free status for
future generations.  Today, quarantine is our only dependable
course of action.
  Should you require additional information or assistance, please
contact Mr.  Gary D. Moniz, Inspection and Quarantine Branch
Chief, by calling (808) 488-8462 or sending a letter to 99-770
Moanalua Road, Aiea, Hawaii 96701.

                              Sincerely,
                Calvin W. S. Lum, D.V.M.  Head, Division of
Animal Industry
               Department of Agriculture


THE BATTLE FOR BRAILLE AND LITERACY


  The following letter from Diane Croft of the National Braille
Press to Barbara Cheadle, the Editor of Future Reflections,
deserves careful consideration from all who are truly interested
in the well-being of the blind.  The ability to read and write is
so basic that it spells the difference between civilization and
savagery.  This is a commonplace, and one would think that there
would be no need for discussion as to whether blind children
should be taught to read Braille.  Yet, there is not only a need
for discussion  but also persuasion--and even more.
  The plain truth is that blind children and their parents in
this country today are being sold a bill of goods.  They are
being told that Braille is outmoded, that it is clumsy and
inefficient, and that substitutes are better and more available. 
That this is not the truth does not alter the fact that it is
being given wide currency and acceptance.  At the very time when
technology and social advancement are opening new horizons to the
blind, growing illiteracy among the blind threatens to make a
mockery of the promises and prospects.
  The National Federation of the Blind has taken a leading part
in trying to reverse the trend of illiteracy among the blind, and
so have a number of other groups.  Through its Twin Vision
program the American Brotherhood for the Blind provides books
with side-by-side print and Braille text to enable sighted adults
to read with blind children, or blind adults with sighted
children.  Other groups throughout the country are also working
to increase the use of Braille.  One of these is the National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille.  Another is the
National Braille Press, which started a Children's Braille Book
Club a few years back.  Diane Croft's letter does more than talk
about the efforts of the National Braille Press.  It spotlights a
problem which must be given serious consideration by every
thinking blind person and every parent of a blind child in the
country:

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

                   Boston, Massachusetts July 1, 1987

Dear Barbara:

  The Braille business has never been more exciting. 
Computer-generated Braille is becoming more prevalent, making
more and more information accessible to a print handicapped
reader.  Braille output devices attached to IBM and Apple
computers give a blind user access to more information than the
average person could even assimilate.
  I guess that's why it's so painful to see what's happening to
our young people who are being mainstreamed into public and
private school systems.  While mainstreaming has considerable
advantages over residential programs for the blind, it has not
proven to be beneficial in terms of Braille literacy.  Some
depressing statistics I saw recently show that "the number of
legally blind school children who read only Braille has decreased
from 9,000 in 1963 to 5,200 in 1978; the proportion of persons
who read only Braille has declined about linearly over time from
52% in 1963 to less than 18% in 1978."
  This serious decline in Braille occurred at the same time the
number of legally blind students attending nonresidential schools
rose from 9,437 in 1963 to 21,283 in 1978.  School systems are
not always adequately prepared to meet the special needs of blind
students.  Now taught in sighted classes, the blind child is
immersed in an environment where most teachers, classmates, and
other significant persons do not share the child's need for
information in Braille.
  As our society moves from an industrial age to an information
age, what could have more serious consequences for our blind
youth than illiteracy?  Braille remains the only way a visually
impaired person (who cannot read large print) can read and
write--the definition of literacy.
  Over the years I have heard the National Federation of the
Blind, as well as other organizations, protest the declining use
of Braille.  But nothing hit home to me until I sat on a panel,
actually two different panels at two different conferences, and
heard teachers of the visually impaired say that "no one uses
Braille anymore... I haven't taught Braille in ten years... I
don't even know Braille anymore, I haven't used it in so
long...."  These are the people to whom we are entrusting our
children's future--a future which shows promises of being
radically different from generations past in terms of integration
and employment.
  We believe it's time to stop talking about the problem and
start tackling it.  We are in the process of outlining strategies
that we, as a Braille printing and publishing house, can
implement.  As you know, several years ago we initiated a
Children's Braille Book Club to get Braille into the home at an
early age.  Now we are working on a Braille primer for parents
called "Just Enough to Know Better," which we hope will encourage
parents to get more involved in the education of their blind
children.
  There is so much to be done, and we can't aford to wait.  It
will require the combined resources of every agency that cares
about something as basic as literacy.  Estimates are that there
are 47,000 severely visually impaired school-age children in this
country--not so many that we can't insure that each and every
child gets an equal opportunity to participate in "life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness."
                              Sincerely, Diane L. Croft


MEDICINE BY MAIL AT LOW COST

by Marc Maurer


  Several months ago I received a piece of mail telling me that
prescription drugs and other over-the-counter medications were
being offered by HSN Pharmaceuticals through the mail.  The
company wanted to work out a cooperative arrangement to sell
these items to members of the National Federation of the Blind. 
It seemed to me that there were already too many drugs in America
as it was.  I almost threw the letter away.  However, I thought
about it for a moment.  Many of the members of the Federation
require insulin to combat diabetes.  Those with kidney
transplants often take medications on a daily basis.  I myself
have been to the doctor within the last year for a prescription. 
All of us take medicines now and then.  After reflection, it
seemed to me that the letter deserved another look.
  I invited representatives of HSN Pharmaceuticals to come to the
National Center for the Blind.  They were understandably
impressed with the facilities we have and the programs we
operate.  They asked us to help them establish pharmaceutical
services which could serve blind people throughout the United
States.  They needed our expertise, and they requested assistance
in reaching those who are blind.  Senior company representatives
made it plain that they would work with the National Federation
of the Blind exclusively and that they were flexible enough to
consider the real needs of the blind that must be met.
  The results of negotiations are that there is now available a
program which will make prescription medication and other
over-the-counter medical supplies available to blind people
through the mail.   The containers for these medicinal substances
will be marked with Braille labels along with the print.  There
will also be basic information included in Braille describing the
characteristics of the medicine, the proper method for
administering it and how often it should be taken, and the other
medications or substances which should not be taken with it. 
Much of this information has not been easy to get in the past. 
It has almost never been available in Braille, and certainly not
from a pharmacy.
  Here is the announcement provided by HSN Pharmaceuticals,
Incorporated.  The company has agreed to make regular financial
contributions to the National Federation of the Blind.  At the
moment it will be making a contribution equal to one percent of
the purchase price of all orders which are generated through the
National Federation of the Blind.  The Federation gets credit for
an order if the "group number" 10002 is used every time an order
is made or referred to.  This should be emphasized when you are
asking members to make orders for which the Federation is to
receive credit and contributions--group number 10002. 
Incidentally, HSN Pharmaceuticals is a division of Home Shopping
Network, a company which sells household items and other
merchandise by twenty- four-hour-a-day television advertising. 
Their operation appears to be efficiently run, and it promises to
provide good service at low cost.  This is the announcement:

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

Home Shopping Pharmacy Announces
National Federation of the Blind Medication by Mail Program

  Home Shopping Pharmacy takes pleasure in announcing the
availability of its special mail order pharmacy service with
features offered exclusively to members of the National
Federation of the Blind.  Home Shopping Pharmacy is a subsidiary
of Home Shopping Network and the Home Shopping Club.
  By providing service to the NFB members, we will offer many
benefits that are not usually available through your neighborhood
pharmacy.  We are able to provide drugs at a lower cost because
of our size and our buying power with many of the major drug
manufacturers.  We also utilize the latest state-of-the- art
technologies in computerized dispensing in our brand new
facility.  Although we utilize the computer to monitor your drug
profile and control the prescription filling operation, our
highly qualified staff of experienced pharmacists also give their
personal touch to our service to you.
  Home Shopping Pharmacy is unique in that we consider each
person we provide service to as our patient, rather than as our
customer.  Home Shopping Pharmacy offers convenience to you
through our delivery of your medication to your door through
United Parcel Service.  This eliminates the necessity of your
getting to a pharmacy and waiting in line to have your
prescriptions filled.  Our toll-free telephones are available for
your use in contacting our competent staff to answer your
questions or to place your orders twenty-four hours a day, seven
days a week.
  Through our advanced computer technology, we are able to
monitor the medication you are taking, as well as potential
problems which could be caused by conflicting medications.  This
is done by building a profile of medications and health
information for you from the information you provide by
completing the profile form.
  As a special service to the blind, we will make available both
patient information and prescription labeling in Braille.  All
information that is embossed in Braille will also be provided in
print.
  In order for you to know more about the services which Home
Shopping Pharmacy is offering to you, we want to include a brief
description of how a prescription is filled.  Our pharmacists'
first direct patient contact is by telephone.  In the initial
call you will receive pricing and other general information.  You
may then place your order by sending us a prescription and a
history profile.  This profile acts as an enrollment form and
also permits you to indicate your preference for child- proof or
regular packaging.  A computerized profile is created from the
data you supply.
  In our order entry area of our pharmacy we receive all orders,
computerize all data from patient profile/enrollment forms, and
input all new and refill prescriptions for electronic processing
in the dispensing area.  After the pharmacist has checked the
order and approved the newly created profile and new
prescription, the computer transmits this information to the
filling area where label and auxiliary dispensing information is
generated.  At this point, if the patient has requested Braille
information, it would be produced both in print and in Braille.
  The prescription order is filled from the computer information,
and is checked and labeled by a pharmacist.  The completed
prescriptions are then packaged and addressed for shipment to the
patient.  In addition, a consultation form for the patient is
created.  This is also prepared in Braille upon request.  It
provides counseling information on the use of the drug,
precautions concerning drug interactions, and drug side-effect
information.
  Authorized refills of prescriptions are processed in much the
same manner.  The prescription number is entered into the
computer, and the pharmacist approves the processing of each
refill.
  A separate and final quality control check is performed by your
pharmacist before the completed order for each patient is
assembled and packaged for shipment.
  Each prescription is screened and checked by a pharmacist for
potential adverse effects based on data provided in the patient's
history/profile enrollment form.  Your physician can also call us
directly with either new prescriptions or refill authorizations
by using our toll-free telephone number.
  In most cases, the order for your prescriptions and other
medications will be shipped the same day that the order is
received by us.  All packages are delivered to your door by
United Parcel Service.
  In summary, we would like briefly to review the benefits
members of the National Federation of the Blind will receive by
utilizing the services of Home Shopping Pharmacy.  First and
foremost is that we are able to offer a very professional and
personalized service to you. Your Home Shopping pharmacist is as
close as your telephone, and your prescriptions will arrive on
your doorstep.  This offers you a complete pharmacy service
without leaving your home.  You are assured that your
prescriptions are being filled by pharmacists who utilize the
latest state-of-the-art technology.  That technology also allows
us continually to monitor your prescription and medication
therapy.
  For those of you who read Braille, your prescription label as
well as patient information is provided to you in Braille, in
addition to being printed.
  You will receive a receipt with each order for tax or
reimbursement purposes.
  Each of your prescriptions will be completely labeled with
information on how to properly take that medication, as well as
side effects you should watch for or report to your physician.
  You have the option of having your prescriptions packaged in
child-proof or standard containers.  You provide us that
information when you complete your patient profile, and this
remains in your file permanently.
  All of our prescription vials are sealed before the cap is
installed to insure freshness and reduce the possibility of
tampering.
  And, unlike your corner drugstore, several pharmacists inspect
each prescription before and after it is filled.
  We also assure you that all drugs which we use to fill your
prescription are the freshest possible because of our large
volume buying from the major pharmaceutical manufacturers.
  The toll-free number to call is 1-800- 289-7979
(1-800-BUY-RxRx).
  As a final note, Home Shopping Pharmacy wishes to thank the
National Federation of the Blind and all of your members for the
opportunity to provide our services to you.  Our professional
staff looks forward to talking to each of you in the very near
future.
  (Postscript: remember group number 10002.)


