                       THE BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 42, No. 3                                        April, 1999

                     Barbara Pierce, Editor


      Published in inkprint, in Braille, and on cassette by

              THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                     MARC MAURER, PRESIDENT


                         National Office
                       1800 Johnson Street
                   Baltimore, Maryland  21230
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              Web Page address: http://www.nfb.org



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





ISSN 0006-8829



Vol. 42, No. 3                                        April, 1999
                            Contents

Why Am I a Federationist?

Legislative Agenda and Fact Sheets for 1999
     by James Gashel

Leave the Blind Guy Alone
     by David Milner

The Little Red Rabbit
     by Jeffrey T. Altman

Food and Fun in Atlanta
     by Al Falligan

Gray Pancakes and the Gentleman's Hat
     by Marc Maurer

A Federationist at Work

The Missing Piece
     by Barbara Walker

Finding Her Way
     by Karen Crowe

Let the Medals Jingle
     by Tonia Valletta Trapp

1999 Convention Attractions

Recipes

Monitor Miniatures

       Copyright (c) 1999 National Federation of the Blind




[LEAD PHOTO/CAPTION: Every year in early February Federationists
gather in their hundreds in Washington, D.C., to meet with their
elected representatives about the issues of most pressing concern
to blind citizens. This gathering provides the opportunity as
well for divisions and committees to get together for specialized
seminars and meetings. As usual, the first official meeting of
the 1999 Washington Seminar itself was the 5:00 p.m. briefing on
Sunday, January 31. The meeting was standing-room only again this
year as President Maurer discussed recent events and Jim Gashel
and Kristen Cox discussed legislative details. Pictured above are
the first several rows of the audience and those seated at the
head table.]
                    Why Am I a Federationist?
                           **********
     Each year, usually on the last Saturday of January, the
National Association of Blind Students (NABS) conducts a daylong
seminar for students in conjunction with the National Federation
of the Blind's Washington Seminar. This year was no exception. On
Friday, January 29, high school and college students poured into
Washington from across the country. The party that evening was
great. The division finally resigned itself to the inevitable and
admitted that the party was now just too big to fit into a hotel
suite, so it was moved to a public room where the group had
enough space to spread out and mingle.

     Saturday morning Michael Baillif, an NABS Past President and
now a tax attorney with Davis, Polk, and Wardwell, delivered the
keynote address, which was a highly unusual exercise. Michael
undertook to deliver a thoughtful speech entirely in words of one
syllable.

     The seminar was filled with excellent presentations, but one
of the best was a panel presentation comprised of three students.
Angela Howard is currently a Womens Studies Major at Guilford
College in North Carolina. Mariyam Cementwala is on leave from
the University of California at Berkeley and is a student at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. Eddie Bell is a graduate student
at Louisiana Tech. Their stories were deeply personal and moving.
This is what they said:
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Angela Howard]
                          Angela Howard
                           **********
     A line from Lucille Clifton's poem "Listen":
We have always loved each other, children,
All ways; pass it on. 

     As a child I was loved as a daughter, as a student, and as a
friend; but I was never loved as a blind person. I learned at a
very early age that blindness was not a lovable characteristic.
People told me over and over again how lucky I was that I had at
least some vision--I wasn't completely blind. My parents
repeatedly asked me if I could read that street sign or this
newspaper. It seemed of absolute importance that I could. My
teachers emphasized that I didn't have to use Braille or a cane,
that I could get by without using the things that blind people
found necessary. Through all these interactions I came to
understand that it was not respectable to be blind--that
blindness meant inferiority. I spent a great deal of time
pretending that I could see. But deep down inside I knew that I
was blind, and I had no hope of ever leading a happy life.

     But the blind have our own consciousness which, though we
have been organized since 1940, stretches back to the heart of
every blind person whose life chances were diminished by negative
attitudes. Our history encompasses every blind person who ever
dared to imagine that one day things would be better for the
blind. Since 1940 our consciousness has taken the form of the
organized blind movement, and we have demanded that in all ways
blind people be given the respect and opportunities afforded to
every first-class citizen.

     I had my first taste of organized love at the age of
thirteen when I attended the first children's program at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. The staff at the Center offered
me Federation love when they taught me Braille, showing me that I
could read at competitive speed without headaches or
embarrassment. They offered me Federation love when they put a
long white cane in my hand and forced me to use it so that I
could experience freedom of travel. And they offered me this love
when they challenged me to face the important questions: Why are
you ashamed to use alternative techniques when you know that they
are more efficient? Why don't you think it is respectable to be
blind? In all these ways they offered me the deepest of human
love. They recognized that I was an individual, capable of
freedom and dignity. This was a gift that I had never before
received, and I accepted it gratefully.

     I was overjoyed to learn the good news that blindness did
not have to mean tragedy, dependency, or shame; and I was excited
to spread the good news to the folks at home. I learned very
quickly, however, that some are slower to accept good news than
others. My family still spoke of the ways in which my life would
be limited by my blindness. I began using a cane everywhere I
went, and many of my friends were uncomfortable with this. One
day I asked a friend if she wanted to go to the movies with me
that night. "I don't know," she said. "Are you going to bring
that?" She was pointing at my cane.

     I spent a year in South Carolina when my father was on
sabbatical. For part of that time I attended class with other
blind students. Every day, when it was time for lunch, the
teacher would line us up according to how much sight we had. The
students would hold hands, and those with more sight would lead
the others to the cafeteria. I would have none of this. I'd
already tasted freedom and dignity, and I wasn't about to go
back. So every day the students would hold hands and walk to the
cafeteria, and I would walk by myself with my cane.

     Back in Louisiana my teachers insisted that I use the CCTV
instead of Braille. Concerned by my new radical philosophy, they
asked another teacher who was herself visually handicapped to
explain to me that I needed to accept that there were certain
things I just couldn't do. They weren't talking about driving a
car. They were talking about carrying my own tray in the
cafeteria, managing the crowd in the junior high hallways, and
competing on terms of equality with my sighted peers. These
teachers eventually adopted a more positive philosophy about
blindness, but nevertheless I learned a valuable lesson from my
experiences. I learned that I needed a family of other believers.
I learned that I needed a constant reminder that the organized
blind have always loved me, have always believed in my
capabilities. I learned that I needed the National Federation of
the Blind.

     I'm a Federationist for two reasons. First of all, I need
the Federation. I have called on you many times during my years
as a college student. When I wanted to take part in a three-day
excursion into the wilderness, everyone else told me I was crazy.
You told me that, though I might be crazy for wanting to do it, I
wasn't crazy for believing that I could. I've turned to you for
answers to logistical questions: what is the best way to go about
hiring readers? How did you handle your lab science courses? But,
most important, I've turned to you for those much-needed
reminders that there are others in the world who believe that
blind people can truly live lives of full participation. You have
often reminded me that you too are chipping away at negative
attitudes and that someday the wall will fall.

     I'm a Federationist because I need the Federation, but I am
also a Federationist because the Federation needs me. The
Federation needs each and every one of us. This movement, which
has been growing in strength and number since 1940, will not
survive on its own. It is up to us to continue to carry the torch
of freedom and dignity.

     Last week as a friend and I were walking home from the
swimming pool, I tripped on a flight of stairs and did not walk,
but flew my way to the bottom. We laughed for at least five
minutes, and then she asked me, "Why weren't you using your
cane?" I realized in that moment that I had made a Federationist
out of her. A non-Federationist would never have laughed at a
poor blind person who fell down the stairs. A non-Federationist
would have apologized profusely for not warning me of the
obstacle ahead of time. But my friend did what any good
Federationist would have done in that moment--she made fun of me.

     This is how we are going to make life better for blind
people. It's by changing the attitudes of everyone we come in
contact with. Sometimes we'll do it in little ways, and sometimes
we'll do it in big. But we must continue to do it. We owe it to
ourselves, to those who came before us, and to those who come
after us to continue and always contribute to this movement. This
means using our energies and love to strengthen the bonds among
us. This means to work on our attitudes in our own daily lives.
This means to offer to others the gift of Federation love, which
we have so graciously been given. This means to pass it on.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Mariyam Cementwala]
                       Mariyam Cementwala
                           **********
     Why am I a Federationist? I joined because it seemed to be
the right thing to do. I'll begin by talking about Kantian
ethics, which is based on the premise that you do everything
based on a motive, and if the motive is right, then the deed is
right. When I joined the Federation, I did not follow Kantian
ethics because--I suppose it is time for me to confess--like
several of you--maybe many in this room--I joined the Federation
for what I now think of as all the wrong reasons. But I stayed
around for all the right ones, so the deed is right, but maybe
the motive was wrong.

     Let me tell you how I got involved. I was a scholarship
winner in 1997 at the New Orleans Convention. So of course there
was the money. I got involved for the money. At the New Orleans
convention I met many charming, handsome people, men--yes they
were men. Nathanael [Wales] also got it right--the chocoholics'
bar. I discovered that place on my last night. Otherwise I would
have been a regular there--they would have had to save a seat for
me, maybe a bedroom. As I say, I joined the Federation for all
the wrong reasons, but I stayed for the right ones.

     What attracted me to the Federation was the fact that I saw
people who were comfortable with who they were, who were humble,
and in their own way amazing, but they were amazing not because
they were blind. I came to the Federation because I made many
friends, and they say that your friends are your chosen family.
One friend asked me to come to the California state convention in
1997. So I went hesitantly, trepidatiously, thinking, well, all
right, so I'll go to the state convention, but really what's in
it for me? (At some level aren't we all here because we all
think: Why am I here; what's in it for me?) There were a state
scholarship, interesting people, food, and the glamour of the
Federation. After all, you get to travel places and do things.

     It was fun to meet new students, and it was also kind of
scary because I came from what I would describe as the gray zone,
where you live in the dimness of night and the half light of day.
What is that? People say to you, "You can still see some." But
you realize that you really can't. So you go about your life
pretending in the little things. You see, I had great goals; I
still do. I'm a political science major at Berkeley and an Arabic
minor, and I want to go into middle eastern relations. Those are
great goals, but there are so many little things in life that I
was overlooking. In high school I was a very two-dimensional
person. People saw me as two-dimensional--they saw me as smart
and they saw me as that girl who couldn't see well, who was half
blind. The Federation was the first place where I learned that I
was really blind and that it was okay to be blind.

     I lived in this world of the light and the half light--I
could see during the day and not at night. It was a very strange
and crazy situation because retinitis pigmentosa can be strange.
How do you conduct yourself when you can see part of the time and
not the rest? I was afraid of the little things like going to
dark restaurants. When I go to a restaurant, I must have a
chocolate milk shake, and, of course, I love the fact that these
chocolate milk shakes come in huge glasses, but then you have a
steel pitcher which is filled with another chocolate milk shake,
but you have to pour that pitcher into the glass. And it's dark,
so how do you do it without a spill? Well, the Federation was
really the first place that I asked. I asked a friend, "How do
you do it, and you are totally blind?"

     My friend said, "Well you just kind of feel." My friends
have taught me many things. They taught me how to be a good
traveler. I used to use a short cane, and I thought it was the
best thing on earth. I remember last year, when I had my first
Washington Seminar, Maria Morais said to me, "Mariyam, how can
you walk with that cane!" In a subtle way the Federation changed
me into a person I didn't know I had the potential to become. Now
I use a long white cane and am in the process of learning Braille
and building my speed at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. The
Federation got me involved in training and gave me the desire to
learn blindness skills. That was important.

     But those are changes which mark a greater change in my
personality. Before I met the Federation, I said that I could do
things. But actually doing things and doing them independently is
very rewarding. Without the Federation I would never have gone
alone across the country on a train trip to Vermont, which is
sort of in the middle of nowhere, to learn Arabic for nine weeks
in a very intense and rigorous summer program. I had to bite the
bullet because I didn't have all the blindness skills, so my
grades definitely suffered a bit. But because I had the
confidence actually to pursue something, I realized that things
can be done, that blind people really can live independent,
competent lives. People in the Federation showed me how to live
just by being who they were, being physicists and chemists--when
I thought blind people could never do science--by traveling to
Paris alone on a whim because they felt like it. That was the
really exciting part about being in the Federation.

     Leaders in the Federation teach us many things, and some
leaders in society do too. A good leader teaches you how to
respect him or her. But a great leader teaches you how to respect
yourself. I will close by saying this: all of us go through times
in life when we are in the doldrums. For me it wasn't even about
blindness; it was just about finding out who I was and where I
was going and about realizing that life isn't about just getting
by but about setting higher expectations for myself. I didn't
know what to expect and where to go and what to do and who to go
to.

     People in the Federation did something remarkable for me,
whether they were friends, staff at the Louisiana Center for the
Blind, or people I had just met. When I was going through the
doldrums, they saw in me the potential to be a leader and to
give. By giving me time, advice, support, and instruction, they
taught me that in big ways and small I can give too. They also
taught me by helping me to understand what a remarkable
experience it is to receive the gift of friendship and support
and to give these to somebody else. For these things I am
eternally grateful.

     In March of 1997 I spoke to a group of fifty blind high
school students. I asked a friend what I could say to these kids.
They were students at the California School for the Blind or came
from other schools in California. But either they didn't quite
know that they were blind or they weren't sure what to do about
it. My friend said "Mariyam, they really aren't going to remember
what you say; all they are going to remember is that somebody who
was blind and who was also confident came to talk to them. They
will remember that she told them that things were okay and that
she was doing fine. Their conclusion will be that they can do
fine too." In a small way that is what my Federation friends have
taught me about the Federation. They have taught me how to give,
and I encourage you to do the same because it is deeply
rewarding.