BREAKTHROUGH IN MISSISSIPPI


  Since the very name Hazelhurst, Mississippi, has for a long
time been for many blind people a symbol of repression and agency
domination, recent events in the area have significance beyond
the immediate locality or even the borders of the state.  NFB of
Mississippi State President Sam Gleese writes:
  "Saturday, September 19, 1987, at 1:00 p.m. eleven blind
consumers met in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, to form an NFB chapter. 
On hand were: Sam Gleese (NFB of Mississippi state President) and
Mrs.  Gleese, and James Moore (NFB of Mississippi First Vice
President) and Mrs. Moore.  The organizing of any NFB chapter is
significant.  However, this one holds special significance,
because Hazlehurst is reportedly an ACB stronghold.  The workshop
there is NAC- accredited, and the Mississippi Council of the
Blind (ACB affiliate) has dominated the shop for a number of
years.  In his opening remarks, the chapter president, Mr.
Richard Payne, stated: 'I know that there is a management pimp in
our presence.'  This really did not trouble the group in the
least.  As a state president, I was elated to witness this great
show of interest and enthusiasm, as well as courage, on the part
of these workers.  This group appears to be one of the most
cohesive I have ever met.  Mississippi is on the move!
  "The officers for the Hazlehurst Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Mississippi are: Richard Payne,
President; Donnie Brown, First Vice President; Larry Mitchell,
Second Vice President; James Moore, Secretary; Henry Bracey,
Treasurer; and Milton Hatchett and Haskell Burks, Board Members."
  So writes Sam Gleese, and we say:  congratulations to the blind
of Hazlehurst and the NFB of Mississippi.  It is a long road
which has no turning, and although things are changing for the
blind of Mississippi, we are only at the threshold.  There is a
stirring in the state, and more (much more) is yet to come.


AN AGENCY THAT SERVES

by Rami Rabby


  (Rami Rabby, who is President of the New York City Chapter of
the National Federation of the Blind, is one of the long-time
leaders of the Federation.  Monitor readers should note the
reference to service available for those attending next year's
NFB convention in Chicago.)

  Federationists often justifiably criticize many public and
private agencies for establishing rigid systems and inflexible
procedures for delivering their services, and for compelling all
blind people to follow their procedures and fit in with their
system willy- nilly, no matter what the individual needs of each
blind person might be.  Recently a relatively small private
agency which offers one-on-one reading services for the blind
proved to me that it, at least, was one exception to this
unfortunate general rule.
  On Thursday, September 3, 1987, I
traveled from New York to Chicago to take part in the 1987
convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois. 
My plan was to remain in Chicago for two days following the
convention in order to do some work at the Chicago Public
Library.  Ideally, I should have organized some readers for this
purpose ahead of time, but I didn't.  Nevertheless, upon my
arrival at the Hyatt Regency hotel, I telephoned Blind Service
Association.  I apologized to Ms. Beatric Fredman, the agency's
Executive Director, for giving her such short
notice--particularly in view of the fact that the agency would be
closed on Monday, September 7, for the Labor Day holiday--and
asked her if there was any way she would be able to provide me
with a reader at the public library on Tuesday, September 8.  Ms.
Fredman did not hesitate for a moment.  She said she would do her
best and would let me know.  And that is exactly what happened. 
The following morning a message was waiting for me in my hotel
room:  "You will have a reader at your disposal all day next
Tuesday."  At 9:00 sharp on Tuesday morning my volunteer reader
was waiting for me at the hotel's reception desk.  We worked
together all day, and she proved to be a first-class reader and a
thoroughly nice person.
  Upon my return to New York, I called to thank Ms. Fredman.  She
said that Blind Service Association, as its title suggests, is
there to be of service to blind people and, provided volunteers
are available, always does its best to assist any blind person
residing in or visiting Chicago, specifically with reading
assignments and possibly with other assignments requiring sighted
help.  She thought that Federationists planning to attend the
1988 national convention of the National Federation of the Blind
in Chicago would probably want to know this.  "Just try to give
us as much advance notice as you can, and if the right volunteers
are available, we hall do our best," she said.
  The agency is open for business during normal working hours, as
well as in the evenings (until 8:00 p.m.) from Monday to
Thursday.  Blind Service Association is located at 22 West
Monroe, Suite 1100, Chicago, Illinois 60603, telephone 312)
236-0808.


OF JIM DICKSON, WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, AND A TEMPEST OF WORDS AND
WATERS

by Kenneth Jernigan


  In August of 1987 Jim Dickson, a blind man, undertook to sail
across the Atlantic alone.  Dickson's undertaking kicked off a
major controversy on television and in the newspapers.  For a few
days the coverage rivaled that being given to Nicaragua, the
Middle East, arms control, and the battle of the budget.  There
were articles, editorials, and letters to editors--some sane and
rational, some heated and emphasized, and some about as weird as
one would ever hope to find.  In the name of reason most of the
stereotypes about blindness that have ever been known were
trotted out for review; and the writers called on memories,
anecdotes, and fancy rhetoric with five- dollar words.
  All in all it was a field day for the sensation-seeking press
and the sensation-seeking public.  On August 18, 1987, the
Washington Post carried no fewer than four letters from outraged
readers.  There was the sophisticated, who lambasted Buckley from
the towers of liberalism:
  "Poor William F. Buckley, Jr., victimized once more by 'the
rampant egalitarianism of democratic society' ['The Blind Man and
the Sea'].  In his own lifetime, two southerners, a man without a
college education, and even a man in a wheelchair have been
president.  Blacks and women run for that office, serve on the
Supreme Court, and--even worse luck--are graduated from Yale. 
And now a blind man is sailing a boat across the Atlantic.  What
can a superior person do nowadays to demonstrate his qualities? 
There is probably even a cabdriver or two in Passaic who uses the
adjective 'hubristic' to curse other drivers."
  There was the Editor of the Handicapped Americans Report, who
talked about the disabled as the "physically challenged," a term
which has always struck me as having unrealistic overtones, but
who also took the occasion to make some common sense arguments:
  "By demonstrating that a person with physical limitations can
take on unique, exciting, and dangerous challenges with the help
of modern technology, Jim Dickson has demonstrated that such a
person can take on more 'mundane' tasks with similar help--tasks
such as working for a living.
  "Those tasks are beyond the reach of many handicapped Americans
not because they are unable to work, but because many people
perceive them as unable to work.  Despite the difficulties he has
had during his voyage, one hopes Mr.  Dickson has dispelled some
widely held misconceptions about persons who are physically
challenged."
  Then, there was the man who wrote with a mixture of
sentimentality, reason, and "isn't it wonderful":
  "When I was a boy living in Massachusetts, one of our
unproductive aspirations was to eschew the safe stairway and come
down the steel struts on the side of the observation tower on
Prospect Hill in Waltham.  One day a blind boy from the Perkins
Institute in Watertown accompanied our group on the hike to
Waltham.  Some of the more daring among us decided to come down
from the tower the nonproductive way, leaving one behind to walk
down the stairs with our 'Jim Dickson.'  But the blind boy
insisted he wanted to come down the more daring way and could not
be persuaded otherwise.
  "So he, too, went down the side of the tower, with one of the
sighted ahead of him to lead the way and another behind him to
check his handholds on the steel struts.
  "He arrived on the ground to the cheers of those of active limb
but inactive sense.  Perhaps our 'Jim' helped the blind by
showing that their aspirations could be as foolishly unproductive
as any man's.  He was happy, too."
  Finally, there was the Executive Director of the National
Handicapped Sports and Recreation Association, who may have
overemphasized the importance of the part played by the negative
attitudes of the blind themselves in the massive unemployment
faced by the blind but who, even so, did a pretty good job of
"telling it like it is":
  "Curiously, William F. Buckley, Jr., chose to castigate a blind
sailor for failing to recognize the limits of his handicap. 
Further, Mr. Buckley declared that Jim Dickson 'is endeavoring to
pull off a stunt, and the blind stand neither to benefit from
this adventure nor to ake heart from it.'
  "What qualifies Mr. Buckley to make these statements?  Yes, he
is a well known sailor.  But he knows nothing about being
disabled.  He made this abundantly clear when he said, 'If you
cannot see the water and the skies, why are you going on a
sailboat to begin with?'
  "Aside from decreeing that the only way to see is through the
eyes, Mr.  Buckley also lectured disabled people 'to recognize
they are handicapped.' Disabled people are all too aware of their
handicaps and what they cannot do.  In fact, most harbor negative
self- images and are reluctant to take even small chances. 
Unhappily, this results in high unemployment levels and limited
socialization among this population.
  "My job is to change these negative attitudes; that is why the
organization I direct decided to sponsor Jim Dickson's solo sail.
  "The object of Jim Dickson's sail is not to encourage blind
people to jump in boats and head for England.  His hope is to
inspire people to think of life in terms of possibilities, not
limitations.  The same talking computers that enable him to sail
alone also allow blind students to attend regular classes for the
sighted and open up job opportunities previously reserved for
sighted workers."
  All of this flurry in the Washington Post was matched in other
newspapers around the country and on radio and television.  The
night before (on August
17) Buckley and Dickson had squared off for a nationwide debate
on Ted Koppel's "Nightline" television show.  It started like
this:
  "Ted Koppel (voice over): A paraplegic made it around the world
in a wheelchair, a high jumper with only one leg cleared six foot
eleven, a blind Californian sailed to Hawaii.  Whey then
shouldn't blind sailor Jim Dickson try to sail across the
Atlantic by himself?
  "(On-camera) Good evening, I'm Ted Koppel, and this is
"Nightline."
  "(Voice-over): 'Jim Dickson is endeavoring to pull off a
stunt,' wrote columnist and sailor William F. Buckley, 'and the
blind stand neither to benefit from his adventure nor to take
heart from it.'
  "Jim Dickson, Blind Sailor, (Good Morning America): I would
very much like the opportunity to debate with Mr.  Buckley on
something like "Nightline."
  "Koppel (voice-over): Jim Dickson will get his chance tonight.
  "Announcer: This is ABC News "Nightline."  Reporting from
Washington, Ted Koppel.
  "Koppel: It is a story about being disabled, and what that
means to different people.  Jim Dickson is legally blind.  He has
done a fair amount of recreational sailing, but what he has
undertaken now is a major enterprise.  He is sailing solo across
the Atlantic.  That prompted William F.  Buckley, the columnist,
who is a very experienced sailor, to raise questions about
Dickson's prudence and whether what he is doing should even be
appropriately attempted by a blind man.  Buckley thinks not. 
That, in turn, infuriated Mr. Dickson, who is presently in
Bermuda, where his boat is undergoing some equipment repairs. 
But we're getting ahead of ourselves.  Here, first, is a report
from Ned Potter.
  "Ned Potter (voice-over): People who know Jim Dickson say he
wasn't just making an ocean voyage, he was going on a crusade. 
He wanted to prove that disabled people need not be limited. 
With the proper technology, he said, they can hold a decent job
or even sail the Atlantic."
  In the debate which followed, it is pretty generally conceded
that Buckley (an experienced debator) got the worst of it.  There
are things which one could have wished that Dickson had not said,
and there were some of the stereotypes and misconceptions; but by
and large Dickson held his own and came through with all flags
flying.
  So what does it all mean, and where does it leave us?  Probably
it leaves us with a "mixed bag."  There are many blind people who
have told me that they think Dickson's attempted exploit was not
particularly helpful, but most of them have gone on to say that
they feel he had the right to do it and that Buckley's attack was
unenlightened.  I think that those who attempted to portray this
as a battle between left wing liberalism and right wing
conservatism were reaching pretty far for a point.  Neither the
left nor the right has a corner on stupidity or enlightenment,
and both groups very often miss the boat when it comes to
understanding the problems of blindness.  There is, indeed, a
grain of truth in the argument that the blind are held back by
their own negative attitudes and low self- esteem, but this is by
no means the whole story.  From the beginning of recorded history
our road to hell has been paved with other people's good
intentions and unenlightened attitudes, and we have also been
hindered by discriminatory laws and lack of opportunity even to
make a beginning.  When we talk of blind people as being
"physically challenged," I think it creates an impression of
phoniness and trying to pretend, and I don't think this is
quibbling.
  Jim Dickson's boat trip is now history, and each of us will
have to decide for himself or herself what it meant and whether
it advanced our cause.  Perhaps we should leave it with the
following excerpt from the Congressional Record:

A Response to William F. Buckley Hon. Vic Fazio of California

In the House of Representatives Tuesday, September 29, 1987

  Mr. FAZIO.  Mr. Speaker, Sharon Gold, President of the National
Federation of the Blind of California, has sent me her response
to columnist William F.  Buckley's article on blind sailor Jim
Dickson's attempt to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.  I felt it
was an excellent response, one that was worthy of being shared
with my colleagues.  It reads as follows:

  Mr. Buckley sits on the high horse of his erudition and his
three books on sailing, tilts his head back, looks down his nose,
and pronounces pontifically "certain things one can't naturally
do when one is blind," "people who can't see have really no
business sailing," "I think it is incorrect to suppose that by
engaging in an exercise of this kind you are helping blind
people, because there's no way that you can make people who are
blind unblind."  He adds piously, "I wish we could."
  William Buckley, who postures himself as being in "the right,"
recently demonstrated in his syndicated column and in a
television appearance his inability to recognize the rights of
others when he openly and unblushingly criticized Jim Dickson, a
blind sailor, for setting sail upon the Atlantic Ocean using
modern technology designed for use by the blind.
  Mr. Buckley, who is a recognized authority on sailing, has
thrust himself into the field of blindness as a self- announced
authority.  In this newfound position, Mr. Buckley has declared
that he would neither "take" the blind to the ballet nor "take"
the blind to the Grand Canyon and that the blind have no right to
join him in sailing.
  The truth is, that the blind don't need a Mr. Buckley to "take"
us to the ballet or to the Grand Canyon and we have as much right
to the seaways as we do to the streets and byways of the land. 
In other words, blind persons choose for themselves whether we
will attend the ballet, hike through the Grand Canyon, swim in
the ocean, and, yes, sail the seas.
  Mr. Dickson said: The attitude which Mr. Buckley has expressed
is the attitude which keeps 500 thousand blind Americans "in
circumstances akin to the 14th century."  The attitude to which
Mr. Dickson refers is the real tragedy of blindness, and it is
this antiquated attitude which is the kind the National
Federation of the Blind (a nationwide membership organization of
blind persons) has been working to dispel for now almost half a
century.
  The National Federation of the Blind believes that with
opportunity and training in the alternative techniques of
blindness--techniques which Mr.  Buckley obviously does not know
or understand--blind persons can participate as equal members of
society and hold jobs alongside their sighted colleagues.
  In these modern times, all persons benefit from the advancement
of technology.  The blind person's use of technology which
"speaks" in a synthesized voice or gives a printout in Braille is
no different from a sighted person's use of technology which
displays or produces a readout in print.
  Does Mr. Buckley believe that because Mr. Dickson has become
blind he has become a "native American alien" without the right
of citizenship and that he is thus without the rights and
privileges of a citizen in this country--free to walk the byways
and the highways and go sailing on the high seas?


REHABILITATION'S ONE-WAY STREET


  We are often told that the agencies would like to cooperate
with the National Federation of the Blind but that Federationists
won't do it.  The truth is that many of the state agencies for
the blind absolutely refuse to cooperate with the organized blind
movement and are not willing to have any partnership at
all--except, of course, when they want something, like
appropriations or public testimonials.
  All of this was brought to mind by a recent article in the
Newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. 
Seville Allen, Newsletter Editor, writes:
  "Communication?  Ed Peay, Richmond
Area Federation of the Blind and active in our NFB Job
Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) program, sent a written report
to President Brown on an assignment he had completed.  According
to Mr.  Peay's report, President Brown had asked him to attend a
career day type activity, participating on a panel to discuss
jobs.  The panel was sponsored by the Virginia Department for the
Visually Handicapped (VDVH).  Mr. Peay reported that a VDVH
official told him that he was participating on the panel with the
understanding that he would not discuss JOB.  In fact, Mr. Peay
said that he had been told that Commissioner McCann had asked
that JOB be left out of the panel discussion.
  "Thinking this a bit strange, to have a discussion of jobs and
to leave out one of the most successful job placement programs
for the blind to be quite peculiar, I called Commissioner McCann
in late July and asked him about such an instruction.  McCann
said that he had not had such an instruction given to Mr.  Peay. 
However, he went on to say that he didn't want a discussion of
JOB to take up the meeting, or he didn't want that forum used for
JOB advertisements because it is only one of several resources. 
Further, he said that he didn't know much about JOB."
  This is what Seville Allen reports, and it is passing strange. 
Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) is an official program of
the United States Department of Labor, which is jointly sponsored
by the National Federation of the Blind.  The Virginia Department
for the Visually Handicapped is a state rehabilitation agency,
largely financed with federal funds; and rehabilitation is (or
should be) primarily concerned with getting jobs.  Agencies, take
note.  Cooperation is a two-way street.


INFORMATION ABOUT DIABETES


  At the beginning of the twentieth century diabetes was scarcely
ever considered as a factor in blindness.  Then, in the 1920's
everything changed.  Insulin was synthesized, and diabetics began
to live longer.  Today diabetes is the largest cause of new
blindness in the United States.
  One of the most active groups in the National Federation of the
Blind is the Diabetic Division.  Its capable President, Karen
Mayry, provides excellent leadership; and Ed Bryant (the editor
of its newletter, the Voice of the Diabetic) is equally
effective.  From time to time we print material from the Voice of
the Diabetic because of its general interest and because some
blind diabetics or members of their families may not yet have
been introduced to the publication.  Each issue of the Voice of
the Diabetic carries a column called "Ask Dr. James."  The
July-September, 1987, Voice of the Diabetic is of particular
interest.  Here is the "Ask Dr. James" column, followed by "What
Is Sugar Diabetes?":

Ask Dr. James
by Ronald C. James, M.D.

  Question 1: I occasionally have a bad taste in my mouth.  I
don't know how to describe it except it is kind of heavy but not
sticky.  Could this be related to sugar diabetes?
  Answer 1: As far as I know diabetes does not cause this kind of
change in one's taste sensation.  Of course, the dry mouth that
can occur with high sugars and dehydration may give one an
unpleasant sensation.
  Question 2: I am a pregnant diabetic and want to know if there
is some sort of insulin withdrawal my child might undergo.  Will
insulin affect my newborn child?
  Answer 2: Your child will not undergo an insulin withdrawal at
the time of his/her birth because of the insulin that you have
been taking.  The insulin you take does not cross the placenta
and will not enter the baby.  Therefore, the baby is not exposed
to your insulin as such.  On the other hand, sugar from your
blood crosses the placenta, and the baby's blood sugar will be a
direct reflection of your blood sugar level.  If you have too
much insulin resulting in an insulin reaction, at that time the
unborn child's sugar will be low also.  There is no good evidence
that this causes any real detrimental effect on the unborn child. 
This is probably because you usually do something during an
insulin reaction to bring your sugar back up and thus at the same
time bring the unborn child's sugar back up.
  If your sugars are high prior to the birth of your child, this
means the child's sugar at the time will be high.  Because the
child has a normal pancreas and will be able to produce insulin,
it will have plenty of insulin present at the time of birth. 
When it is suddenly withdrawn from your high sugar (which is its
source of sugar up until the time of birth) and it has a lot of
insulin present, then its sugar will fall rapidly and it will
develop hypoglycemia.  This might be interpreted as a withdrawal
from the mother's high blood sugar at the time of birth, but
certainly is not the result of withdrawing from the mother's
insulin.  This results from the mother's not having enough
insulin to keep her blood sugar down prior to the time of birth.
  Question 3: What determines if a person is classified as a
borderline diabetic or diabetic?
  Answer 3: Several years ago diabetes doctors from around the
world got together and agreed on a common terminology and a
common classification in terms of the various types of glucose
intolerance.  What was once called borderline diabetes is now
referred to as impaired glucose tolerance.  The distinction
between the individual with borderline diabetes (impaired glucose
tolerance) and the diabetic is determined by the two-hour oral
glucose tolerance test.  Those individuals with diabetes have one
blood glucose value between the fasting and the two-hour sample
as well as the two-hour sample that exceeds 200 mg.%.  Those with
borderline diabetes have one value between the fasting and
two-hour sample that exceeds 200 mg.%, but the two-hour sample is
less than 200 mg.%.
  Question 4: Why can't insulin be taken orally?
  Answer 4: Insulin cannot be taken orally because it is a
protein and will be broken down by the digestive enzymes in the
intestinal tract just like any other protein such as meat or
eggs.  Therefore, it will be destroyed.  Very little of it will
be absorbed.
  Question 5: Do you recommend U-100 disposable syringes or glass
syringes that have to be boiled for sterilization?
  Answer 5: Either disposable syringes or glass syringes that
must be sterilized can be used for administration of insulin.  I
usually recommend the disposable syringes simply because they can
be thrown away after use and one does not need to bother with
sterilizing them.  However, if cost is a problem, glass syringes
that can be used repeatedly, sometimes for many years, will be
much cheaper.
  Question 6: Would you explain the procedure which allows
insulin to be sprayed into the nose instead of being injected? 
Who would I contact if I were interested in volunteering to test
this procedure?
  Answer 6: Insulin, like some other medicines, can be sprayed
into the nose, where it will be absorbed through the mucous
membranes lining the air passages.  At the present time this does
not appear to be a practical way of treating diabetes because of
several problems.  Such preparations may irritate the nose and
cause considerable difficulties.  Another problem is variable
absorption of the insulin from time to time; for example, if one
sneezes, this may blow some of the insulin out of the nose, and
thus it will not be absorbed.  Also, absorption may be affected
by infections such as colds, or conditions such as allergies like
hay fever.
  I do not personally know who is doing research with nasal
insulin, but I am sure it is being done at some of the
university-related diabetes centers around the country.  On the
other hand, I think there would be no great need for volunteers
since many people are willing to help out with this type of
research.

What Is Sugar Diabetes?

  In order to function properly, we must digest the food eaten. 
In the digestion process, carbohydrates (sugars and starches) are
converted into a simple sugar called glucose.  Glucose is
absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and the
intestines.  The bloodstream carries the glucose to the heart,
which then pumps it to all parts of the body.  All parts of the
body need glucose for energy.  When it reaches the part of the
body where it is needed, it has to enter the cells so it can be
used.  Glucose cannot get into the cells without having help.
  Insulin is the agent that provides this help.  Insulin helps
transport the glucose into the body cells.  Insulin is made by a
gland called the pancreas.  The pancreas is in the abdomen just
below the stomach, and it makes insulin whenever it is needed.
  If the pancreas is working properly, it will make just enough
insulin to match the glucose made from the digested food.
  The pancreas of a person with diabetes does not make insulin
properly, or the body doesn't use the insulin correctly.  When
there is not enough insulin being made, high levels of sugar or
glucose build up in the blood stream.  If the body is not being
fed with glucose, then it will start eating up its fat stores.  A
person can lose considerable weight, as his or her body is
actually eating itself.
  The kidneys serve to filter the substances in the blood stream
that are not useful.  When too much glucose builds up in the
blood stream, the kidneys make so much urine to filter out the
excess glucose that the body tends to get dried out.  This makes
us urinate a lot, and we must drink a lot of extra liquid to make
up for all the urine passed.
  In summary, insulin is a hormone which the body needs to
properly convert food to glucose and energy.  Diabetes is a
condition in which there is not sufficient insulin available to
the body; thus, there is too much sugar in the blood stream.


OF ELEVATORS AND STAIRWAYS

by Susan Jones


  (Susan Jones is a Federationist from Indianapolis.  Like many
of the rest of us, she no longer accepts without question the
ancient stereotypes about blindness.  She believes that she
should have the same rights and responsibilities as others have,
but she also has the normal fears about losing her job,
alienating fellow employees, or fighting on the wrong
battlefield.  What should she do?  What would you do?  Courage
has many definitions.  The climb from second-class status to
first-class citizenship is always difficult, whether by stair or
elevator.
  Here are excerpts from a letter from Susan Jones to President
Maurer.  Not surprisingly, it was written shortly after the 1987
NFB convention.  One can understand why our critics do not want
us to get together for discussion.)

  The issue I wish to discuss with you is one I have discussed at
length for the past year with John Halverson, President of the
Public Employees Division of the National Federation of the
Blind.  In my mind it is very similar to the emergency exit row
issue.
  I work for the Social Security Administration in the
Minton-Capehart Federal Building in Indianapolis.  For purposes
of emergency evacuation I, along with all other blind employees,
am considered "handicapped" and must take the elevator along with
all the nonambulatory people, while my fellow employees take the
stairs.  I have been troubled about this since coming to work for
SSA in 1977.  When I heard about Terry McManus's case (see
"Blindness: The Coming of the Third Generation," Braille Monitor,
October, 1986), as well as those of my blind brothers and sisters
with exit row problems, I knew last July that it was my turn to
take a stand, and I'd best begin immediately.  I made an
appointment and talked at length with John Laughman, our building
coordinator for emergency evacuations.  He stated to me that he
had problems getting all handicapped persons in the two elevators
that could be manually operated in an emergency and that our
taking the stairs would help solve that problem, but he didn't
know if he would be allowed to let us do that.  At John
Halverson's suggestion I asked whether deaf employees must ride
on elevators.  He said yes, that they were included as
handicapped persons.  I kept calling him every once in a while,
and month after month he said he didn't know anything yet.
  Finally, May 5, 1987, he called a meeting of all handicapped
employees and their supervisors to discuss emergency evacuation
procedures.  I thought, "Aha, now's my chance!"  The meeting was
to discuss other issues, such as the malfunction of the elevators
in last month's evacuation drill.  And as you might imagine, it
dribbled off into all kinds of "what-if" situations, including
the total failure of the elevators and the need for nonambulatory
employees and visitors to be carried downstairs.  But before it
dribbled off I brought up my issue quickly.  Mr. Laughman
announced to those present that this was not a new issue, that he
had held several discussions prior, and that he still did not
have an answer.  There were several reactions from those
attending, mostly supervisors.  How would I use my cane? 
Wouldn't I trip the people in front of me?  One woman described
the plight of her poor four-year-old child, who was with her as
she was visiting, not working, in the building during the last
drill.  She had to pick the child up, lest she get crushed by the
crowd.  I listened politely and then said, "Yes, you should have
picked that child up.  You did the right thing.  On the other
hand, I have age, height, body weight, and hopefully good
judgment on my side.  I am not a child."  Then, an ex-Marine
corporal, as he put it, told how during a disaster you have to
anticipate the worst possible scenario and plan for the masses,
and thus he couldn't go along with having blind people evacuate
with everybody else.  The risks were too great.  What if somebody
tripped and fell in front of me?  I might not be aware, would
trip over them, and so on.
  The long and short was, Mr. Laughman still didn't know and
didn't know whether he had the authority to make such a decision;
and until further notice, we blind people were to exit using the
elevators.  Incidentally, his policy has changed with regard to
deaf employees.  They now should use the stairs, but with a
"buddy."
  At our Public Employees Division meeting at the NFB convention
in Phoenix on Monday, June 29, it was generally agreed that the
only way we're going to change anything is to begin using the
stairs and dealing later with the consequences.
  I feel frightened just thinking about that.  I got in trouble
once for taking the stairs--when I did so due to a
misunderstanding.  My manager called me into her office, chewed
me up one side and down the other, and reprimanded me for
insubordination.  I'm not aware that anything went into my
personnel file, because I was able to convince her that I had
misunderstood.  The announcement over the p.a. system which had
previously said, "All handicapped persons please use the
elevator," did not say it that particular time.  So I figured we
were all to go down the stairs.  That was three years ago.  My
supervisor, manager, and office marshal are unaware that I
believe sending the blind down on the elevator is unnecessary
attention and something we blind don't need.  I don't have any
support from my co-workers.  They're just mosly silent.
  There are, I would guess, fifteen other blind people working in
the building.  One works in my office.  We have discussed this
situation at length, and he would like to see our situation
changed but is not likely to be willing to make waves over it.  I
know personally two or three others who, when I told them that I
was talking to Mr.  Laughman, said "Well, good luck.  We've tried
and can't seem to make any headway."  None of these people are
Federationists.  Most deplore what they see as our militancy and
don't want to get involved.
  What am I to do?  It may cost me my job.  But I believe it is
wrong to bow to people who want to make us "more handicapped"
than we are.  I've thought of trying to invite all blind
employees over to my home for dessert and coffee and to discuss
this thing.  As I have said, I don't know them all and don't know
if I could get their names.
  I'm looking for all the wisdom and suggestions I can find.  I'm
a poor strategist.  But I know, even with the most wonderful
advice in the world, the bottom line is, I have to stick my neck
out.  I am willing to do that.  I just want to know what kind of
support I can get and how to find support among my fellow blind
employees.  Anything you can suggest to help me would be greatly
appreciated.  I do think it's important to know how to avoid
doing things that will get us into more trouble than we
should--just as you make decisions to fight some battles in
court, some by negotiation, etc.