     Back to my beginning point about Kantian ethics. You see, I
joined the NFB for all the wrong reasons, but I'm here today at
my second Washington Seminar for all the right ones. I think what
I've received is the spirit of the Federation. Dr. Maurer put it
well. He said, "Mariyam, the money will come and go, but it's the
spirit that started this organization, and it's the spirit that's
going to keep it alive." That's why I'm here; that's why I am a
Federationist.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Edward Bell]
                           Edward Bell
                           **********
     What is life? Does it simply mean having breath in your body
and a strong heartbeat? Well, maybe, but to most of us it means a
great deal more. It means learning, experiencing, loving, and
finding a purpose in our existence. We all have life, but we
don't all have the same opportunity truly to live.

     I grew up as a pretty normal sighted child. My family lived
in a poor section of Albuquerque, where my father worked in
construction and my mother was a homemaker. My siblings and I did
not have many material possessions, but we had a strong, loving,
happy family. Life was pretty good until I reached age fifteen.
In 1990 my father passed away after a long bout with cancer.
Within a year my family was evicted from the low-income housing
which had been our home. After some disagreements with my mother,
I moved in with my brother, and our family kind of split apart.
It was about this time that life started to seem discouraging and
unpleasant. I began going through the motions of school and work
but not really enjoying life. I started skipping school,
partying, and generally going down the wrong path.

     Then, in 1992, I was shot in a drive-by shooting, which
resulted in total blindness. Knowing nothing about blindness
except the negative stereotypes and misconceptions, I was in
total despair. After leaving the hospital, I returned to my
brother's house and waited to die. It was at this time that I
stopped living altogether and simply continued existing. In 1993
my sister and nephew were in a horrible car accident, and I also
lost several friends to street violence.

     Not knowing what else to do, my mother began researching
available services that might help me adjust to blindness.
Fortunately she found the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. I
attended the training center, where I spent seven months learning
cane travel, Braille, and the necessary skills of blindness. More
important, however, I found the National Federation of the Blind.
Please understand me: I didn't run to this organization with open
arms. I was skeptical and did everything I could to avoid
becoming involved. I had never belonged to other organizations
and saw no reason to begin with a group of blind people.
Nevertheless, I attended my first National Convention in 1993,
but the importance of the National Federation of the Blind did
not strike me until I began attending college and obtained my
first job.

     I had no desire to return to college, but constant support
and encouragement from friends in the National Federation of the
Blind finally convinced me to give it a try. Beginning college
forced me to start facing life again and finding purpose for my
existence. Working for the Louisiana Center for the Blind in 1994
offered me my first opportunity to give back some of the skills,
knowledge, and confidence I had gained. My early successes made
clear to me that none of it would have been possible without the
National Federation of the Blind.

     Let me speak for a moment about vision. When we think of
vision, most of us think of eyesight. What I am thinking about
requires a much broader definition. I am talking about a vision
of life, specifically, that which the NFB has helped me to
regain. When I was a child, I had dreams of joining the military,
raising a family, and acquiring money and status. In the early
1990's, however, I lost this vision and focused only on my
blindness and limitations. Not only had I lost my eyesight, but I
had abandoned my dreams and hopes for the future.

     Slowly but surely I have regained my vision. My eyes are as
blind today as they were six years ago, but I now have the vision
that I had truly missed. This vision began returning only after I
became active in the NFB--attending state and National
Conventions, making new friends, succeeding in college, and
gaining stability in my personal life. These have been the tools
that have assisted me in rebuilding my hopes and dreams for the
future. Because we are blind, we often spend too much time
focusing on eyesight and convincing others that we are capable of
normality. But by investing my time in the efforts of the NFB and
focusing on my own plans, I have begun to regain the vision I was
missing. Like many blind people I thought that only eyesight
could improve my life. I now know that persistence and a wise
investment in the National Federation of the Blind can give you
more vision than any doctor or rehabilitation plan.

     So what is a Federationist, and why am I one? I believe that
a Federationist is someone who has devoted his or her life to the
organization. I do not mean devotion simply because someone else
said it was a good idea but because of witnessing firsthand its
importance. In fact, many Federationists will tell you that they
cannot conceive what their lives would have been like without the
NFB, and I believe them.

     Those of us who call ourselves Federationists with pride
have found a niche in this organization and a common purpose that
we believe is worth working toward. There is no secret
initiation, no key to becoming a Federationist. Most of us have
the capacity to be Federationists even if we don't know it yet.
Everyone who seeks happiness, success, and a place where we fit
and know we belong can find a home in the NFB.

     Why am I a Federationist? Words are inadequate. I can say
that the NFB has truly given me my life back and an even better
one than I thought existed. You may be thinking, "But you're
still blind. How can you think such a thing?" I can say it
because I now have something much more important than eyesight; I
have insight into my own potential and an accurate vision of the
life that I am already acquiring. This realization has motivated
me to dedicate my life to the work of the National Federation of
the Blind and makes me proud to call myself a Federationist.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: James Gashel and Kristen Cox]
           Legislative Agenda and Fact Sheets for 1999
                         by James Gashel
                           **********
     From the Editor: Hundreds of Federationists armed with blue
NFB presentation folders swept through the six Congressional
office buildings for three days beginning Monday, February 1.
They sat down with Senators, Representatives, and members of
their staffs to discuss issues of importance to blind Americans.
Here are the texts of the legislative agenda and the three fact
sheets they delivered and discussed:
                           **********
             LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF BLIND AMERICANS:
        PRIORITIES FOR THE 106TH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
                           **********
     Public policies and laws affecting blind people have a
profound impact throughout our entire society. Most people know
someone who is blind. It may be a friend, a family member, or a
coworker on the job. In fact, as many as fifty thousand Americans
become blind each year, and the blind population in the United
States is estimated to exceed 700,000. By themselves these
numbers may not seem large, but the social and economic
consequences of blindness directly touch the lives of millions
and, at least indirectly, have some impact on everyone.

     Public policies and laws that result from misconceptions or
lack of information about blindness are often more limiting than
the loss of eyesight itself. This is why we have formed the
National Federation of the Blind. The Federation's leaders and
the vast majority of its members are blind, but anyone is welcome
to join in the effort we are making to win understanding and
equality in society.

     Our priorities for the first session of the 106th Congress
reflect an urgent need for action in three specific areas of
vital importance to the blind this year.
                           **********
     (1) Congress should reinstate the policy of an identical
earnings exemption threshold for blind and senior citizen
beneficiaries under title II of the Social Security Act. This
proposal seeks to reduce (or eliminate altogether) the work
disincentive of the Social Security earnings limit as it now
affects blind beneficiaries. In spite of a 1977 law to maintain
the same earnings exemption threshold for blind people and age-
sixty-five retirees, a decision was made to exclude the blind
when the threshold was raised for seniors in 1996. This means
that a lower blind persons' earnings limit of $13,320 is now in
effect as compared to $15,500 for seniors. By 2002, when the
seniors' exemption becomes $30,000, the blind persons' lower
limit will be less than half that amount unless the law is
changed.

     People of working age who are blind must not be forgotten as
Congress considers further changes in the earnings limit or the
elimination of the limit altogether. Just as with hundreds of
thousands of seniors, the positive response of blind people to
higher earnings exemptions will bring additional revenues into
the Social Security trust funds. The chance to work, earn, and
pay taxes is a constructive and valid goal for senior citizens
and blind Americans alike. For more details and an explanation of
the need for this legislation, see the fact sheet entitled
"Winning the chance to earn and pay taxes: How the blind person's
earnings limit in the Social Security Act must be changed."
                           **********
     (2) Congress should amend the Copyright Act to require the
deposit of a nonvisual, electronic format edition of any
publication submitted to the Library of Congress for
registration. This proposal seeks to create a workable and cost-
effective means for publishers to support the efficient
conversion of printed matter for nonvisual use. For blind people,
the inability to read standard printed text can severely limit
both the quantity and type of information available. Of the
62,000 books published each year, less than 4 percent are
reproduced in accessible formats for the blind, largely because
of the difficulty and expense of converting printed matter into
electronic text suitable for nonvisual use.

     The proposal would reduce the work and cost involved in
making this conversion. Section 407(a) of the Copyright Act
requires two copies of the "best edition" of a work to be
submitted to complete copyright registration. The proposed
amendment would add the condition that an electronic version,
prepared in accordance with standards prescribed by the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the
Library of Congress, must also be submitted. Also, since
authorized nonprofit or governmental entities have the right to
reproduce published works as specified in section 121 of the
Copyright Act, the amendment would provide access for such
entities to obtain copies of electronic works submitted to the
Library of Congress.

     In an age in which timely access to information is more
crucial than ever before, amendments to the Copyright Act could
help the blind by putting a process in place for the prompt
conversion of published works into specialized nonvisual media
and by supporting that process with a workable, logical, and
cost-effective approach. For more details and an explanation of
the need for this legislation, see the fact sheet entitled
"Access to information for blind persons: How copyright
amendments can help."
                           **********
     (3) Congress should promote literacy among the blind through
efforts to expand the national telephone-access NEWSLINE(R)
network. In 1931 Congress created a national Books for the Blind
program. This program, administered by the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the
Library of Congress, is the principal source of books and
magazines for blind adults. Due to the time required for
reproduction of Braille or audio editions, however, reading
matter that is time-sensitive (such as daily newspapers) is
excluded from the NLS service.

     Now there is NEWSLINE for the Blind(R). This is a service
which uses modern telecommunications technology to bring
newspapers directly to blind readers at the time that the print
publication is released. With NEWSLINE(R)--and a touch-tone
telephone to access the service--blind persons can select
articles from local or national newspapers and listen to the
information in full-word synthetic speech. NEWSLINE(R) started in
1994 with a pilot demonstration site in the Washington/Baltimore
area. Since that time the network has expanded to serve forty-
eight communities in twenty-two states. However, the need to
bring this service into states and communities not being served
is substantial. With the help of members of Congress blind people
in each state and Congressional district could have access to the
necessary information found in newspapers. For more details on
this service and the help which every member of Congress can
provide to build the NEWSLINE(R) network, see the fact sheet
entitled, "Technology and Literacy: Reaching the Blind in the
Information Age."
                           **********
     Blind people are asking for your help to address the
priority issues described in our current agenda. By acting on
these priorities in partnership with the National Federation of
the Blind, each member of Congress can help build better lives
for the blind both today and in the years ahead.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: The Honorable Robert Ehrlich stands in the
Conference Room at the National Center for the Blind immediately
before a press conference announcing his intention to introduce
legislation re-establishing linkage. Mary Ellen Jernigan and
Barry Hond can be seen in the picture.]
                           FACT SHEET
                           **********
            WINNING THE CHANCE TO EARN AND PAY TAXES
                           **********
          HOW THE BLIND PERSON'S EARNINGS LIMIT IN THE
               SOCIAL SECURITY ACT MUST BE CHANGED
                           **********
Proposed Legislation--Short Title: "The Blind Persons' Earnings
Equity Act"
                           **********
Purpose: To restore the linkage between the earnings exemption
threshold for blind persons and the exemption allowed for
retirees at age sixty-five under title II of the Social Security
Act
                           **********
Background: As the result of a 1996 law to raise the debt limit,
senior citizens age sixty-five to seventy are encouraged to
continue working while retaining entitlement to Social Security
benefits. This is being done by annual changes in the exempt
earnings threshold, which is $15,500 in 1999 and will increase to
$30,000 by the year 2002. In making the case for this change,
advocates in Congress explained that more senior citizens would
have the opportunity to work, earn, and pay taxes, since they
would not lose income from Social Security by working.

     In spite of a law passed in 1977 to establish the earnings
exemption threshold for blind people at the exempt amount used
for seniors, a decision was made in 1996 to exclude the blind
from the higher exemptions. This means that a lower earnings
limit of $13,320 for blind people, as compared to $15,500 for
seniors, is now in effect for earnings in 1999. By 2002, when the
exemption for seniors becomes $30,000, the lower limit for the
blind is expected to be approximately $14,800.

     Earnings of this amount for a blind person who is age sixty-
four will cause the complete loss of Social Security benefits
until the individual becomes a retiree at age sixty-five. At that
point the same individual is allowed to earn more than twice the
amount allowed for the blind. This is the inequity that now
exists.
                           **********
Existing Law: Section 216(i) of the Social Security Act defines
"blindness." Therefore, blindness--as with age--can be determined
with reasonable certainty. By contrast, "disability" is not
precisely defined and is determined on the basis of "inability to
engage in substantial gainful activity." Compared to evaluating
blindness, this is a complex and fairly subjective determination
in many cases.

     Although blindness is precisely defined, monthly benefits
are not paid to all persons who are blind but only to those whose
earnings (if any) are below the annually adjusted limit. Personal
wealth not resulting from current work activity does not count as
earnings and has no effect on eligibility. Only work is
penalized. It was the recognition of this fact that led to the
greater exemption of earnings now allowed for seniors, and the
situation for blind people is precisely the same.
                           **********
Action Requested: Congress should reinstate the policy of an
identical earnings exemption threshold for blind and senior
citizen beneficiaries under title II of the Social Security Act.
Legislation to achieve this objective has been re-introduced in
the House of Representatives and the Senate during the 106th
Congress. Although similar bills did not advance beyond
introduction in the 105th Congress, an impressive list of
cosponsors indicates that substantial, bipartisan support exists
in both the House and the Senate.