DOG GUIDES AT THE ZOO


                           Salem, Oregon May 20, 1987

Dear President Maurer:

  Enclosed please find a letter I'm sending to all state
presidents together with a proposed policy on dog guides from the
Washington Park Zoo (Portland, Oregon).
  As we research this proposal, some interesting medical facts
have become available.  Rabies, canine distemper, canine
hepatitis, canine leptospirosis, canine parvovirus, salmonella,
toxoplasmosis, and brucellosis are not of major concern since dog
guides are vaccinated against them, except rabies, and they are
transmitted through fecal matter.  Toxoplasmosis is acquired
through the ingestion of raw meat.  Brucellosis is sexually
transmitted.
  Such concerns lead one to wonder what Washington Park Zoo
believes the function of dog guides to be.  I.e. is the concern
for toxoplasmosis a concern for the dog guide user or the zoo? 
Who eats whom?  I will reserve my comments on brucellosis.
  Are Washington Park's concerns about their hooved animals as
valid as their opinions on zenotoxicity?
  If we have information on file that may be of help, please let
me know.

                              Cordially, Dave Hyde, President
        National Federation of the Blind
                               of Oregon

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

To the Members of the
National Federation of the Blind

Dear Colleagues:

  Enclosed you will find a proposed policy from the Washington
Park Zoo (Portland, Oregon) regarding access for persons with dog
guides.  We are compiling information about such policies in zoos
throughout the country.  If a zoo in your state has specific
policies dealing with dog guides which refuse, limit, or allow
total access to a zoo, or has a history of such policy, or is
commonly believed to have such policy, please let me know by
return mail.
  I thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.  If we
can solve this problem here, we can solve it elsewhere.

                              Cordially, Dave Hyde, President
        National Federation of the Blind
                               of Oregon

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

Proposed Policy
Washington Park Zoo
Portland, Oregon

  Dogs, in general, pose a threat to the health and safety of the
Zoo's animal collection.  In addition to violating a captive
animal's flight distance, they can also transmit various
diseases.  Among the more common diseases and pathogens are:
canine distemper, canine hepatitis, canine leptospirosis, canine
parvovirus, rabies, salmonella, toxoplasmosis, and brucellosis. 
External and internal parasites can also be detrimental to the
captive collection.
  Because of these considerations and in accordance with the
Zoo's responsibility for the health and welfare of the animal
collection, many of them endangered species, it is preferred that
guide dogs remain at the Administration office in the care of Zoo
staff.  The Zoo is prepared to provide an escort to facilitate
the blind guest's visit.
  However, if the guest requests, their dog will be allowed on
the Zoo grounds with a Zoo representative.  Keepers will be
notified that there is a dog on the grounds and that its presence
has been authorized.
  The representative accompanying the visitor and the dog should
be a responsible employee (preferably the Manager on Duty or an
Animal Management representative) who will stay with the blind
person as long as they are on the grounds with their dog.  If the
representative perceives that the dog is upsetting any Zoo
animal, the dog must be removed from the area of concern.
  Because direct contact greatly increases the risk of disease
transmission, guide dogs will not be allowed in areas where
direct contact with Zoo animals is probable, such as the
Children's Zoo, the Cascade Marsh, the Africa Bush Walkthrough
Aviary, etc.


TOM ANDERSON HONORED


  As a part of the 200th anniversary celebration of the adoption
of the United States Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance,
the State of Ohio is giving recognition to outstanding citizen
achievement in each of six categories displaying civic
participation, generosity, and patriotism.  Cities and counties
throughout the state are selecting community leaders to be
honored and to represent them in statewide competition.  In
public ceremonies at the Mahoning County Courthouse in
Youngstown, Ohio, September 17, 1987, Tom Anderson received the
following award:

Certificate of Recognition Spirit of '87 Award

  In recognition of extraordinary community service through
demonstrated leadership in furthering the principles stated in
the Articles of Compact of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the
city/ county of Youngstown hereby recognizes Thomas Anderson as
the Spirit of '87 Award Recipient For contributions in promoting
the Ordinance principle of "Human Freedom" in our community. 
Honored on this date, September 17, 1987.  In accordance with the
Spirit of '87 Awards, you are an official representative of the
city/county in a statewide competition sponsored by Ohio's
Northwest Ordinance and United States Constitution Bicentennial
Commission.

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

  In addition to the certificate a proclamation was issued by the
Mayor of Youngstown:

City of Youngstown
PROCLAMATION

  Whereas: As part of the state's bicentennial celebration of the
Northwest Ordinance and the U. S. Constitution, the Spirit of '87
Awards were established to recognize outstanding citizen
achievement in each of six categories displaying civic
participation, generosity, and patriotism; and
  Whereas: As past President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Mahoning Valley, presently Second Vice President of the
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio and a member of numerous
organizations, Thomas Anderson has demonstrated that he is a
capable civil rights advocate for many minority groups including
the blind community; and
  Whereas: Tom's commitment to the community combines a love for
human service with a desire to educate for civic responsibility.
  Now, therefore, I, Patrick J. Ungaro, as Mayor of the City of
Youngstown, do hereby recognize Thomas Anderson as the Spirit of
'87 Award Recipient for contributions in promoting the Ordinance
principle of Human Freedom in our community and further do
congratulate Mr. Anderson on his outstanding achievements and
invaluable service.
  In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and cause to be
affixed the Great Seal of the City of Youngstown, Ohio, this 10th
day of September, 1987.

                       Patrick J. Ungaro
                                   MAYOR


WHY NOT HAVE IT ALL?

by Homer Page


  (Dr. Homer Page is Deputy Mayor of
Boulder, Colorado, and a professor at the University of Colorado
at Boulder.  He is also one of the leaders of the National
Federation of the Blind of Colorado and of the national movement. 
The following article is taken from an address delivered by Dr.
Page at a luncheon in St. Louis on May 2, 1987.  The occasion was
a conference and series of seminars centering around the theme
"Focus on Success" sponsored jointly by the National Federation
of the Blind of Illinois and the National Federation of the Blind
of Missouri.)

  Miss Nellie Stice was my English teacher during my senior year
at Buchannan High School in Troy, Missouri.  She often read
examinations for me.  On the final examination I received 296
points out of a possible total of 300.  When we finished the
exam, she told me my score and said, "Have you ever thought about
what you would be able to accomplish if you were not blind?"
  Miss Stice did not believe blind persons could be successful. 
She believed that I had ability, and she felt badly that I, in
her view, was destined to be thwarted in my efforts to use that
ability.  She genuinely felt pain for me.  If any other of my
classmates would have done so well, and none of them did, she
would have said to that student, "Congratulations, you will go
far in life," but those were not her expectations for me.
  Others may not believe in us.  We must believe in ourselves, no
matter what the expectations of others may be.  This hard truth
is the beginning for whatever success we may find.
  If we are to truly believe in ourselves, there is a proposition
that we must affirm.  It is one that we should think about and
not accept glibly or without serious soul searching.  It is this: 
I believe my life is as good and as meaningful and as successful
as it would have been if I had normal sight.  I believe this is
true for me, and I want to talk with you about why I believe that
it is true.
  In spite of the withering message that I received from Miss
Stice, I was generally encouraged as a child.  When I was in the
first grade, the teacher set up three groups of different
learning levels.  I was originally placed in the slowest group. 
My parents are not educated people.  My mother completed the
tenth grade, and my father went only to the eighth grade. 
However, they understood that it was not good for me to remain in
that group.  They talked with the teacher, and I was moved up to
the first row.  I am sure that nothing my parents ever did for me
apart from giving me life was so important to my future.  If the
teachers and administrators and other people had developed the
expectations that I couldn't keep up with the demands of the
school, then I hesitate to think what my life would have become. 
I am certain it would have been different and that it would have
been much worse.
  There was another time when my parents came to my rescue. 
During the summer between my third and fourth grades in school my
family was visited by representatives from the Missouri School
for the Blind.  My father and I were on top of the chicken house
putting down a new roof.  We spoke with them from our lofty
perch.  They wanted me to attend the MSB in the fall.  My father
said "no."  He said, "My son is doing fine in school.  I think a
boy's place is with his family, and besides, who would help me
with all this work if he were to go with you?"  Now I don't want
to argue the pros and cons of residential education.  I only want
to make the point that few things could have been more important
to a young blind child than to hear his father affirm that he was
successful in school, loved and wanted by his family, and a
productive contributing  member of the economy of his family
farm.
  My school didn't know what to do with me a lot of the time; so
I was allowed to do what I could figure out to do.  It was the
great privilege of the sixth grade boys at Troy Elementary School
to get to be the School Boy Patrol.  The teachers could have
forbidden me to take part in this highly prized activity, but
they did not.  I took my turn with all the other boys, and I
would have gladly faced down a semi-truck at a street crossing. 
Needless to say, no such heroic deed was required.
  How many times do the blind children in a classroom get the
opportunity to do errands in school?  The message is usually very
clear.  Someone else can do it better.  I was lucky.  The way had
been prepared for me by my parents.  I took my turn with all the
others.
  By the time Miss Stice made her comment it was already too late
for my spirit to be damaged very much.  I was on my way to
college, and there were some things that I wanted to do.  Three
important things came into my life during my college years.  I
became a varsity wrestler, I joined in the civil rights movement,
and I became a serious, committed student.  I needed to wrestle,
because it was important to me to prove to myself that I was a
physically competent athlete.
  The civil rights movement made a truly lasting impression on
me.  I committed myself to work for a more just society.  There
were times when I literally put my life on the line.  I didn't
really understand that the struggle to establish the rights of
the black people would be so directly parallel to the struggle
for the rights of the blind.  The lessons which I was learning in
the civil rights movement in the sixties would become valuable to
me as I joined the struggle for the rights of the blind in the
seventies and eighties.
  Finally, the commitment which I made to becoming a really
serious student has shaped my career.  I had always been a good
student, but there came a time when I took the risk to become a
really serious scholar.  This risk-taking led to me completion of
a Ph.D. and employment in higher education as a university
professor and administrator.  The education which I received
opened many doors for me.  It was my passport to successful
employment, involvement in community activities, and political
office.
  I have been active in politics for the last twenty-three years. 
I have worked in one or another campaign on behalf of the
candidate for the Colorado State Board of Education, and I was
the Deputy Director of the Colorado Campaign for Mondale/Ferraro. 
In 1981 I was elected to the Boulder City Council.  I was re-
elected in 1985 and was chosen to be Boulder's Deputy Mayor in
1986.
  Politics is an interesting business for blind persons.  My
blindness has been an issue in almost every campaign in which I
have been involved.  It is very competitive.  There are very few
positions, and many want those positions.  Dr. Jernigan has
spoken of the difficulty that comes as blind people make
progress.  The voter is asked to select a leader, but the
stereotype of the blind does not include an element of
leadership.  One of the trite statements which people use to
describe a feeling of confusion is "It is like the blind leading
the blind."  I have had well- respected people in the community
go door to door before an election telling people not to vote for
me, because I would only represent the interest of the blind. 
One of the persons was a local judge.  It is so very important
for blind people to be in positions of leadership so that these
stereotypes can be challenged in visible public ways.  It is
necessary for blind people to exercise power, if we are to change
the way people think about us.
  Two summers ago the Denver and Boulder Chapters of the NFB went
horseback riding and picnicking at a local stable.  I wanted to
take my cane along on the ride.  I am a competent horseman, and I
always take my cane when I ride.  The stable personnel became
angry and abusive when I would not leave my cane behind.  Finally
I told them I would deal with them the next day.  The land on
which their operation was located belongs to the city of Boulder. 
I have responsibility for overseeing the lease that allows them
to operate on that land.  I began to take the necessary action to
terminate their lease.  Their humble apologies were rapidly
forthcoming.  These people are not unlike most of the public. 
They could not believe that a blind person would be so outrageous
as to refuse to do what they wanted him to do, and they were
totally surprised to find out that such a person might have the
power to take away their livelihood.
  Have I been successful?  In some ways perhaps I have; but if I
have, I haven't done it on my own, and there is more to my
success than I have so far stated.  I had a supportive family and
generally helpful friends and teachers, but there was a group of
people working for me about whom I had no knowledge until well
into my adult life.  That group was the men and women of the
National Federation of the Blind.  Even though I didn't know it,
opportunities had been made available for me by the work of the
generation of NFB members that preceded me.  The rehabilitation
programs that provided funding for my education would have been
reluctant to do that twenty years before.  The actions of the NFB
during the first generation of its existence had substantially
changed what it meant to be blind, and so I got a chance.
  Whether we like it or not, blind people are judged as a group. 
No matter how competent a blind individual may be, he or she will
find that his or her success is tied with an unbreakable knot to
the success or failure of the least competent blind person.  We
who are blind are a family, and whether we like it or not, we
cannot escape from our blind brothers and sisters, but why would
we want to?  We come together in the NFB to work together for the
success of all of us.  The NFB has provided me with a great deal
of friendship and support, but the most important thing that I
have gained from it has been the ability to accept and understand
and care for other blind people.  What this really means, of
course, is that I have learned to accept my own blindness, and so
I don't have to worry about being identified by the sighted world
with all of those other blind people.  I don't have to try to
overcome my blindness.  How could anyone overcome his blindness? 
My blindness is a part of me like other characteristics.  I am
who I am, and part of that is being blind.
  I entitled the speech, "Why Not Have It All?"  What does it
mean to have it all?  For me, it has meant to have a strong
family, a good education, a successful career, respect and
acceptance from my community, and a strong relationship with my
blind sisters and brothers.  It has meant support, friendship,
and love from the organized blind community.  It has meant
achieving peace with myself concerning my blindness.  In many
ways which I understand and many more ways which I may never
know, the success which I have achieved is grounded in the work
of the men and women of the National Federation of the Blind.
  I invite you to join me in the work that needs to be done to
insure that the next generation of blind persons will have even
more opportunities than we have today.  It is not easy work, nor
should my invitation be easily accepted.  We may be required to
speak with a congressman or run for elective office.  We may be
required to speak to a class of young children or testify in a
court of law.  We may be required to demonstrate on the steps of
the U. S. Capitol or be arrested and go to jail.  We will be
required to work hard and long hours and sometimes to be
attacked.  But even with all of this I still invite you to join
me, because the future is ours, and we can never go back.


TO PRETEND TO BE BLIND IS NOT HELPFUL


  The following letter calls attention to a phenomenon which is
widespread and persistent.  It is something which blind persons
should be alert to resist, and Federationists usually are and do:

                            Elyria, Ohio October 7, 1987

Honorable Alex A. Olejko Mayor
City of Lorain, Ohio

Dear Mayor Olejko:

  The blind of Lorain County are pleased that Monday, October 19,
has been declared Handicapped Awareness Day in our city. 
However, we are concerned about the way in which we have heard
the city council will observe the day.
  We have heard that one or more councilmen have plans to wear
blindfolds during their meeting, supposedly to be more aware of
what it is like to be blind.  We do not feel that this is what is
needed to have sighted people be more aware of what it is to be
blind.
  First of all, they will be able to remove the blindfolds at the
end of the time they have decided to wear them.  Also, not all
blind persons are totally blind and thus see more than total
darkness.  Further, people who do this type of exercise, because
they're not trained to deal with blindness, may feel helpless and
frustrated.  Blind people, properly adjusted to their disability,
need not be either frustrated or helpless.  Also, the
participants may feel that, because one is helpless and
frustrated when they're blind, that they cannot do anything for
themselves, work in a job, or live a normal life.
  The blind of Lorain County would urge the city council members
to consider what we feel are more important issues about being
blind.  Some of these are the need for employment opportunities
for qualified blind persons in competitive jobs.  Other issues
include adequate transportation and discrimination in housing.
  For information on blind people and blindness, contact me at
Elyria: 365- 7970, or the National Federation of the Blind, 1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

                              Sincerely, Philip R. Copeland
                               President
                    NFB of Lorain County

THE LEGACY OF FATHER CARROLL

by Kenneth Jernigan


  In the period immediately following World War II, one of the
best known and most controversial figures in work with the blind
in this country was Father Thomas Carroll.  He believed that
blindness was more than a loss of eyesight.  He thought it was a
kind of "dying."  In fact, he compiled a list of what he called
"the twenty lacks and losses of blindness"--a list which some
regarded as a kind of bible, others made fun of, and still others
dismissed as ridiculous nonsense, not worth discussing.
  As one would deduce from the name, Father Carroll was a
Catholic priest, but his writings and conversations were
dominated by an overwhelming concern with psychiatry.  He said,
for instance, that one should "vidiate."  As I understand it,
this is a process whereby one constantly practices trying to
remember what things look like.  For instance, when a man shaves
in the morning, he is supposed to make faces in front of a mirror
and picture them in his mind's eye so that his "visual memory"
will be kept alive.  According to Father Carroll newly blinded
adults in training were expected to walk around constantly
thinking about how their surroundings looked--regardless of
whether they knew what was there or whether the mental pictures
had any relationship at all to reality.  It was, to say the
least, a novel concept, one which was never predominant and which
continues to enjoy a steadily declining degree of popularity.
  Let me give you an example of how it works.  Twenty-five or
thirty years ago I visited a rehabilitation center which was
being operated according to the Father Carroll philosophy, and I
was having lunch with the center's director.  He said (a
paraphrase, not a quote): "We want the newly blinded person to
keep alive his visual memory.  Therefore, at unexpected moments
we tap a trainee on the arm and say, 'What do you see?'  If we
are out of doors, the trainee is expected to describe the trees,
people who are walking at a distance, and such like."
  At this stage (the director was a blind man) I reached over,
tapped him on the arm, and said: "What do you see?"
  Without hesitation he replied (again, a paraphrase, not a
direct quote): "The fellow sitting across the table from us is
wearing a dark blue suit with a beautiful red tie.  The waiter is
approaching him with a pot of coffee and pouring it into his cup. 
The waiter is smiling."
  He went on to say: "Of course, I don't know whether the fellow
across the table is wearing a dark suit or not--and, for that
matter, whether he has on a suit at all; nor do I know whether a
waiter is there or has coffee.  But this is how the process
works.  It keeps my visual memory alive."
  I told him that this concept violated everything I thought I
knew about how to teach blind persons to live in the normal world
and that I thought it was harmful and counterproductive, but he
said that it was the best way to rehabilitate a blind person--and
who can say which of us was right.
  At any rate Father Carroll established a rehabilitation center
for the Blind in Newton, Massachusetts.  It still continues to
operate as the "Carroll Center for the Blind"--and as was the
case with its namesake, it functions in an atmosphere of
controversy and different degrees of respect and credibility. 
Those who love it love it a lot, and those how disparage it do so
with equal vigor and persistence.
  Dennis Polselli, one of the leaders of the National Federation
of the Blind of Massachusetts, is the Editor of the Cassette
Gazette, which is the National Federation of the Blind of
Massachusetts newsletter.  In its Fall, 1987, issue the Cassette
Gazette carries an article by Gwen Evans entitled "The Ghost of
Father Carroll Still Haunts the Blind." In an introduction to the
article Editor Polselli says in part:
  "Gwen Evans is a member of the Vermont affiliate of the
National Federation of the Blind.  Gwen graduated from College
last June and decided to get some introduction to computer
skills.  In previous issues of this publication, we have
mentioned the Cable Program taught at the Carroll Center by Bryan
Charlsen, Vice President of Talking Computer Systems in
Watertown; and Joe Lazarro, President of the same company.  The
Cable Program is a two-week introductory course to computer
technology.  The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind has, in
the past few years, required clients to take the Cable Program
before the agency loaned out any equipment to blind persons.  One
such client was threatened by the Commission: 'No Cable Program,
no job.'  Gwen Evans agreed to take on the assignment of being
Cassette Gazette correspondent during her experience and keep a
journal of what was happening."
  After the introduction by Editor Polselli Gwen Evans' report
was given as follows:

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

  I recently had the opportunity to receive computer training
from Project Cable at the Carroll Center for the Blind.  The
Carroll Center is located in Newton, Massachusetts, and although
Project Cable is housed on the campus, it is a separate program
from the center itself.  I stayed in the center's dormitory, so I
had the opportunity to speak to clients and staff about the
programs offered at the center.  It seemed that the more I
inquired the more dubious I became about the quality of the
programs offered.
  During the time I was there I was with students participating
in the center's "Youth in Transition" program, a six- week
program of training and recreation to assist blind teenagers with
their transition into adulthood.  These clients were sent to this
program by the state rehabilitation agencies from Massachusetts
to New York state.
  Among the courses the clients had to take were: Braille (grade
one only), mobility, typing, sensory training, tape recording,
written and spoken communication skills, personal management,
group and individual counseling, and fencing (yes, fencing).  One
gets the impression that blind adolescents really need a separate
program with this kind of curriculum in order to be successful in
college.
  Is this program really necessary, or is it a waste of
taxpayer's money?  I had the opportunity to talk to the
participants in the program about this curriculum.  The fencing
course, which is always an eyeraiser, is to help develop
coordination for good mobility skills, the staff told me.  Each
participant is required to have his or her feet examined to
determine if there are any abnormalities that would impede his or
her travel skills.  I found this to be the most amazing thing I
have ever heard.  As one student described it to me, "If one has
a callous on the left foot or if the foot points outward, the
person would be veering to the left when walking."  I personally
have never heard of such a procedure or theory.
  There are other interesting things about the classes.  As an
example, a former student who participated in a similar program
at the Carroll Center reported to me that in the case of personal
management four of the six weeks in the course were spent on how
to pour liquid into a cup.  And then there is the question of the
"tape recording" class.  Why does it take six weeks?  They must
spend one week per button.  All these examples form a pattern of
inconsistencies in the Carroll Center's philosophy, or lack
thereof.
  The inconsistencies are not only prevalent in the programs but
in some of the practices of the Carroll Center.  For instance,
some of the pathways were lined with handrails.  There were no
locks on the rooms in the dorms, affording no privacy to persons
who are supposedly adults.  (It should be pointed out that the
Carroll Center has a sixteen-week program for newly blinded
adults premised on the teachings of Father Carroll centered
around twenty gains and twenty losses.  Twenty-twenty may make
for good television, but it is bad philosophy.)  Both the
lighting and the plumbing were extremely inadequate, and many of
the rooms were not kept up very well by the maintenance staff. 
One of the most appalling experiences I had was the practice of
getting around the cafeteria.  When I went to breakfast on the
first day of the program, I was informed that I had to follow a
designated traffic pattern in the room.  I had to leave my cane
in a set of racks outside the door, and trail the wall with my
hand to the kitchen window, where we picked up our tray of food. 
From the window we were told to turn completely around and veer
right until you found the first empty seat.  (The Carroll Center
offered no technique on how to ascertain an empty seat.)  When
the meal was completed, we were told to pick up our trays, veer
over to the opposite direction back to the window to return our
trays, and locate and trail the wall to the door.  I do not
usually travel without my cane, and this was no exception.
  In fact, I did not follow the policy.  I kept my cane with me
at as many meals as I could get away with and stowed it
underneath the table out of other people's way.  One day at lunch
I was approached by Dick Connors, the director of community
outreach, who asked me if I was aware of the "no cane in
cafeteria policy and the traffic patterns."  I told him I was
aware of them but that I preferred to keep my cane with me.  He
told me that "canes belong in the racks."  Then, before I could
even protest, my cane was confiscated.  As I sat there at the
table, I remember thinking of another situation where blind
persons have had their canes taken from them (the airlines). 
It's bad enough when the airlines harass blind persons by
confiscating canes, but when an agency dedicated to teaching the
blind does the same, that's insane.
  It is all these examples and more that illustrate how the
Carroll Center is perpetuating the old stereotypes instead of
teaching that it is respectable to be blind and how the cane is
more efficient for getting around than trailing walls.


WELCOME TO CHICAGO

by Stephen Benson


  The members of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
are looking forward to greeting you at the Chicago convention. 
There will be hospitality, worthwhile program items, and the most
interesting time you have ever had in your life.
  Your first impressions of the Chicago Hyatt Regency hotel may
be formed by Bill, the chief doorman who is stationed at the taxi
entrance of the east tower.  His enthusiastic and friendly
greeting is quite typical of what you will find inside.
  As you exit the taxi, over your right shoulder one block to the
west, is the striking white tiled Wrigley Building.  Standing on
the north bank of the Chicago River and on the west side of
Michigan Avenue, the Wrigley Company's world headquarters marks
the beginning of Chicago's Magnificent Mile.  The building is
brilliantly illuminated at night.  It is, unquestionably, a
landmark you should know about.
  The Wrigley Building is also credited for marking the site of
the home and business of Chicago's first permanent settler, Jean
Baptiste Point du Sable.  Du Sable, a black man, established his
trading post in about 1779.  Trading with the Indians made him
what some regard as Chicago's first tycoon.
  As you step inside the Hyatt's east tower, the scene before you
will be a four-story glass house lobby, a dazzling expanse of
light, greenery waterfalls, a 4,000 square-foot lagoon, and
constant motion.
  On the "Plaza," or street level, are two restaurants, Stetson's
(for gourmet dining), and Scampi (a 24-hour, 285-seat European
style cafe, serving ethnic and American fare and set on an island
in the lagoon).  The Center Club, an elegant and intimate lounge,
and a gift shop are also on this level.
  On the "Skyway" level, just above the Plaza, are the hotel
registration area, the concierge, the Gold Passport desk, and
bell stand.  The Skyway can be accessed by elevator, stairs, or
escalator.  Between the Skyway and Plaza levels is Rumors, a
multi-level lounge.  This very comfortable setting is accessible
from both the Skyway and Plaza levels.  To all of this splendor
is added the full, rich sound of a grand piano.  Tuxedoed
pianists provide continuous background of classical and popular
selections.  It lends a genuine touch of class.
  On the Skyway, between the east and west towers, is a small
restaurant called The Skyway.  Open for breakfast or lunch, it
specializes in fantastic omelettes.  Just inside the west tower,
on the Skyway level, is Mrs. O'Leary's delicatessen and bar.  It
features fresh seafood and homestyle dishes in a decor that is
reminiscent of a turn-of-the- century Chicago tavern.  I'm told
the onion soup is "out of this world."
  On Sundays, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., the Plaza level of
the west tower becomes Captain Streeters Champagne Brunch.  The
musical background is some of Chicago's best live jazz.  Oh, the
food is very good.
  The Chicago Hyatt Regency is an excellent facility.  It
contains 185,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space. 
The Grand Ballroom, two levels below the street in the east
tower, contains 24,500 square feet.  The Regency Ballroom, two
levels below the street in the west tower, has 6,500 square feet. 
Wacker Hall, three levels below the street, is capable of housing
exhibits of up to 70,000 square feet.
  The hotel's towers are connected by a concourse one level below
the street and by a Skyway one level above the street.  Massive
as this property is, it is laid out sensibly, mostly in straight
lines.
  Two important keys to remember are these: (1) the escalators in
the east tower run north and south, and (2) the escalators in the
west tower run east and west.  Both tower lobbies have
fountain/waterfalls.  However, the east lobby is much larger,
much busier, and the pianists play twenty-two hours per day.  The
taxi entrance is in the east tower.  The airport entrance is in
the west tower.
  At the close of the Illinois affiliate's 1987 convention Diane
McGeorge, National First Vice President, was overheard saying, "I
like this hotel so much, I don't want to leave."  You will like
the hotel, too.
  Within a mile of the hotel are three very familiar Chicago
landmarks.  Buckingham Fountain was a gift to the city in 1921
from Kate Buckingham.  This magnificent fountain's central column
of water rises 130 feet in the air.  Its pool is 285 feet in
diameter.  Between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., during the summer months,
it is illuminated by a splendid rainbow of light.  The fountain
is patterned after Latona Fountain in Versailles.  Buckingham
Fountain's setting is also patterned on the gardens of
Versailles.
  The Berghoff Restaurant is a favorite spot for lunch and
dinner.  This nearly 100-year-old Chicago institution seats 400
people at a time.  Its hearty fare is relatively inexpensive.  It
is closed on Sundays and holidays.
  The seven and a quarter-ton cast bronze Marshall Field clock at
Washington and State, and its twin at Randolpoh and State, are as
much symbolic of Marshall Field and Chicago as Buckingham
Fountain, the skyline, or the old Water Tower.  These clocks have
long been favorite rendezvous spots for visitors to the Loop.
  Chicago is the place to be in July of 1988.


AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTEREST TO VENDORS

by Larry Posont


  Louisville, Kentucky, will be the place, and March 11 through
13, 1988, will be the time for the mid-year conference of the
National Federation of the Blind Merchants Division. 
Participants will arrive Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11, at
the Howard Johnson Motel, 100 East Jefferson, Louisville,
Kentucky 40202.  Rates are: singles, $32; doubles, $34; triples,
$36; and quads, $38.  If you wish to have an executive room, they
are $42 for a single and $44 for a double.  To make your
reservations call Carol Burke at (502) 582-2481.  She will also
make arrangements for you to be picked up at the bus station or
at the airport.
  There will be tours of Louisville's vending facilities Friday. 
In recent years these tours have become increasingly interesting,
and vendors in Louisville operate good businesses.  Saturday will
be our program, which promises to be as good as or better than
the one last year.  The banquet will be in the evening.  Sunday
morning will be the business meeting.  Vendors, business people,
and those interested in business as a career are invited and
encouraged to attend.
  The Merchants Division has a limited amount of money to use to
help people get to the conference.  To request assistance,
contact Donna Posont, 4539 Rosalie, Dearborn, Michigan 48129. 
She needs to know by January 25 how much assistance you are
requesting and something about your background in business. 
State affiliates are urged to find a way to get at least one
representative (more, if possible) to this conference.  Each
mid-year conference seems to be better than the one before, and
Louisville will be no exception.  See you there.


PROCLAMATION


Office of the Mayor City of Chicago

  Whereas, on October 15, 1987, the National Federation of the
Blind (NFB) will observe White Cane Safety Day; and
  Whereas, the purpose of White Cane Safety Day is to make the
public aware of the white cane as a symbol of independence and
freedom of blind people, and to promote public awareness of the
blind as equal and productive citizens; and
  Whereas, during this time the NFB will remind all citizens that
persons carrying a white cane or using a dog guide are legally
blind and have equal rights under the law to housing; to all
places to which the public is invited including, but not limited
to, places of lodging, amusement, and recreation; to all modes of
public transportation; and to all the streets and byways of our
communities; and
  Whereas, at this time motorists are to remember that the law
requires drivers to exercise appropriate care when approaching
blind persons; and
  Whereas, it is also at this time that the NFB reminds employers
that when blind persons receive proper instruction and genuine
opportunity, they compete on equal terms with sighted persons and
are, in fact, employed within the broad spectrum of competitive
labor and within the professions:
  Now, therefore, I, Harold Washington, Mayor of the City of
Chicago, do hereby proclaim October 15, 1987, to be White Cane
Safety Day in Chicago and commend the National Federation of the
Blind on its forty-seven years of effort to achieve security,
equality, and opportunity for all blind people of this nation
through education, advocacy, and consultation, and urge all
citizens to be congnizant of the events arranged for this time.
  Dated this 2nd day of September, 1987.

                       Harold Washington
                                   MAYOR

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

R E C I P E S

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


S. C. LOW COUNTRY CHICKEN BOGG

by Irene & Edsel Doyle


(Irene and Edsel Doyle are members of the Columbia Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina.)