     The National Federation of the Blind strongly supports this
legislation. By creating a lower earnings limit for the blind,
the action in the 104th Congress has resulted in a harsh work
disincentive policy which is widely regarded as an inequity
created in the rush to pass the 1996 debt-ceiling bill.
                           **********
Need to Remove Work Disincentives: Mandating the adjustments in
the earnings limit for blind people in the manner now allowed for
age-sixty-five retirees will provide more than 100,000 blind
beneficiaries with a powerful work incentive. Most blind people
could then not lose financially by working. Moreover, the
mandated earnings limit changes would be cost-beneficial since
among those of working age most blind people are already
beneficiaries. At present their earnings must not exceed a strict
limit of $1,110 per month. When earnings exceed this exempt
amount, the entire sum paid to a primary beneficiary and
dependents is abruptly withdrawn after a trial work period.

     When a blind person finds work, there is absolutely no
assurance that earnings will replace the amount of lost
disability benefits after taxes and work expenses are paid.
Usually they do not. Therefore few beneficiaries can actually
afford to attempt substantial work. Those who do will often
sacrifice income and will certainly sacrifice the security they
have from the automatic receipt of a monthly check.

     This group of beneficiaries--people of working age who are
blind--must not be forgotten now that the earnings exemption has
been raised for seniors. Just as with hundreds of thousands of
seniors, the positive response of blind people to the higher
earnings exemptions will bring additional revenues into the
Social Security trust funds. The chance to work, earn, and pay
taxes is a constructive and valid goal for senior citizens and
blind Americans alike.
                           **********
                           **********
                           FACT SHEET

            ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR BLIND PERSONS:
               HOW COPYRIGHT AMENDMENTS COULD HELP
                           **********
Background: For blind people the inability to read standard
printed text can severely limit both the quantity and type of
information available. This is due in large part to forces of the
marketplace which favor mass production of printed matter to
reach sighted people who will buy it and use it. Simply put,
publishers do not consider formats other than standard print to
be cost-effective since Braille or audio formats are expensive
and complex to reproduce.

     Therefore the conversion of reading matter into Braille or
other usable formats for the blind is done by nonprofit or
governmental entities as a public service in virtually every
instance. While recent changes in the Copyright Act now allow
these entities to convert information without permission from the
publisher, performing the work involved is still lengthy,
expensive, and cumbersome. This is so because producing a
specialized-format version from the printed text of the
publication involves a labor-intensive process of scanning or
manual input of the original information. As a consequence the
quantity of printed matter so converted for use by blind people
will continue to be quite small until a means to maximize the use
of nonprofit or governmental resources is devised.
                           **********
Existing Law: Section 121 of the Copyright Act limits the
exclusive rights of copyright owners by allowing "authorized
entities" to reproduce and distribute non-dramatic literary works
in "specialized formats" for the exclusive use of blind or
disabled persons who qualify for services through a national
program supported by the Library of Congress. The term
"authorized entities" includes nonprofit or governmental agencies
that have a primary mission to provide specialized services
relating to training, education, adaptive reading, or information
access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities.
"Specialized formats," which can be reproduced under this
section, include Braille, audio, or digitized text used for
exclusive distribution to blind or disabled persons.

     This right to republish text in specialized formats resulted
from a 1996 amendment to the Copyright Act which swept away the
prohibition on converting printed works into Braille or audio
versions without the publishers' consent. The change has helped,
since obtaining permission--as required by prior law--led to
needless and time-consuming delays in the production of books for
the blind. The delays which remain could be reduced even further,
or virtually eliminated, with the use of modern-day electronic
communications methods. Significant improvements in publishing
for people who are blind will not occur, however, unless the
effort is supported by further changes in the Copyright Act.
                           **********
Proposed Legislation: Congress should amend the Copyright Act to
require the deposit of a nonvisual, electronic-format edition of
any publication submitted to the Library of Congress for
registration. This proposal seeks to create a workable and cost-
effective means for publishers to support the efficient
conversion of printed matter for nonvisual use. Registration, as
now performed under section 407(a) of the Copyright Act, is
handled by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress and
presently requires two copies of the "best edition" of a work to
be submitted to complete the copyright registration. The proposed
amendment would add the condition that an electronic version--
prepared in accordance with standards prescribed by the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the
Library of Congress--must also be submitted in order for the
registration of the copyright to be complete.

     Also section 407(b) of the Copyright Act specifies that the
copies required for registration "shall be deposited in the
Copyright Office for the use or disposition of the Library of
Congress. Therefore, in order to support the efforts of
"authorized entities" under section 121 of the Act for
reproduction of published works in specialized formats, the
proposed amendment would require the Library of Congress to
provide such entities with access to the published versions of
electronic text. The electronic text would also be immediately
available for use by the National Library Service for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress for
convenient and cost-effective use in its book production process.
Need for Legislation: In passing the 1996 amendments creating a
right to republish in specialized formats, Congress acknowledged
the barriers for the blind in obtaining access to literary works
intended for mass distribution. In light of this the proposed
amendments are the next logical step to take toward a
comprehensive, national solution. At present fourteen states have
already enacted laws to require publishers to supply electronic
versions of textbooks sold to school districts. However, these
provisions are largely not effective because no single national
standard or process exists for depositing or retrieving the
electronic text files.

     In contrast to sighted people, who are able to purchase a
plethora of reading matter from readily available commercial
sources, blind people have tax-supported, specialized libraries
as virtually their only source of published literature.
Consequently, even though approximately 62,000 new books are
published in the English language each year, fewer than 4 percent
are reproduced for use by the blind. Moreover, much of that which
is reproduced becomes available for blind people long after its
general circulation in print.

     For blind people this means that information of value for
learning, work, and social integration may not be available when
the need exists. In a society whose members increasingly depend
upon access to information for successful living, blind people
cannot afford to endure a growing gap in access to knowledge.
Amendments to the Copyright Act could help, however, by putting a
process in place for the prompt conversion of published works
into specialized, nonvisual media and by supporting that process
with amendments to the Copyright Act for a workable, logical, and
cost-effective approach.
                           **********
                           **********
                           FACT SHEET
                           **********
                     TECHNOLOGY AND LITERACY
            REACHING THE BLIND IN THE INFORMATION AGE
                           **********
Background: In 1931, with the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act,
Congress created a national "Books for the Blind" program and
placed it within the Library of Congress. Before that time the
efforts to provide reading matter to the blind were scarce and
scattered throughout the country, and a coordinated approach to
transcribing books into Braille did not exist.

     Today, after sixty-four years of operation, the program
known as the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped (NLS) has been an unqualified success,
demonstrating the wisdom of national coordination in the
specialized transcription of books and magazines on behalf of
blind people. In fact, the NLS is the principal resource used to
provide Braille and recorded reading matter through cooperation
with state and local libraries throughout the United States.
                           **********
Current Constraints: With an annual appropriation of $46,824,000
for fiscal year 1999, the NLS program can only pay for
approximately 2,405 books and 72 popular magazines to be
reproduced in Braille or recorded audio versions. This means that
newspapers, which are read and discarded by sighted people often
within a day or two of publication, cannot be reproduced.

     For example, using current production methods, the
publication of even a single daily newspaper for distribution in
Braille would require several weeks for preparation and delivery.
Therefore reading matter that is time-sensitive (such as daily
newspapers and most magazines) is excluded from the NLS service.
                           **********
Inventing NEWSLINE(R): Based on the lessons learned from national
coordination as demonstrated in the success of the NLS program, a
service for the rapid distribution of electronic text within
minutes of its publication--NEWSLINE(R)--has been developed by
the National Federation of the Blind. With NEWSLINE(R) blind
persons can select articles from seven national newspapers and
listen to the information in full-word synthetic speech presented
on the telephone.

     The national papers include USA Today, the Chicago Tribune,
the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times,
the Wall Street Journal, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. Papers
of local interest and other information provided on special
channels can also be received on the phone.

     With the touch-tone keypad, the voice presentation can be
individually altered in speed, pitch, and tone quality. For
security purposes each blind or physically disabled person
eligible for the service is issued both a six-digit personal
identification number and a four-digit security code. Once
admitted to the system, the reader can use the touch-tone keypad
to select a newspaper or other information found on the menu.
Combinations of numbers on the phone can then be pressed to move
quickly from section to section within a paper and from article
to article within a section.

     These interactive features allow the reader to find items of
interest quickly without having to listen to the entire text. If
the user has questions regarding any of the keypad's functions,
an on-line help feature is also included.
                           **********
Building the Network: From a pilot site set up in 1994 to provide
USA Today to blind readers in the Washington/Baltimore area,
NEWSLINE(R) is growing into a national network with local service
sites now in place from New York City to Los Angeles, California,
and from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to San Antonio, Texas. At
present the network reaches blind people in forty-eight local
communities located in twenty-two states.

     The network command center is located in Baltimore,
Maryland. This center receives, processes, and redistributes
electronic text by using the Internet, by satellite link, or by
modem-to-modem transfer of files supplied every day by all
national or local cooperating news organizations. The papers
selected by each local dial-in site are distributed to the site
electronically and are available to callers early in the morning
of publication. The process for receiving the news text and
converting it into a format compatible for NEWSLINE(R) is
completely automated. In fact, the entire transfer of text from
the cooperating news organization to each blind or disabled
reader's telephone is entirely electronic and does not require
human intervention. The news is simply there when the caller
dials in.
                           **********
How Members of Congress Can Help:
                           **********
     (1) Support efforts to bring the NEWSLINE(R) technology into
every state and every Congressional district; and

     (2) Join with the National Federation of the Blind in
promoting the use of NEWSLINE(R) among blind and visually
impaired constituents of all ages who may be eligible for this
service.

     With present funding provided through a variety of state,
local, and private sources, there is still great potential for
the NEWSLINE(R) network to grow. Fewer than half the states are
served. However, with the acquisition of funds to support the
cost of a local dial-in site--approximately $50,000 in first-year
costs to establish and operate the site--any community can join
the growing NEWSLINE(R) network almost immediately. Once in
place, NEWSLINE(R) can be continued from year to year and can
reach thousands of people at a minimal annual cost.

     In the approximately 215 Congressional districts in the
twenty-two states now served by NEWSLINE(R), members of Congress
can help by spreading the word of this service among potentially
eligible constituents. And in areas not now served efforts to
acquire the necessary funding must be made. When this is done,
blind people will have equal access to timely information--
including the daily newspaper--through a twenty-first century
communications network available throughout the United States.
                           **********
                           **********
                           **********
                           **********
     Have you considered leaving a gift to the National
Federation of the Blind in your will? By preparing a will now,
you can assure that those administering your estate will avoid
unnecessary delays, legal complications, and substantial tax
costs. A will is a common device used to leave a substantial gift
to charity. A gift in your will to the NFB can be of any size and
will be used to help blind people. Here are some useful hints in
preparing your will:
     * Make a list of everything you want to leave (your estate).
     * Decide how and to whom you want to leave these assets.
     * Consult an attorney (one you know or one we can help you
find).
     * Make certain you thoroughly understand your will before
you sign it.
                           **********
     For more information contact the National Federation of the
Blind, Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland
21230-4998, (410) 659-9314, fax (410) 685-5653.
                           **********
                           **********
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: David Milner]
                    Leave the Blind Guy Alone
                         by David Milner
                           **********
     From the Editor: David Milner is a Federationist who lives
in Austin, Texas. In the following article he tells an all too
familiar story with an encouraging new twist. This is what he
says:
                           **********
     On October 12, 1998, Buddy Brannan and I were going home
after a visit to Buddy's workplace, where I had just finished
applying for a job. Once we had gotten off the DART train, we
made our way to the bus stop for the final leg of the trip to
Buddy's apartment. Neither of us was expecting anything unusual.

     We noticed that the bus we needed to take was already parked
at its stop with the doors closed. We approached the bus, ready
to get on. First the driver opened the doors, but when Buddy and
his dog guide Karl attempted to board, the driver said no pets
were allowed on the bus and closed the bus doors, hitting Karl in
the process. When the bus driver saw that we weren't going away,
he opened the doors again and Buddy and I climbed aboard.

     As we sat down, the driver again said that Buddy couldn't
bring Karl onto the bus, and Buddy informed the bus driver that
he was wrong since Karl was a dog guide. At the same time I also
told the driver that Karl was a dog guide, thinking that this
worthy might for some reason be under the impression that Karl
was a pet, even though Karl was in harness. I felt sure that,
once the bus driver made the connection, Buddy would be left
alone, and we would all be on our way.

     Unfortunately, this individual did not seem to know about
the rights of dog guide users in the United States. He got up
from his driver's seat and again demanded that Buddy and Karl get
off the bus, informing us that the bus would not move until Karl
was gone. To this Buddy said, "Well, looks like we'll be here a
while." I've ridden city busses in several cities for twenty
years, and this was the first time I had ever seen a bus driver
refuse service to a dog guide user. I was honestly stunned by
this driver's lack of comprehension of state and federal law.

     I was also beginning to worry a bit. The bus should already
have left the train station, and our fellow passengers were
beginning to get restless, wanting the bus to get moving. I knew
about the times blind people have had to brave the abuse of
travelers in crowded busses and aircraft while asserting their
humanity and defending their rights. Would we be arrested,
dragged from the bus like criminals? I didn't know. The one thing
I was sure of, however, was that neither Buddy nor I was leaving
the bus until it arrived at our stop.

     Perhaps the driver sensed the mood of the crowd because he
appealed to them, asking if they weren't afraid of Karl. He was
surprised, I believe, to find that his assessment of his
passengers was incorrect. Some of them laughed at the bus driver,
and others made disdainful noises. Their reaction was best summed
up by one passenger who said, "No! We ain't scared of him! That
dog just looks like he wants to go to sleep!"

     The driver told Buddy that, if he didn't leave the bus, the
driver would have to get a transit policeman to remove him. I
informed the driver that Karl was allowed to go anywhere Buddy
went, according to federal law. Buddy said, "Go get the
policeman, then." The bus driver was gone for about five minutes.
During that time the comments from the crowd ran the gamut from
"That driver can't do that" to "He should just get in that seat
and drive this bus."

     The Park Lane DART light rail station has no shortage of
Dallas transit police officers, so it was puzzling to Buddy and
me that it took so long for the bus driver to locate an officer.
We speculated later that the driver had probably gone from one
officer to another until he found one who would back his demand
that Buddy and Karl leave the bus.

     The bus driver returned with an officer in tow who wanted
Buddy and Karl to get off the bus. Buddy said that he had the
right to ride the bus with his dog guide. As I had done with the
driver, I informed the transit officer that Buddy was within his
rights under the law to take Karl with him on the bus.

     By this time something like a siege had developed. The bus
driver and transit officer were receiving light jeering from the
other passengers, who were making comments such as "Leave the
blind guy alone, and let's go!" and "He can ride this bus with
that dog!" The mood was beginning to become unpleasant.

     The transit officer consulted his supervisor by radio; and,
not surprisingly, the supervisor confirmed that dog guides were
indeed allowed on DART busses. The bus driver had heard the radio
message, and the officer told him to proceed with his route. Then
the transit officer turned on the bus passengers, warning them
against interfering with transit personnel. The bus left the
train station with Buddy, Karl, and me on board, and the rest of
our trip home was without incident.

     Buddy and I analyzed the incident at the train station once
we had returned to his apartment. I observed that I was impressed
with the way our fellow passengers had come to the defense of
Buddy and his rights as a dog guide user.

     Later that evening we were saddened to hear that Dr.
Jernigan had just died. As I'm sure other blind people around the
world did once they received the news, Buddy and I talked of the
positive influence Dr. Jernigan had had on the overall condition
of blind people. The very day of his death was indicative of his
impact in several ways. Before Dr. Jernigan's participation in
the National Federation of the Blind, gainful employment and
heading one's own household were only a dream for most blind
people. Most of us would not have thought of moving from city to
city by ourselves or applying for and getting jobs in mainstream
industries.

     What struck me as most significant, however, was the way the
man in the street has become more and more aware of the
capabilities and rights of the blind. Much has been said about
the world today, changed by the Federation, which in turn Dr.
Jernigan cared for and strengthened through many years of
struggle. In the end, however, for me the measure of his impact
came down to the day of his death, when a crowd of people on a
city bus defended the rights of a blind man. These weren't
members of the NFB or advocates for the blind--simply ordinary
people who knew the law and weren't about to see it ignored, even
if it meant that they themselves were inconvenienced.

     The most enduring social change is that which is recognized
and championed by the people themselves. Dr. Jernigan's tireless
work in nurturing the National Federation of the Blind has
enabled the message of the humanity of blind people to be heard
and understood by those who would otherwise have been unaware of
it. Among everyday people ignorance and superstition concerning
the blind are fading away. They are being replaced by a growing
willingness to welcome us into society as equals. This basic
social evolution is, in my view, Dr. Jernigan's most enduring
legacy.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Jeff and Deb Altman with their daughter Jenna]
                      The Little Red Rabbit
                      by Jeffrey T. Altman
                           **********
     From the Editor: As long as human beings continue to live
and think and interact with others, we can expect to change. Our
willingness to accept the new and our success in responding
constructively to it determine in large part whether the changes
result in growth or decay in our personalities. Jeff Altman, a
Nebraska Federationist, has been looking back over his life as a
blind person. His evolution from an insecure young man dependent
on his remaining vision to a confident, contented cane-travel
teacher is instructive and reassuring. This is what he says:
                           **********
     With the recent passing of Dr. Jernigan, I found myself
reflecting on my own experience with blindness. My transition
into blindness began only a few months after my high school
graduation when I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. The
plans and dreams I had held up to that point seemed like the
broken pieces of a bombed-out building. I sat shell-shocked for
nearly a year wondering what would become of me and wanting it
all to have been a simple mistake or a bad dream.

     I soon realized that sitting at home doing nothing could not
continue, and my parents and I contacted the office for the
visually handicapped. It took a while, but in the fall of 1977 I
entered the training program for the blind located near
Pittsburgh and began what I had been told was the best training
available anywhere for blind people.

     Of course, I wasn't really blind--not yet anyway. Oh sure,
the doctor said I was legally blind, but I could still see to get
around and do almost anything I wanted to do. Maybe with the
right low-vision device I could even drive a car, at least for a
while. This was what I firmly believed. You can imagine my shock
when on the first day at the training center I was told that I
could not even walk outside without using a sighted guide. I was
told that I could not go anywhere until the orientation and
mobility (O and M) instructor had given clearance for me to
travel, and if I went beyond the limits he set for me, I could be
thrown out of the program. I was young, and I listened, but still
something about this seemed very wrong.

     Over the next few days I met my O and M instructor, and he
began evaluating my ability to travel using my vision in the
daylight. He agreed with me that I could travel just fine, and he
even showed me a few techniques that would help me use my vision
a little better. Just when I was getting to like the O and M
stuff, he told me that he wanted to do a nighttime evaluation. I
did not consider this to be a big deal. Sure, it was a little
harder to travel at night, but I didn't think it was all that
much of a problem. After all I really wasn't blind--not yet
anyway.

     I was about to get my next big shock in the form of a
mobility cane. My instructor told me that I would need to have a
cane to travel safely at night, but for now we would work mainly
on developing my ability to travel using my remaining vision.

     The next week I was introduced to two new things: the
mobility cane, which was silver, and my instructor's little red
Volkswagen Rabbit. I began learning to walk in step with the
cane, and the Rabbit became my means of transportation to almost
every place I went to learn about traveling with my remaining
vision. It also became the counseling office in which I learned
almost everything I should believe about blindness and safe
travel. My instructor was teaching me important skills, I enjoyed
talking with him, and I listened.

     Soon I was traveling all over the Pittsburgh area, and I was
enjoying it. Even on those occasions when I was under the
sleepshades learning to travel with the cane, I was having a good
time.

     This was a skill that came naturally to me, and my
confidence grew with each lesson. The little red Rabbit became a
central part of my life; it even followed the buses that I rode
on during my longer independent routes. It had become something
of a friend, a safe, comfortable place to sit down for the ride
back to the center. I could relax after a stressful lesson and
talk about how independent I was becoming.

     One day in the middle of my training my instructor asked me
to go get my cane and meet him at his car. When I approached the
little red Rabbit, he was already inside and listening to
something on the radio. I did not pay any attention to the person
speaking as I climbed in, but my instructor was reacting very
strongly to the commentary. He shut off the radio and announced
in an angry tone, "He's a lunatic! What an idiot!" I was taken
aback by this behavior. I asked who he was talking about, and he
said, "Kenneth Jernigan."

     I asked, "Who is he, and what was he saying that is so
crazy?" My instructor's voice shifted into its normal,
professional, matter-of-fact tone, and he said, "He is the leader
of a radical organization of blind people called the National
Federation of the Blind, and he thinks that blind people should
be O and M instructors." I felt a spark inside. I loved to travel
with the cane, and the thought of teaching others how to do this
excited me as nothing else had since I became blind. I said,
"That sounds like a great idea to me!" I was quickly corrected
and told that it was neither safe nor effective for a blind
person to teach mobility. "After all, there are some things that
a blind person simply cannot do." These words brought sadness to
me, not unlike the sadness I had felt nearly a year earlier when
the reality of my blindness had begun to sink in. I believed in
this man's knowledge and skill. He had taught me how to use the
cane and helped me to rebuild my confidence, so I listened.

     Some weeks later I was once again riding in the little red
Rabbit, returning from a nighttime route. My instructor told me
that my training was coming to a conclusion, but he added that as
my vision grew worse I would need to return for further training.
My confidence was shaken by this statement, and I asked why he
thought this was necessary. He explained that I was doing very
well with the skills I had learned, combined with my remaining
vision, but these skills would not meet my needs as my vision
became worse. He also said that I might need to have an O and M
instructor show me around new places, such as a college campus.
Yes, I listened once again, but I felt my body stiffen, and I
pushed back uncomfortably against the car seat.

     I returned to my dorm room at the center that night filled
with confusion and some anger. The problem was that I didn't know
whom to be angry with. Should I be angry with my instructor for
leaving me in a state of continued dependency or myself for not
fighting back.

     Despite what had just happened, I had come to respect this
man greatly. He had been right about so much of what I was
experiencing, and I was convinced that his training as an O and M
instructor made him far more knowledgeable about blindness than I
was at this point in my life. Even so I felt something was wrong
with the way the training had been provided to me. My parents had
always taught me to believe in the value of learning and to
believe that any good learning experience provided skills to
build upon to deal independently with future changes.

     I resolved after much thought to make certain that, if at
all possible, I would never have to call upon the assistance of
another O and M instructor. I was determined to solve any future
problems for myself, and I did not intend to be quite so open in
future to others' giving me advice about my blindness. I also
left the training center still very dependent upon my vision, and
I continued to make one serious mistake. I planned my future
around my current level of vision. Each time it changed, I
struggled until I found some alternative that would meet my
current needs. This pattern became a critical factor in my life
and the cornerstone of perhaps the most difficult lesson I have
had to learn.

     I went to college, and my remaining vision, my limited
blindness skills, and my own determination, along with my
parents' pushing me to succeed, carried me through rather well. I
discovered that I had a strong interest in the social sciences,
and after college I began looking for work in this area. I
applied in many places, but I was certain at the time that the
public's attitudes and, to a lesser degree, my lack of experience
left me out of luck. Finally I applied at a group home serving
developmentally disabled adults and was told that I did not have
the experience necessary for the position.

     However, during the interviewing process I learned that one
of their clients was blind and in need of developing better
personal skills. I decided to beat them at their own game and
volunteered to work with this fellow. I worked with him on some
alternative techniques for dialing the telephone. As it turned
out, he also needed to learn how to travel to the other group
homes located in the apartment complex. I decided that, since
this was a relatively safe environment with little or no traffic,
I would try my hand working with him.

     The words my former O and M instructor had said years before
were still ringing in my head, and since the client I was
planning to work with needed a new cane, I called him and talked
it over. He was very hesitant, but as I described the conditions
in which we would be working, he seemed a little more
comfortable. He asked me how my vision was now, and I told him
that it had not changed to any great degree. He seemed much more
relaxed about the situation based on this information, and he
agreed that, as long as I did not take the client anywhere near
traffic, it would probably be okay.

     I truly enjoyed teaching this client the routes and helping
him to improve his cane skills. The supervisors of the group home
often told me that they were impressed with the work I was doing.
Within a couple of months a position opened at this organization,
and with confidence I applied. No, this story does not have a
happy ending. I was told that, since I could not drive, I was not
qualified for the job, even though there would be another
counselor on duty who could handle the driving. This was before
the days of reasonable accommodation. I called a college friend
who was looking for work and could drive. Because I knew he had
less experience than I did in this area, the organization's
response to his application would resolve my suspicions about the
real reason for my having been passed over for the position. He
applied and got the job, and I decided to move on.

     A few months later I heard about a program in Arkansas that
trained blind people to work for the Internal Revenue Service. It
sounded like something I would not particularly enjoy doing, but
it also promised a very high potential for employment. Of course
I went for the opportunity. I did very well in the training, but
once I got to the job, my declining vision and lack of
alternative skills soon caught up with me. After one year I was
again unemployed. At this point my self-esteem was at the lowest
level it had ever been. It was nearly four years before I found
employment again, but this experience had many important benefits
for me.

     My experience at the training center in Arkansas taught me
that the treatment I received and their treatment of other blind
people attending the facility were terribly wrong. It was now
very clear to me that as people we deserved the same respect as
those with vision. I met some people from the National Federation
of the Blind, and although I wasn't ready to accept fully what
they had to say, at least they didn't appear to be the crazy
monsters that I had been led to expect.

     I made some good friends, and I also met some folks who were
being trained to work as O and M instructors in other countries.
The fact that these folks were training to become O and M
instructors was not in and of itself surprising to me, but the
fact that they were blind was something of a shock. From my work
experience I learned that I could not afford to continue trying
to reach my goals without learning better alternative techniques
and that it is very foolish to seek employment in a field you do
not enjoy.

     All of these pieces began to come together in 1988. A letter
from a friend I made in Arkansas informed me of a job opening in
eastern Pennsylvania for an O and M instructor. Incredibly, the
employer was looking specifically for a blind person to do the
job. I called the number, and the next week I was flying to
Philadelphia for an interview. I was told that I had the job as
long as I could obtain some form of certification that would be
acceptable to the agency's insurance company. I had to find a
school that could and would give me this training. My state
counselor and I looked at several programs, including the one in
Arkansas, but they said that they would never train and certify a
blind instructor to work in the United States. Finally we settled
on the one in Nebraska because it was conducted by a state
agency, which meant the insurance company would gladly accept its
certification.