1 chicken fryer cut up
2 ham hocks smoked or 2 cups smoked ham 2 links smoked sausage
cut up 2 large onions sliced 2 cups uncooked rice salt and pepper
to taste

  In large pot cook ham hocks until tender.  Add chicken parts
and onion.  Cook about twenty minutes until bone can be removed
from chicken.  Add smoked sausage, bring back to good boil, add
rice, and stir well.  Put lid on pot, and cut stove as low as
possible for twenty to twenty-five minutes with lid tight.
  Two cups liquid per one cup rice; four to six servings; can be
frozen and heated in microwave or oven; good pot supper for large
crowd, good fundraiser.  If using smoked ham, start ham, chicken,
onion, and sausage all at one time.  If you have too much stock,
save and freeze to use in vegetables or noodles or rice for
another meal.

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


COTTAGE CHEESE CRUNCH

by Peggy Covey


(Peggy Covey is President of the Members At Large of the National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio.)


Ingredients:
1 cup cottage cheese 1/2 teaspoon dill weed 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon tobasco sauce 1 teaspoon minced onion
1/3 cup chopped celery, radishes, and green pepper
lettuce leaves

  Method: Combine cottage cheese, dill weed, salt, tabasco sauce,
and onion.  Blend well.  Sitr in celery, radishes, and green
pepper.  Serve on lettuce leaves, tomato slices, or crackers. 
Makes 1-3/4 cups.


HERBED CREAM CHEESE

by Peggy Covey


Ingredients:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese 2 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon dill weed 1/2 teaspoon basil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

  Method: Mix these ingredients and refrigerate.  This cheese
lends itself well to attractive shaping.  Sprinkle with lemon
pepper before or after shaping.


QUICKY HERBED BREAD

by Peggy Covey


Ingredients:
1 loaf Italian or French bread 4 cups soft butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves,
crushed 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
few twists freshly ground pepper

  Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Make diagonal cuts in
bread one inch apart.  Do not cut through bottom of bread. 
Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl until well blended. 
Spread mixture between bread slices.  Wrap in aluminum foil and
bake fifteen to twenty minutes until butter is melted and bread
is hot.


PARSLEY DILL DRESSING

by Peggy Covey


Ingredients:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup minced parsley
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed
1 tablespoon lemon juice

  Method: Mix well.  Use on salad or as a dip.


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


FOUR LAYER DESSERT

by Sandy Hansen


(Sandy Hansen is a member of the National Federation of the Blind
of South Dakota.)


1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup powdered sugar 
8 ounces cream cheese 
1 carton cool whip
2 packages instant pudding (any flavor, mix with 3 cups milk)
1/2 cup nut meats

  Mix flour, margarine, and nuts.  Put into nine- by
thirteen-inch pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for fifteen minutes. 
Cool.  Mix powdered sugar and cream cheese.  Add one cup cool
whip and place over crust.  Mix pudding and milk, spread over
second layer.  Spread remainder of cool whip over pudding. 
Sprinkle with nut meats, and chill.


MONITOR MINIATURES * * * * * * *


**Perry Sundquist Dies:
  It was with sadness that we learned of the death on October 27,
1987, of Perry Sundquist of Sacramento, California.  As
Federationists know, Perry at one time served as editor of this
publication.  During the formative years of the NFB he worked
closely with Dr. tenBroek, was a member of the National Board,
and served briefly as President of the Federation.  He was
eighty-three at the time of his death.

**Braille Class:
  The October 16, 1987, Stanley (North Carolina) News and Press
carried the following item:

  The state president of the National Federation of the Blind of
North Carolina comes to Albemarle every Wednesday afternoon to
teach Braille to local blind and/or visually impaired residents
of the community.
  She is Hazel Staley of Charlotte, who
conducts classes at the Senior Center on North Third Street.
  Mrs. Staley started coming to Albemarle last April and
continued through the months of May and June.  Because of summer
vacations, gardening chores, and other activities of her local
students, the classes were suspended during the months of July,
August, and September but were recently resumed.
  So far, Mrs. Staley has taught some six to eight local
residents how to use the Braille system.

**Wallets:
  Dennis Ranker writes: "The West
Virginia Blind Merchants Division is pleased to inform everyone
that, as in past years, we have large quantities of wallets. 
Particular attention is directed to some New York affiliate
members who told us they would be interested in quantity
purchases should we be successful in securing sufficient numbers
to ship.  They are available at $2.00 each plus postage.  To
order or to obtain information, contact Larry Kirby, 7 Maple
Terrace, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, or call (304) 348-0234
during normal Eastern Standard Time working hours."

**New Chapter:
  Dennis Polselli, one of the leaders of the National Federation
of the Blind of Massachusetts, reports that a new chapter came
into being on Saturday, September 12, 1987, at Framingham State
College in Massachusetts.  Many students are part of this
chapter, and plans for a number of projects have already been
made.

**Calendars:
  The American Brotherhood for the Blind provides (at no cost)
Braille calendars to those who want them.  Contact:  American
Brotherhood for the Blind, 18440 Oxnard Street, Tarzana,
California 91356.

**Mature Adults:
  The airlines have repeatedly said that their policy barring
blind persons from exit row seats on airplanes is entirely a
matter of safety with absolutely no overtones of prejudice or
"putdown."  In this connection an item in the November, 1987,
Miscellaneogram, issued by the AAA Travel Agency, is instructive. 
It says:

  "About That Reserved Seat:  Seats
at exits can only be given to MATURE adults (an FAA requirement)
who can evacuate their seats quickly in an emergency, so these
seats cannot be pre- assigned."
  Think about it.  The word "mature" says it all.

**How Good Was The Quality:  Ruth Swensen, President of the
National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, tells us about a
recent performance audit of the Arizona State School for the Deaf
and Blind prepared by the Auditor General of the state of
Arizona.  President Swensen's letter says in part:

  The following item is found on page 40 of the report:
  "Dinner for NAC members ($822)--ASDB's superintendent hosted a
dinner for 33 people, including the spouses of several ASDB
employees, board members, and a NAC team member.  The bill
included $192 for 16 bottles of wine.  The superintendent
justified the expense citing NAC requirements for such events."

  President Swensen's letter provides us with food (or, perhaps,
we should say beverage) for thought.  NAC is fond of speaking of
quality, and certainly we are not against wine; but if our
mathematics is correct, sixteen into $192 means $12 per bottle. 
It depends on how much quality NAC wants.  It's simply a matter
of standards.

**Dies:
  Gwen Rittgers writes: "Diana Aubuchon, who is Secretary of the
Kansas City Chapter of NFB, lost her infant son on October 28,
1987, with meningitis.  He was buried on the 31st.  He was only
nine months old."

**Christian Education Conference:  Edwin Wilson, President of
Christian
Education for the Blind, Inc., asks that we carry the following
announcement:
  "The Christian Life Conference of the Blind convenes in Fort
Worth, Texas, March 26-29, 1988.  The four-day conference event
is hosted by Christian Education for the Blind.  The conference
program consists of seminar and workshop sessions concerning the
blind Christian worker in church and community.  General sessions
will present the ESSENTIALS of Christian life, a concert of
sacred music by blind artists, and an old- fashioned hymn
festival.  Persons who are interested in attending and
participating in the conference may obtain additional information
by contacting Christian Education for the Blind, Inc.,
P. O. Box 6399, Fort Worth, Texas 76115, phone: (817) 923-0603."

**New President:
  At the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Florida, which was held October 9-11, 1987, in Jacksonville,
Marilyn Womble of Homosassa Springs was elected President. 
Stepped-up organizing efforts are now going forward in Florida,
and it would appear that the state affiliate is about to
experience a period of accelerated growth.

**Braille Computer Book Soon:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  "The computer information book entitled "Essential PC-DOS" will
soon be available in Braille to the public.  If you are
interested in purchasing a Braille copy of this book, please
contact Triformation Braille Service, Inc., 3142 S. E. Jay
Street, Stuart, Florida 34997, or call 305-286-8366."

**Elected:
  Lois Nemeth writes:  "The Milwaukee Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin held their annual elections
in September of 1987.  Elected were: President, Bonnie Peterson;
Vice President/Treasurer, Cheryl Orgas; Secretary, Lois Nemeth;
and Board Members are Debbie Jacobson and Mike Hall."

**LS&S:
  We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
  "LS&S Group, Inc. now has its 1987/1988 catalog of over 350
products of specific interest to visually impaired and blind
people--available on voice-indexed cassettes--as well as in
print.
  "Recorded on two C-90 cassettes at 15/16 i.p.s., the catalog is
intended to be used with a two-speed, four-track player--such as
is provided free on loan to eligible persons by the Talking Book
Program of the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped.
  "Tracks one and two contain descriptions of our products.  When
the cassette player is placed in the fast forward mode, tracks
three and four give rapid voice access to the particular device
or category being searched.
  "For a free large print or voice indexed catalog, contact: LS&S
Group, Inc., P. O. Box 673, Northbrook, Illinois 60065, or call
toll-free: (800) 468-4789.  Illinois residents call:  (312)
498-9777."

**Elected:
  Mark Harris writes: "The St. Louis
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind at its October
meeting elected the following officers to serve for 1988:
Margaret Bohley, President; Mark Harris, Vice President; Susan
Ford, Recording Secretary; Janet Dew, Corresponding Secretary;
Charlene Hedgecorth, Treasurer; and John Ford, Board Member at
Large."

**Correction:
  In the December, 1987, issue we ran the following Miniature:

Amtrak, Too:
  Maurice Mines, Federationist from the state of Washington,
recently sent a letter to Amtrak which said in part:

  I boarded your Pacific Coast Starlight on Saturday, August 19,
1987, and received rude, obnoxious, patronizing, and custodial
treatment.  When I boarded, a conductor named Jimmy moved a
family of five because another person on the train and I were
blind.  He insisted I sit on the lower level labeled "Handicapped
Seating."  I tried to go back to the upper level, but he grabbed
me and ordered me to remain in the lower level.  He then yelled
for the family of five to hurry up and get back to the upper
level.  Meanwhile, he interjected with very loud comments such as
"Handicapped seating only!  Give the handicapped a seat!"  I do
hope this does not happen again, either to me or any other blind
person.  Please send me a copy of your handicapped seating
policy.

  The date was August 29, not August 19.

**Back Page:
  Time was when the withdrawal of an agency from NAC made
headlines, but no more.  We learned not long ago that the Hadley
School for the Blind has de- NACed--in short, told NAC that its
accreditation was no longer wanted.  So what's new.