     Everything seemed fine until I started the program. They
expected me to wear sleepshades eight hours a day, five days a
week. They expected me to learn to work with dangerous power
tools. They didn't use the same kind of cane that I had been
using for years, and their approach to teaching the skills was
very different from the methods used when I learned to travel.
Even worse, I learned that they embraced much of the philosophy
of the National Federation of the Blind. For several years I had
been involved with another national organization of blind people,
but the only philosophical information I received from this
experience reinforced what I had learned during my earlier
training in Pittsburgh and a number of stories regarding
everything that was supposed to be wrong with the National
Federation of the Blind. I was certain I had made the mistake of
a lifetime, but I really wanted this job. I decided that I better
take the risk and commit myself to the program.

     I did not give up my beliefs easily. And given my previous
experience, this time I wasn't as open to listening. Soon I
received a warning from Dr. Nyman, the agency director, and
Richard Mettler, who handled staff development for the agency,
that I was going to return to Pennsylvania without certification
if I didn't learn to shut up and listen. Given this good advice,
I became a much better listener.

     Among the things I began to listen to were the writings of
Dr. Jernigan and other members of the National Federation of the
Blind. While I didn't exactly accept this message with open arms,
I was finding it more and more difficult to argue against the
Federation's point of view. I also began to recognize that the
criticism of the National Federation of the Blind was very short
on facts and strangely charged with emotion. I had a lot of
thinking to do, and I was certain that my training would be
completed before I had sorted it all out.

     I left Nebraska feeling much better about sleepshades and
using power tools. I still didn't like the long fiber-glass cane,
but I was at least thinking about the structured-discovery
method, which encourages the student to learn to solve travel
problems independently. I left just before Christmas with a
Christmas gift that I found especially disquieting. One of the
instructors had given me a membership in the National Federation
of the Blind. Still a member of the other organization of blind
people with its beliefs continuing to shape my thinking, I felt
anything but comfortable with this gift. A struggle was taking
place inside of me, and the experiences I faced as I assumed my
new duties in Philadelphia would decide its outcome.

     I went to work believing that I could handle anything that
came along. I attempted to teach cane travel in the same way my
instructor in Pittsburgh had taught me many years earlier.

     This did not last long--it just didn't work. On the other
hand, I knew that the techniques I had learned in Nebraska worked
well there. Slowly I adopted and adapted these techniques to fit
my own style and the environment I was working in. At the same
time I began to discover that the attitudes of the agency I was
working for were little different from the ones I had been
exposed to while a client of the programs in Pittsburgh and
Arkansas years before.

     I was also faced with the same attitudes from many of the
blind people that the agency was serving, including those that
belonged to the national organization that I had been a member of
for several years. The general public was also a source of
attitudes that reinforced the idea that blind people would have
to live in a state of dependency and could not expect to hold
positions of true responsibility or even achieve anything beyond
basic existence. These attitudes weren't overt, but they were
clearly present and destructive to any blind person exposed to
them. My instructors in Nebraska had warned me of this
possibility, but I simply was not prepared for the conflict. I
suddenly found myself in a cold war of attitudes, and I was
basically standing alone. That was when I met Ted Young, the
District Supervisor for Blindness and Visual Services in
Philadelphia and state president of the National Federation of
the Blind of Pennsylvania. He invited me to a meeting of the
Greater Philadelphia Chapter, and suddenly I wasn't alone
anymore.

     Other things became more clear to me. The skills I had
developed during my training in the Nebraska orientation center
were making a real difference in my life. My vision, or the lack
of it, didn't seem to be an issue for me anymore. Also a funny
thing started to happen with the cane that I had been using for
so many years. I found that I was bumping into a lot of obstacles
and tripping over things far too often. I spoke with the
university-trained O and M instructor who worked with me at the
center, and he told me that I needed to slow down and that my
technique was probably not consistent. This wasn't the answer I
was looking for. Why should I have to slow down when all I was
doing was walking at my natural pace, and my cane technique had
never been a problem before? I began experimenting with a longer
cane. Soon I was using and issuing longer canes as a normal
practice. Later I also tried out an NFB cane and made a real
effort this time to understand how it worked. I haven't
considered going back to the aluminum cane since. It seems that
structured discovery learning works on more than one level.

     After six years working in eastern Pennsylvania, I began
looking for a change. Dr. Nyman and his staff back in Nebraska
gave me an important opportunity. I was offered the position of
Lincoln District Supervisor. With only limited experience I
wasn't sure that I was right for the job, but knowing that
someone was willing to give me this chance, I was determined to
put forth my best effort. For more than three years I did my
best, but I came to realize that my heart wasn't in it. My first
love is teaching cane travel, and I truly wanted to return to
being an instructor. By this time Dr. Nyman had retired, and I
talked with our new Director, Dr. Pearl Van Zandt, about my
feelings. She understood and respected my desire to return to
teaching travel.

     As it turned out, my timing could not have been better.
Although I was not aware of it when I approached our director, an
opportunity to make this change had arisen. The process of making
it a reality would be complex, but Dr. Van Zandt was determined
to go the extra mile for me. I am now the Travel Instructor for
our Orientation Center in Lincoln. I know in my heart that an
agency like the one here in Nebraska, where showing true respect
for blind people is a natural part of our daily work, would never
have come into existence without the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind and the leadership of people like Dr.
Kenneth Jernigan.

     Since 1990 my wife and I have attended several state
conventions, and in 1997 we attended our first national one. We
returned last year to the Dallas convention, and we will be
attending future ones as often as possible. On October 9, 1998,
with our two-year-old daughter we attended the first joint state
convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska
and the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa. All of us
attending the convention felt a strange mixture of excitement at
the event unfolding before us and great sadness knowing that Dr.
Jernigan's battle with cancer was nearing its end.

     In what proved for me a strange turn of events, our
Orientation Center staff had planned for a couple of months to
visit the Iowa Orientation Center on the Tuesday and Wednesday of
the week following the state convention. Sadly, this turned out
to begin the day after Dr. Jernigan died. On that Wednesday
morning I found myself sitting in the apartment where Dr.
Jernigan had lived when he was the Director of the Iowa program,
discussing travel techniques with one of the staff members of the
Iowa center. The glass of juice my host provided helped to soothe
the lump in my throat that I was doing my best to hide.

     I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Jernigan only once. He was
everything I had come to expect and none of the things I had once
believed of him. I wish that the National Federation of the Blind
had been a part of my life from the beginning of my blindness and
that I had accepted and understood the philosophy of our
organization earlier in my life. Dr. Jernigan, thank you for the
radio message that I didn't get to listen to that day in the
little red Rabbit.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO DESCRIPTION: The picture shows a baseball stadium filled
to capacity with cheering fans.  CAPTION: "Take me out to the
ball game" at the home of the Atlanta Braves.]
Courtesy of the Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc.,
copyright 1998 all rights reserved.
                     Food and Fun in Atlanta
                         by Al Falligan
                           **********
     From the Editor: Al Falligan is NFB of Georgia's National
Convention arrangements chairman. This month he provides us with
a little information about the area of Atlanta near our
convention headquarters hotel. This is what he says:
                           **********
     April is here, which means that there are just over two
months to go to our first convention ever in Atlanta June 30
through July 6. If you haven't made your travel plans yet, you
had better do so today. If you're lucky, the bargain fares Sue
Kable of Glyndon Square Travel has been finding for
Federationists will still be in effect. Call Sue at (800) 875-
9685. With your travel arrangements settled, you can then make
your room reservation with the Marriott Marquis Hotel. The rates
this year are singles, $57; doubles and twins, $59; triples, $61;
and quads, $63, plus a tax, which at present is 14 percent.
Children rooming with parents and not requiring an extra bed are
free.

     To make your reservations, write directly to Atlanta
Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia
30303, or call (404) 521-0000. Do not call Marriott's national
toll-free number. Reservations made through this national number
will not be valid. They must be made directly with the hotel. The
hotel will want a deposit of $60 or a credit card number. If a
credit card is used, the deposit will be charged against your
card immediately, just as would be the case with a $60 check. If
a reservation is canceled prior to June 4, 1999, $30 of the $60
deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.

     Of course, each year we gather in our thousands at NFB
conventions to carry out the business of the most dynamic
organization of the blind in the world today, to check out the
latest developments in technology, to network with blind people
from across the country who share our interests, and to help
determine the direction the organized blind will take in the
months and years to come. In 1999 the NFB of Georgia is welcoming
the organization to Atlanta for the very first time. We are
looking forward to showing off the greatest city in the South to
everyone in the Federation.

     Atlanta is filled with memorable restaurants and
extraordinary opportunities for shopping. And at the Marriott
Marquis and the Hilton you will be at the heart of it all. Dozens
of shops and eateries, part of the world-famous Peachtree Center,
are actually connected to our headquarters hotel. No matter how
busy you are during convention, you will have to eat
occasionally, and the range and excellence of restaurants
available within three blocks will astonish you.

     The Mall at Peachtree Center is located in the heart of
Downtown Atlanta on the corner of Peachtree Street and
International Boulevard. A stroll through its rich marble
walkways, more than seventy unique shops, restaurants, quick-bite
eateries, and services galore makes shopping at this Center a
must. The three-level, glass-enclosed Mall is part of the
renowned Peachtree Center Office Complex and, in addition to the
Marriott Marquis, is also connected to the MARTA rapid rail
station. The Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood are practically
next door, and the Georgia World Congress Center, the Atlanta
Market Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and other major points of
interest in Downtown Atlanta are quite nearby. At least nine
restaurants are close to the Marriott, including Benihana;
Charlie & Barney's Bar & Grill; and the Tap Room, which offers an
Old World Southern Italian cuisine with an upscale urban bar.

     While strolling on Peachtree Street, you'll have easy access
to the Savannah Seafood Restaurant, where fresh seafood meals are
served daily. At the Steak and Ale, prices are $9.95 and above,
and Brick Oven Pizzeria prices range from $5.95 to $14.95. For a
special treat, why not enjoy a memorable dining experience atop
the seventy-third floor of the Peachtree Plaza Hotel in the
Sundial Restaurant? Prices start at $25. While dining here, you
will have a panoramic view of the Atlanta skyline. The restaurant
slowly revolves, making a 360-degree revolution hourly. If it's
not a smoggy evening, Stone Mountain can be seen. This is only a
tiny sample of the dining adventures awaiting you in Atlanta.

     As we mentioned in the tours article last month, on July 6
the Atlanta Braves will be playing the Florida Marlins at Turner
Field. The Georgia affiliate has purchased a limited number of
tickets for this game on the final night of the convention.
Tickets are $12 each. To order, send money orders, cashier's
checks, or personal checks payable to NFB of Georgia to Alfred
Falligan, Convention Chairperson, 6240 Mozart Drive, Riverdale,
Georgia 30296, or call (770) 997-7462.

     Don't put off making your plans to attend the NFB convention
this July. It's the last time you'll be able to do it in this
century. We are going to have a wonderful time, but it won't be
the same without you.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
              Gray Pancakes and the Gentleman's Hat
                         by Marc Maurer
                           **********
     From the Editor: The following story is taken from Gray
Pancakes and Gold Horses, the fourteenth in the NFB's Kernel Book
series of paperbacks. It begins with Dr. Jernigan's introduction:
                           **********
     How important is appearance? More than most people think. As
readers of the Kernel Book series know, Marc Maurer is not only
the President of the National Federation of the Blind but also
the father of two sighted children, David and Dianna. The
Maurers, like others who are blind, keep bumping into the matter
of appearances. Here is what President Maurer has to say about
it:
                           **********
     I have been given (along with almost everybody else I've
ever met) the advice that I should not judge a book by its cover-
-that the intrinsic value of a thing is more important than its
appearance--or that beauty is only skin deep. The problem with
most of the people who have given me this advice is that they
ignored it themselves much of the time. Those who try to live so
that they may disregard the covers of books or the packaging on
the outside of a commodity or the stylish cut of somebody else's
clothes are regarded as crazy and ostracized.

     While I was a boy, attending the School for the Blind, I was
forcibly made to realize the difference between the way a thing
looks and the way it feels. The School for the Blind collected
blind children from all over the state of Iowa, and we attended
classes together. The boys living in dormitories were divided by
age. The Cottage was a building for the little boys--the
kindergartners and first graders. The second and third graders
got to move into one wing of the boys' dorm. This was a major
step in our growing up. When we lived in the Cottage, we attended
classes and ate our meals in the Cottage. The classrooms and
dining room for the small boys were all in the same building.

     However, when we got to the second grade, we had begun to be
counted among the bigger boys. We slept in the boys' dormitory,
but we attended classes and ate our meals in the administration
building.

     One of the Saturday morning rituals for the boys in the
fifth and sixth grades at the School for the Blind was
shoeshining. We did this in the janitor's room. Each boy was
required to have a can of shoe polish--cost, ten cents. A dauber,
a shoe brush, and a polishing cloth were provided. I wasn't all
warmed up about the shoeshining assignment because anything that
interferes with the enjoyment of free time on a Saturday for a
fifth grader is bothersome. However, I thought if I got the
polishing out of the way, I could go somewhere else; so I started
in with a will.

     I soon discovered that polishing shoes has its
disadvantages. I daubed the polish onto the leather, rubbed the
shoes with the shoe brush for a time, and followed up with the
polishing cloth. The shoes felt perfectly clean and smooth to me.
I figured that I had finished the job and could go my way. But
this was not the case. The house parent, the master of the
shoeshining and general arbiter of boys' lives, came to inspect.
The shoes were not shiny, he said. I was told to begin again. So
I started once more--this time with extreme care. I put on more
polish, making certain it covered every part of the leather. I
rubbed vigorously with the brush, and then I took up the
polishing cloth. I polished diligently for a time, and I thought
that they must certainly be done by now! But the inspector, the
house parent, informed me that I had failed a second time. I
started polishing my shoes for the third time and wondering
whether I would be through polishing before lunch.

     After the third try (another failure), the house parent
asked an older boy to show me what to do. He took the polishing
cloth and made a few swift passes over the shoes. Then he said,
"See how easy that is?" I couldn't figure out why his polishing
worked but mine didn't. From the perspective of many years, I
have concluded that the speed of his polishing put the final
shine on the shoes. They felt the same after I had polished them
as they had after his effort. But they didn't look the same, and
I understood the importance of getting them to look right.

     The next step was to clean my hands. During the first
attempt at polishing, I had kept my fingers out of the can of
polish and away from the moist surfaces of the shoes. But when my
polishing job was rejected, I decided that my fingers must tell
me how much polish was being applied. My hands carried the
unmistakable evidence; my fingers, my nails, and my knuckles were
black. Shoe polish is intended to be reasonably waterproof. I
washed my hands thoroughly; they felt perfectly clean to me.
However, they were still black, and I was sent back to the basin
to wash a second time. After several sudsings, my hands became
clean; and I understood for the second time that the way a thing
feels isn't the same as the way it looks.

     Today I know that appearance is important. The substance of
a thing is more important, but often we don't explore the
substance unless the initial appearance is attractive.

     As readers of the Kernel Books know, my children, David and
Dianna, are sighted. My wife and I are both blind. Much of the
time we do not discuss the subject of blindness or its
implications, but sometimes the difference in approach taken by a
blind person from that of the sighted is significant.

     I do much of the cooking for our household. One evening I
decided to make potato pancakes for supper. This requires taking
fresh potatoes and grinding them up before mixing them with
flour, salt, and other ingredients to make pancake batter. When
the pancakes are fried crisp and hot (and served with apple
sauce, sour cream, or fruit compote), they are delicious. Most
people peel the potatoes before grinding them up for the batter.
However, I thought that I would grind the potatoes with their
skins. Potato skins, I have been told, are very good for you--
they contain many vitamins and minerals.

     Soon I had a nice pile of potato pancakes, crisp and hot. I
called the family to eat them, but my children would not take the
first bite. My wife and I thought the pancakes tasted just right,
but we couldn't tempt the children. When I asked why, David gave
me the answer. My pancakes were gray. Apparently, not peeling the
potatoes before putting them in the pancake batter makes the
pancakes come out gray, and gray pancakes are not very appetizing
in appearance. They tasted great, but they looked awful. So the
children ate chicken noodle soup, and my wife and I finished the
pancakes. Since that time I have considered (even if fleetingly)
both the appearance and the flavor of the things I cook.

     As I said earlier, I believe that appearance counts. My
experience tells me that those who are most conservatively
dressed are often taken most seriously. I dress conservatively,
wearing white shirts, black wing tip shoes, and dark suits. A
number of years ago a friend took me to get a wool top coat. She
told me that the winter coat I had been wearing was not suitable
and that I needed a gentleman's coat. Along with the coat I
obtained a pair of black gloves. However, I was never sure how to
complete the ensemble. What should I wear for a hat?

     I grew up in the state of Iowa, which frequently has a cold
winter. As a boy I was given a jacket with a hood. I disliked the
hood because, when I wore it, I had trouble hearing. I used my
hearing to learn about my surroundings and to help me in
traveling with my cane. A stocking cap is much better than a
hood. It can be worn so that it completely covers my ears without
interfering with my ability to hear.

     My stocking cap became my good wintertime friend. I did
cause myself trouble with it one time. On a particularly cold
day, I pulled it down over my face. A stranger apparently felt
outrage at my appearance. He said that I looked like a fool, and
perhaps I did. After that, I wore the stocking cap in the
customary manner, and I had no more trouble. However, a stocking
cap would not do with my gentleman's coat.

     I went to a hat shop to look at all the hats, and I asked
for lots of advice. I finally selected a black felt Saxon style
with a black band. I was told that it was exactly the right kind
of hat to go with the gentleman's coat. I bought it mostly for
style, but I hope that it also has some practical use as well. I
am now learning about the language of the hat. For example, what
does it mean to "tip" a hat, and when should the tipping occur?
What other odd customs are associated with the hat, and how will
I come to learn them?

     If the purpose was to keep my head warm, I would go back to
the trusty old stocking cap. But the purpose is to combine a
practical function with the proper appearance.

     In the National Federation of the Blind we are doing what we
can to help blind people become a meaningful, contributing part
of our society. In order to make a contribution, we must learn
enough so that the talent that we possess is useful. However,
talent is not enough. We must also present the appearance of
talent, and we are helping each other gain the proper appearance.
Some people think our method of traveling from place to place
with a cane or dog is odd or that some of the other alternative
techniques of performing ordinary tasks used by blind people are
unusual. Because some of the methods that we use to do ordinary
things are unfamiliar, some sighted people seem to feel uneasy in
the presence of a blind person. Of course there is no need to
feel this way. Some of what we do is unconventional, but we have
the same hopes and dreams, the same fears and frustrations, the
same willingness to work and longing to make contributions that
others have.

     Through the National Federation of the Blind we are focusing
this willingness to work and longing to contribute, and we are
helping the dreams of blind people come true. We will do our best
to remember that the pancakes should not be gray, and we will tip
our hats at the proper time.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Steve Booth]
                     A Federationist at Work
                           **********
     From the Editor: Not often does a national newspaper profile
the job of a blind person and manage to give an accurate notion
of the sophistication of the work while resisting the temptation
to throw around all those inspirational or pitying adjectives
that drive competent blind people to distraction. But on December
29, 1998, Irene Sege, a reporter for the Boston Globe, managed
this feat in fine style.

     The subject of her story was Steve Booth, Treasurer of the
National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts and production
coordinator for National Braille Press. The story gives the
reader a clear glimpse into the various demands facing a
production manager while simultaneously demonstrating the breadth
of NBP's projects and the common-sense approach Steve takes to
his job and his blindness. Here is the article:
                           **********
           Seeing to Braille Press's Growing Business
                           **********
     Steven Booth arrives in his office, his cubicle really,
shortly before 9:00 a.m., and already he's been working on his
laptop on the commuter train from Salem, checking the production
schedule for the day. He puts his takeout coffee on one side of
his computer and his laptop on the other and flips on his
terminal. No papers clutter his desk, and he carefully makes sure
his stapler is in its proper place. He has no pictures on his
walls, no family photographs on his desk.

     Booth is a blind man leading the blind--and the sighted--in
his job as production coordinator for the National Braille Press,
Inc. On this day he tracks some 100 jobs, from getting
transcribers started on a Braille reprint of a user's guide to
the Macintosh version of the Duxbury Braille Translator to making
sure a mailing of 2,044 Braille copies of the latest issue of the
religious magazine Discovery is ready for pickup.

     For decades Braille literacy among the blind was on the
decline, the result of the movement to educate blind children in
public schools rather than special residential schools and of the
notion that the rise of books-on-tape and talking computers made
reading raised dots obsolete. In 1997 5,400 children and teens
used Braille as their primary reading method, down from 9,000 in
1963, according to the American Printing House for the Blind.
Now, after years of advocacy by the blind, thirty states,
including Massachusetts, have enacted laws requiring that blind
children be taught Braille, and last year Congress passed similar
legislation. The Braille numbers in recent years have begun
inching up again.

     National Braille Press, founded in 1927 and tucked between
Northeastern University and Symphony Hall, is one of five presses
in the country authorized to produce books in Braille for the
Library of Congress. Of thirty-three employees, thirteen are
blind or legally blind. The press does $1.2 million in contract
work a year and also publishes its own material, including
cookbooks and computer guides and print-Braille children's books
in which transparent plastic pages of Braille inserted between
printed pages enable sighted parents and teachers to introduce
blind youngsters to Braille as they read aloud.

     Booth oversees all these operations. He's been blind since
he was born prematurely forty-five years ago, and the oxygen used
to aid his nascent lungs destroyed his vision. He was introduced
to Braille at five when his parents enrolled him in the Perkins
School for the Blind in Watertown.

     First order of business on this particular morning is to
enter on his computer the new job for the Westford-based Duxbury
Systems, Inc., aided by a device that converts what's on the
screen to speech. Project due in twenty working days. Booth's
fingers fly over a Braille calendar. He enters January 18 in his
database.

     The computer is an old DOS model because the graphics-heavy
Windows system is tough to convert to speech. But DOS is
obsolete, so Booth has a Windows computer at home and a talking
screen reader he bought for $800. "I'm hoping by the time we
convert here I'll know something about it," he says.

     That Optacon scanner on Booth's office desk is obsolete too.
He runs a scanning wand over a printed page and puts his other
hand in a small device that looks like a nail dryer and converts
the scanned words into Braille. It's how Booth tells whether a
printed cover is in the proper spot on a page. The scanner is no
longer made, so there will be no replacing it when it breaks.

     "I'm not looking forward to that. It saves me a lot of
sighted help I don't need," Booth says. "I'll have to learn to do
it another way as I've done so many times."

     Next stop is the transcription room upstairs. Booth has the
job order in hand, detailed once in computer printout and once in
a Braille note he punched with the Brailler on his desk. He puts
the strap of his Braille Lite around his neck and reaches for his
cane.

     The Braille Lite is a $3,300 notebook-sized laptop with six
keys--one for each position on the six-dot Braille cell--and a
Braille display. This is how Booth reads the climatological
report he downloads each morning before he leaves home because
he's fascinated by weather. It's where he keeps the files that he
works on while riding the train, where he has a copy of the book,
Getting to Yes he's reading and the copy of Charlotte's Web on
disk that he's testing. It is especially handy because Braille is
bulky. Not only must it be printed on paper thick enough to hold
raised dots on both sides, but a page of print often fills as
much as two pages in Braille.

     One look at the desk of chief transcriber Melissa Hirshson
and you know she can see. Her purse lies on top of a haphazard
stack of papers, and there's barely room for the unopened Nestle
Crunch bar on her desk. Hirshson has been interested in Braille
since she wrote a report in fifth grade on Helen Keller.

     She tells Booth she's transcribing the book Don't Scream.
She's cut the pages and run them through a scanner, and now she's
proofreading the text on her screen because sometimes the
scanner, top-of-the-line though it is, misses things. The ideal
situation is when the printed material is already on disk. Next
Hirshson will convert the text to Braille using Duxbury
Translator software, and from that a metal plate will be embossed
in Braille, all of which is much easier than the days when
Braille transcription was done by key punch by hand.

     In comes chief proofreader Christopher Devin, who reads
paper proofs of the embossed Braille plates before the plates go
to press. He works with headphones and fingers in an unlit room
next to the transcribers, guided by taped text read by readers
who mention every punctuation mark. Sometimes a dot on the
embosser doesn't fire, and it's important to catch those mistakes
before a book is printed. A Braille version of Webster's New
World Dictionary fills seventy-two volumes and one wall of the
proofreaders' room.

     Each morning Devin, who is blind, tells Booth the status of
various jobs. "Superfine Valentine" is ready. So is Syndicated
Columnists Weekly. Melissa's working on Don't Scream. They
haven't started Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. As Devin reads his Braille
list, Booth types the information into his Braille Lite.

     "Blindness can be reduced to an inconvenience. The
production management I do here has nothing to do with my being
blind," Booth says. "But I don't want to make it trivial. It's at
once an inconvenience, and it's all-consuming. You can't spend
your life meditating on it. You wouldn't get to the fun stuff."

     Back in Booth's office, printer Khith Nhem, who operates ink
and Braille presses, delivers his status report. Nhem is leaving
for vacation, and Booth wants as many ink jobs as possible done
by then because ink always precedes Braille. Otherwise a second
run through a press would crush the raised dots.

     Underfoot Booth can hear the rumble of the Braille presses
downstairs. "We call it the heartbeat of the press," Booth says.
"If you don't hear it, something is not going well."

     Next stop is the bindery upstairs, where hardcover Braille
books are bound, as many as 250 Braille pages per volume. The
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook fills eleven volumes. Piles
of unbound pages of Inner Chimes, a book of children's poetry,
line a long table, awaiting the insertion of clear Braille pages.
Each month the press prints 500 to 600 of these print-Braille
children's books, then offers them for the same price as book
stores sell the print version. The other 75 percent of the cost
to produce these books comes from fund-raising.

     Booth has held this job since 1994, after working for six
years in technical support for Xerox Imaging Systems, traveling
the country training sales representatives. He's worked in
customer service at a bank, screened callers for radio talk
shows, and staffed a library's talking-book section. "Coming
here, I have a career," he says, "Braille is still here. We're
going strong, so likely this will be a good job for me."

     Finally Booth checks the ground-floor pressroom, where John
Daniels is running 3,500 copies of the Blazie Engineering catalog
on a converted ink press with blotters to cushion the Braille
plates. To print Braille legibly on two sides of a page, the
plates must be misaligned by precisely 1/16 of an inch. Once the
pages are printed, they await collating in stacks of fifty. Any
more pages in a pile and the Braille would be crushed.

     In the cavernous room beside the pressroom, Daniels's wife,
Dorothy, supervises the collating operations. Everyone in this
department has some kind of disability, and everyone, even the
blind, rotates through all the jobs, including running the
stitching machine, which is the only station where Daniels
insists on a no-talking rule. Daniels herself, her eyes distorted
behind thick glasses, has been legally blind since she was
injured in an automobile accident at the age of ten. She's on
schedule for getting Discovery magazine out the door, she tells
Booth, but she could sure use another postal crib to store them.

     "My work here," says Booth, "is sometimes exciting and
sometimes boring. It's exhilarating if you produce a product that
people like."
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Barbara Walker]
                        The Missing Piece
                        by Barbara Walker
                           **********
     From the Editor: Barbara Walker is a long-time leader of the
National Federation of the Blind and a frequent contributor to
these pages. She delivered the following speech at the 1998
convention conducted jointly by the NFB of Iowa and the NFB of
Nebraska. Here it is:
                           **********
     In his book, How Good Do We Have to Be, Rabbi Harold Kushner
tells a story he read in a book which he calls a fairy tale for
adults. It is called "The Missing Piece," and it goes like this:

     "Once there was a circle that was missing a piece. A large
triangular wedge had been cut out of it. The circle wanted to be
whole, with nothing missing, so it went around looking for its
missing piece. But because it was incomplete, it could only roll
very slowly as it rolled through the world.

     "And as it rolled slowly, it admired the flowers along the
way. It chatted with butterflies and enjoyed the sunshine. It
found lots of pieces, but none of them fit, so it left them all
by the side of the road and kept on searching.

     "Then, one day, it found a piece that fit perfectly. It was
so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It
incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll.

     "Now it was a perfect circle, and it could roll very fast--
too fast to notice the flowers, too fast to talk to the
butterflies.

     "When it realized how different the world seemed when it
rolled through it so quickly, it stopped, left its missing piece
by the side of the road, and rolled slowly away, looking for its
missing piece."

     When I first read that story, I felt uneasy. Even as a child
I didn't like fairy tales that seemed either far-fetched or
unfinished. Life is teaching me that reality itself is often far-
fetched; and the journey can be worthwhile, regardless of the
outcome.

     Still I felt disturbed. After all, why couldn't this one
have ended with the words, "satisfied with its new-found wisdom"
rather than "looking for its missing piece"--especially since it
had already found the piece? Had it so soon forgotten? What was
going on?

     As I read and thought about what Rabbi Kushner said that the
lesson of the story was for him, I found myself thinking about
the first time I met Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. He was then both
President of the National Federation of the Blind and Director of
the Iowa Commission for the Blind. Perhaps some of you will find
yourselves connecting with your own thoughts of Dr. Jernigan, Dr.
Maurer, or others who have influenced you as I share some of what
Rabbi Kushner had to say:

     "I suggested in my sermon that the lesson of the story was
that, in some strange sense, we are more whole when we're
incomplete--when we're missing something. There is a wholeness
about the person who can give himself away--who can give his
time, his money, his strength to others--and not feel diminished
when he does so. There is a wholeness about the person who has
come to terms with his limitations, who knows who he is and what
he can and cannot do; the person who has been brave enough to let
go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for
doing so.

     "To be whole before God means to stand before Him with all
of our faults as well as all of our virtues and to receive the
message of our acceptability. To be whole means to rise beyond
the need to pretend that we're perfect; to rise above the fear
that we'll be rejected for not being perfect. It means having the
integrity not to let the inevitable moments of weakness and
selfishness become permanent parts of our character."

     As I mentioned before, this description of wholeness took me
back to my first meeting with Dr. Jernigan. It happened on
December 4, 1974, at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des
Moines. I was there in response to an opportunity presented to me
through my work at Nebraska Rehabilitation Services for the
Visually Impaired to go and observe any agency for the blind in
the country. The purpose was to learn about how work with the
blind was being done elsewhere and possibly to find new methods
we could use in our fledgling Orientation and Adjustment Center
in Lincoln.

     I admit that I chose the Iowa Commission with ulterior
motives. I had heard that it was run by the National Federation
of the Blind and that people there were forced into membership.
My only knowledge of the Federation was from people at the
Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped (NSVH), who, on the
rare occasions when they talked about blind adults at all, said
that Federationists were pushy radicals who badgered people if
they didn't get their way.

     I recall now only two vivid first-hand encounters with the
Federation prior to my trip to Iowa. The first was in 1971, when
our Nebraska affiliate was being reorganized. Mary Ellen Anderson
(now Jernigan) and Arlene Gashel (now Hill) visited my sister and
me on the campus of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, to talk
about the upcoming meeting and offer us a subscription to the
Braille Monitor. We decided not to go to the meeting in Omaha
because transportation wasn't provided. And when the Lincoln
chapter was formed, I opted out. I said, which was true, that I
was very busy with my studies. What I didn't say was that many
articles in the Monitor made me nervous and I didn't want to
share the struggle which reading it was causing in me.

     The other encounter was when my sister and I were invited to
entertain at a Lincoln Chapter meeting when some Iowans had come
to discuss pending legislation. They certainly were blatantly
frank in their comments on the issues at hand. I chalked it up to
the Federation pushiness I had heard about at NSVH and wondered
why they came all that way to interfere with Nebraska
legislation. I also wondered why, if it was so important to the
Nebraskans there, they didn't just handle it and let the Iowans
go home and deal with their own legislation.

     With these things in mind I went to the Iowa Commission to
see for myself what Dr. Jernigan and the National Federation of
the Blind were about. It is no exaggeration to say that the few
days I spent in an environment where the underlying assumption
was that it is respectable to be blind changed my life. And my
meeting with Dr. Jernigan was the climax of that visit. He
answered my pointed questions directly and without apology or
equivocation.

     His message was both clear and compelling: with the proper
training and opportunity the characteristic of blindness can be
reduced to the level of a nuisance, making it possible for the
average blind person to do the average job in the average place
of business as well as his or her sighted neighbor. This was, he
said, the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. The
organization was founded on November 16, 1940, in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, by Dr. Jacobus tenBroek and blind people from seven
states who intended to work collectively to make the philosophy a
reality. When I met him, Dr. Jernigan was both living this
philosophy and helping it to reach fruition in the lives of his
students, staff, and colleagues in the movement.

     I went there about half of my life ago, having lived almost
twenty-four years searching for, or trying to compensate for, my
missing piece. I believed then that I knew what that missing
piece was. It was the fact of my physical blindness.

     But for the first time I wasn't hearing about being
incomplete or unwhole because I was blind. I wasn't hearing that
the only viable answer for earning full inclusion in the world
was to find a way physically to see.

     I left both exhilarated and unnerved. It buoyed me up to
know that, to this experienced, highly-respected blind person, I
had neither to pretend nor to prove anything. But at the same
time it was sobering to accept the responsibilities inherent in
the kind of wholeness Dr. Jernigan both embodied and offered to
me.

     He helped me to understand that my missing piece--the thing
that kept me from feeling and being perceived as whole--was not
the physical fact of blindness. At least part of it consisted of
the misconceptions which I and all of society around me had about
blindness and blind people.

     His words and his presence awakened something in me that
gave me courage to try harder to find ways to participate more
fully in life. But along with that came the realization that, if
I were to be honest with myself and others, I must be willing to
question behavior either in them or in me which would stifle
growth. For me this was the hardest part of accepting the gift of
that knowledge of wholeness. I really don't like making waves.

     But Dr. Jernigan that day gave me something every bit as
precious as the recognition of my wholeness just as I was. He
gave me, as he has to so many before and after me, the key to the
National Federation of the Blind--the vehicle through which we,
the blind, are finding for ourselves the missing pieces of
security, equality, and opportunity for all blind people in our
society and putting them into place.

     It is hard to articulate the difference that knowing this
wholeness and being part of the Federation have made in my life.
Perhaps a recounting of something tangible may help me to express
it.

     During my first meeting with Dr. Jernigan he offered me some
banana chips and other snacks I had never tasted. The banana
chips were my favorite. Over the years thoughts of that meeting
have often brought those chips to mind.

     In the spring of 1997 I saw an infomercial on television
about a food dehydrator. My first thought (after considering the
cost, of course) was, "I could make banana chips with that." It
was wonderful to have that instantaneous response. I did not
feel, as I once would have, anxious about cutting myself while
slicing, hung up about making uniform slices, troubled about the
possibility of burning myself on whatever generated heat for
drying things, or convinced that I would need sight in order to
use the machine effectively. I made room in my budget and placed
an order, thanking God and the National Federation of the Blind
for the changes in my attitude which made this possible.

     Later that same year, as both an expression of gratitude and
a symbol of my progress as a blind person, I gave Dr. Jernigan
some banana chips and other fruit I had dried myself. It was a
small gesture, but his gracious and understanding acceptance of
my gift made it a poignantly unforgettable moment for me. It is,
I believe, mostly through such simple, day-to-day actions and
statements that each of us comes closer to finding the missing
pieces in our lives.

     It is neither necessary nor possible for everyone to make
the tremendous and far-reaching impact in the world that our
Founder, Dr. tenBroek, our President Emeritus, Dr. Jernigan, and
our current President, Dr. Maurer, have made and are making; but
it is necessary and possible for each of us to do and be what we
can to reach out to give the gifts of knowledge of wholeness and
the National Federation of the Blind to all blind people so that
we can search on an equal footing with our sighted peers for that
ever-present, still-elusive missing piece--whatever and wherever
it might be.
                           **********
                           **********
                         Finding Her Way
                         by Karen Crowe
                           **********
     From the Editor: Kids who read the January/February, 1999,
issue of American Girl magazine know a good deal more about what
it's like being a blind teen-ager than they did in 1998. That's
because the issue carried a wonderful story about Federationist
Cortney Osolinski from New Jersey. The reporter did a great job
of accurately describing Cortney's day and her methods for
getting her work done. But Cortney also did a fine job of helping
the reporter to understand what Cortney was doing and what she
thinks about being blind. Here is the article:
                           **********
     Cortney Osolinski is hurrying to get ready for school. She
checks the time by feeling the raised dots on her watch. To
choose her outfit, she feels the texture of the clothes in her
dresser and pulls out a soft ribbed shirt. Cortney, thirteen, has
special ways of getting ready in the morning because she can't
see.

     Cortney has been blind since birth, but being blind has not
kept this New Jersey girl from doing things that other girls her
age do. She's just developed different ways to do them. We spent
a day with Cortney to learn how she uses other senses and skills
to find her way through her world.

     After dressing, Cortney heads downstairs to the kitchen. She
can see blurry, light- and dark-colored shapes as she walks, but
she can't tell what those shapes are. So Cortney has memorized
the layout of every room in her house. She knows where the
furniture, windows, and doors are. Things like floor coverings
and the beads hanging in her bedroom doorway are clues.

     Downstairs Cortney chooses her breakfast by reading the
bumpy Braille labels that she makes for the cereal boxes. Braille
is a code of small, raised dots that can be read by touch. Each
letter of the alphabet corresponds to a different arrangement of
up to six dots. Here is how Cortney spells her name in Braille:
                           **********
[GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION: The Braille letters of Cortney's name
appear here. CAPTION: Cortney Osolinski]
                           **********
     After giving her mom and dog goodbye hugs, Cortney grabs her
backpack and white cane and heads for the bus stop at the end of
her street. Some blind people use special guide dogs to help them
get around, but Cortney's dog, Kelly, is just a pet. Guide dogs
are professionally trained and require lots of discipline, so
Cortney must be sixteen before she can get one. "I think having a
guide dog would be great because then I could have a friend with
me all the time," says Cortney. Most blind people use canes
instead of dogs to help them find their way, since canes are more
convenient and require no care.

     To get to the bus stop, Cortney taps the ground with her
cane to find where the grass meets the road. She uses the
street's edge as her guide to the corner. "Hi, Cortney!" her
friends call out. She knows the bus stop is just ahead.

     When Cortney's teacher asks the class to write sentences
using their spelling words, Cortney turns to her Braille writer.
It's like a typewriter, but it has only six keys--one for each
dot in the Braille system. Cortney presses different keys to make
the correct combination of dots for each letter. The machine
creates a Braille page for Cortney and a printed copy for her
teacher.

     Cortney weaves through the busy hallways at her school. As
she walks, she swings her cane back and forth in front of her to
detect objects in her path. Cortney has taught the kids at school
that her cane is her eyes and that it's supposed to bump into
things--even people--so that she doesn't!

     The first few days of every year, friends help Cortney find
her new classrooms. She memorizes the route, using doors, trash
cans, and drinking fountains as landmarks. But the first time
Cortney came to this school, she got lost. "It was a little
scary," she says. "Now I just ask for help if I need it."

     At her locker Cortney stores her many books. Because Braille
type takes up much more space than printed type, Cortney often
has several Braille books for every textbook her classmates have.
Her social studies book takes up fifteen Braille volumes! Cortney
has a special lock on her locker. To open it, she counts the
lock's clicks and lines up her secret combination by feeling the
tabs.

     At lunchtime kids in Cortney's class tell her what foods are
on the menu as they go through the line. "I can always tell when
it's pizza day by the smell. That's my favorite lunch!" Cortney
says.

     She's also learning some tricks for keeping track of paper
money: Cortney keeps $1 bills flat, folds $5 bills in half
lengthwise, folds $10 bills in half widthwise, and folds $20
bills in quarters. If a coin is dropped, she can identify whether
it's a penny, nickel, dime, or quarter just by the sound.

     Some people think Cortney's skills are extraordinary. But to
her, life isn't difficult and her skills aren't unusual. "I just
pay more attention to details like sound than most people do,"
she says.

     Cortney's friend Christina Gountas often visits after
school. Christina is also blind. Sometimes they draw together
using thin strips of sticky wax. They can feel the shapes they
make on paper. The girls also like to play descriptive videos in
the VCR. As the movie plays, a voice describes scenery and action
that blind people can't see. When the movie Titanic wasn't
available as a descriptive video for Cortney's slumber party, her
sighted friends described the action for her and Christina.

     Cortney has been taking Tae Kwon Do classes for three years.
Instead of watching her teacher demonstrate moves, she learned to
kick, punch, and flip people by feeling her teacher's arm or body
position, then copying it herself. Cortney participates in most
of the activities in her gym class at school--even running on the
track. She just takes a classmate's hand and joins the race. At
the summer camp she attends, Cortney and other blind kids play
kick ball with a ball and bases that beep.

     Cortney climbs into bed, taking along a Braille version of
the novel Jurassic Park. She says that books help her see the
world. "They have such in-depth descriptions, like how a raptor
moves its head, or the scenery, or even the temperature," she
says. "They really make you feel like you're there."

     Cortney's dream is to become a paleontologist, a scientist
who studies dinosaurs. She knows she'll have to study hard, but
Cortney also knows her blindness won't stand in her way. "I don't
think being blind is hard," she says. "I think of it as being
unique."

Cortney's Tips for Kids:

     Cortney helped write a list of courtesy rules to tell
sighted people how they can treat blind kids with more respect.
Here are some of her tips.

     * Please don't say "Guess who I am" or expect me to know you
by your voice. This will embarrass me if I don't know.
*When greeting me, say your name, like "Hi Cort, it's A.J.,
what's up?"

     *In group situations, say my name first when addressing me.
Then I'll know you're talking to me.

     * Please don't move my body--for example, turn me for
directions or place my hands on something. Spoken directions are
much more helpful and considerate.

     * My cane is used for what I can't see with my eyes. I keep
it with me all the time. Please don't move it without me knowing.

     * Don't think that I'm amazing because I read Braille or can
find my way using a cane. I'm just an ordinary person who is
blind. You or anyone could do it if you were taught the skills.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Tonia Valletta Trapp]
                      Let the Medals Jingle
                     by Tonia Valletta Trapp
                           **********
     From the Editor: The following story first appeared in Gray
Pancakes and Gold Horses, the first of the two 1998 additions to
our Kernel Book series of paperback books for the general public.
Since Tonia wrote this piece, she has married Gregg Trapp, an
attorney in New Mexico. Here is the story as it first appeared,
beginning with Dr. Jernigan's introduction:
                           **********
     Tonia Valletta is a superb gymnast. She has also found and
come to realize the importance of the National Federation of the
Blind. Here is what she has to say about both:
                           **********
     I remember how surprised I was when, during my eighth grade
year, a fellow student in my Spanish class approached me and said
admiringly, "Hey, I was doing some research, and I found a
picture of you in National Geographic World magazine. I didn't
know you used to do gymnastics!" My mom has collected all the
newspaper articles about me since I was three years old; they are
tangible proof that being blind, let alone a blind gymnast, is a
big deal to the rest of the world. But it was not the numerous
articles, the swell of being notorious, the people who said,
"You've inspired me so much," or the medals and ribbons that I
loved so dearly: it was being a gymnast.

     Mr. Roltsch was the coach who agreed to take me into his gym
and teach me gymnastics when I was seven or eight years old. "I
had never taught a blind gymnast before," he told me later, "so I
was hesitant and a bit skeptical when your Mom called me and
asked me to teach you. But, when your Mom brought you over, and I
took you down into the gym to test you out, I decided it was
worth the challenge to take you on as a pupil." He had a deep,
powerful voice that I was drawn to because it said, "I expect 100
percent grit from you, and if you don't give it to me, I will be
disappointed." At the same time his voice was gentle and
reassuring. He never hesitated to correct me, and he had a not-
so-subtle way of telling me when he knew I was cheating him out
of valuable time by slacking off. I rejoiced at every compliment
I got from him, for he gave them only when my performance was
nearly perfect enough to merit them.

     Mr. Roltsch was a demanding coach and a darn good one. Those
of us on the team who appreciated gymnastics as both a sport and
an art, just as Mr. Roltsch did, gave him every ounce of strength
and determination that we had, and he, in the course of a few
years, transformed us from hesitant, clumsy little marionettes
into gymnasts.

     The Roltsches' gym was built into their basement, and to get
to it, you had to walk down a steep, spiraling sidewalk that
curled around the house and led straight to the door of the upper
deck of the gym. Up there we all pulled off our sweat suits and
socks, tossed our shoes against the wall, and scampered down the
thirteen planked stairs onto the floor mats below. The gym had
its own smell, which I came to associate automatically with the
sweat of grueling workouts and the sweet, paralyzing exhaustion
that always accompanied them.

     I quickly became addicted to the anesthetic effect of the
draining workouts, so much so that whenever I entered the gym,
even before I had stripped down to my leotard, I could feel
tender, invisible fingers gently massaging and stretching my
muscles in preparation for the next two hours of leap, tumble,
and swing.

     My first victory in gymnastics came when I turned my first
cartwheel. Someone had tried to show me what a cartwheel looked
like by using a Barbie doll, but I could not understand. In my
eight-year-old mind, I was a little girl, not a doll, and I was
not able to imagine my body manipulating itself the way the doll
moved in the hands of my coach. For weeks, maybe even months, I
tried mechanically to turn a cartwheel, putting down slowly first
one hand, then the other hand, then one foot, then the other
foot. I felt like a long-limbed gorilla slapping the mat with my
hands and clumping with my feet as I tried to force my body to
turn itself properly.

     Then one day it happened without my even trying; in fact,
that must have been why it happened. All of a sudden I found
myself sliding smoothly through the air and landing in the same
position I'd started in. I knew as soon as I landed that this was
how a cartwheel was supposed to feel. I still did not understand
exactly how I'd done it, much less what it looked like, but I did
know what one felt like, and that was all that mattered.

     The next challenge was to train myself to do a straight
cartwheel, so I turned wheel after wheel using the crack between
the mats as my guiding line. It took the horse a while, but
finally it learned to pull the cart straight down that line.

     The "floor ex," short for floor exercise, was my second
favorite event. I didn't like doing balance beam because I
couldn't keep myself from falling off; and, because I could not
run straight down the thirty-foot runway to the vault, I could
not build up enough power to hurl myself over it. But the floor
(I especially liked its more modern version, the spring floor,
that was carpeted and bounced slightly when you fell on it) for
me consisted of gravity, the expansive flatness, and the infinite
space above it through which I could leap and twist and
somersault to my soul's content.

     Truly, to be off the ground, buoyed up in the air,
restrained by nothing, and surrounded by an exhilarating
nothingness for just an instant is the sweetest liberation I have
ever known. For that reason my favorite move on the floor was the
double front handspring, because keeping my body in constant
motion during those three to four seconds electrified me every
time I did one. I would launch onto my right foot as though I
were skipping; then, after my left foot hit the ground once, I
lunged forward and boxed the floor with open palms as my feet
sailed in an arc over my head and landed in front of my hands,
which sprang from the floor, rocking me forward into a standing
position once again. I would then repeat the move, except this
time without the skipping start because the momentum of the first
handspring catapulted me into the second handspring.

     For the record, I admit that throughout my six years as a
gymnast I had to work extremely hard at being both flexible and
graceful. However, when it came to the floor and the uneven bars,
I was the queen of brute strength and aggression: the two bars
levitated in space, the gravity, the nothingness, and the
expansive flatness were all my subjects, and I forced them to
work as hard for me as I did for them.

     My favorite event, as well as my best, was the uneven bars.
I received my highest score ever, an 8.25, doing a class four bar
routine. Other coaches worked with me on floor, beam, and vault;
but when it came time to work on the uneven bars, Mr. Roltsch was
my coach to the exclusion of all other coaches and assistant
coaches. When he realized that I loved the bars best and was
strong and daring enough to take them on, he dedicated himself to
the challenge of helping me to perfect my bar routine.

     Gradually, yet unmistakably, the bars ushered themselves
into the center of the gym as I visualized it--and I, the bars,
and Mr. Roltsch pressed on toward ultimately unachievable
perfection.

     At my first gymnastics meet I did only my bar routine
because it was my best and most practiced. I remember that day
well. The rest of the team were already at the meet doing their
other three routines. It wasn't yet time to join them, so Mom
dropped me off at the Roltsches' house. Mr. Roltsch met me at the
door and took me through his house and downstairs into the gym.
There he helped me warm up on the bars and run through a few
routines so I would be ready at the meet. Then we went back
upstairs, I dressed, and we sat outside on his porch drinking
lemonade. I don't remember what we said, but I know that I felt
loved and protected sitting with Mr. Roltsch on his porch. We
then drove to the meet, and I did my routine. I was scared, but I
made it through and got a score of 6.65. My coach was happy with
that score.

     A few years passed, and I turned eleven on May 13, 1985. I
was a fifth-grader, and school was almost over. Some time before
that a friend had told me, my mom, and Mr. and Mrs. Roltsch about
a national sports competition for the blind that happened every
year during the first week of June. This year Nationals,
sponsored by USABA, the United States Association for Blind
Athletes, would be held in Trenton, New Jersey. By now my bar
routine had improved considerably, along with my other three
routines; I now competed all-around, doing all four events in the
meets I went to. So my coach, my mom, and I talked it over
briefly and decided that I should go to New Jersey.

     Soon I was sitting quietly in the back seat of the
Roltsches' car as we drove north; my parents followed the next
day. On the morning of the competition I was more terrified than
I had ever been in my entire life. I felt sick to my stomach, and
I could hardly swallow the chocolate milk Mr. Roltsch told me I
had to drink. All had gone well in practice, but now was the real
thing, my one and only chance to prove myself to all those who
would be watching, including my parents.

     Floor, beam, and vault came and went in a haze; I fell off
the beam four times and set a national record with my score on
the floor exercise. Then came the uneven bars. I was psyched, I
was ready--and I was scared. There was one move in the routine I
was particularly worried about. It was the hardest move in the
routine, and if I didn't get the timing absolutely right, I would
miss it completely.

     Perching on the low bar facing forward, I would do a single-
leg shoot through to straddle the bar, then reverse grip and
raise myself from off the bar to circle swiftly around it. This
move was called a mill-circle catch because in mid-rotation I
would let go of the low bar about 7/8 of the way around to reach
for the high bar. If I let go too early or too late, I wouldn't
catch the bar, and Mr. Roltsch would have to touch me to keep me
from falling. If he touched me, the judges would deduct half a
point from my score. We had practiced this move hundreds of
times, and I knew I could do it perfectly. But, would I? Or would
I clam up and not let go at all?

     I was up. I splashed chalk on my hands and positioned myself
standing on the mat in front of the low bar. I touched the bar,
saluted the judge, and began my routine. It was swift, tight, and
powerful. Pausing for not even an instant, I shot my leg through
to straddle the low bar, reversed grip, raised myself off the
bar, and...whapp! I had done it: I had caught the high bar. The
audience gasped in a hushed voice, and I heard my Dad exclaim in
astonishment, for he had never seen me compete before. I finished
my routine, and Mr. Roltsch hugged me as the applause raged and
surrounded me with love.

     As I stood on the top level of the make-shift platform with
one girl standing below me to my right and another below me to my
left, I cautiously lifted my hands to my neck and felt the thick,
wide ribbons that cascaded down my chest. There were five medals
spread out just below my chest: four gold and one silver. I had
won the first-place all-around medal, which meant that I was now
the reigning national champion blind gymnast. I kept smiling
while pictures were snapped of me with the second and third place
winners--it was wonderfully easy to smile.

     As we all left the gym victoriously, the medals at my chest
began to jingle rhythmically as I walked. After a few steps I put
my hand over them to quiet them because I was afraid that the
people walking with me would think I was being obnoxious.
"Tonia," my friend exclaimed jubilantly, "take your hand away.
For goodness sake, let those medals jingle!" The others agreed
heartily, so I removed my hand, and the medals at my chest began
to swing and bounce wildly with a glorious chink...chink...chink
....

     The blind athletes' competition was my first encounter with
a national organization involved with blind people. More recently
I have come to be a part of the National Federation of the Blind.
After being urged by my friends to attend the National
Convention, I decided that the most godly and appropriate thing
for me to do would be to attend with an open mind and heart. To
my great surprise and delight, as I met one Federationist after
another, I encountered blind people who were friendly, polite,
and confident in their own abilities. And I noticed other
characteristics of Federationists that impressed me very much.
Most notably, I observed a contagious enthusiasm and energy,
together with a strong, binding sense of commitment to bettering
the position of blind persons in society.

     I found myself compellingly attracted to this group of
people who shared my enthusiasm and willingness to work hard to
accomplish set goals, so I decided to join the National
Federation of the Blind and to search for ways to use my own
special gifts and abilities to further the independence, goals,
and aspirations of all blind people.
     There are many ways to let the medals jingle.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Each year Safari Clubs International conducts a
Sensory Safari at the beginning of our conventions. Pictured
here, Nikki Zimmerman gets acquainted with a cougar.]
                   1999 Convention Attractions
                           **********
     From the Editor: Every year's National Convention is an
absolutely unique event. The agenda items, the exhibits, the new
friends and business acquaintances: all these give each
convention its own character and significance. Some activities
lend a luster to the convention in part because they do take
place every year and provide helpful fixed points in the whirl of
events. In this category are the meetings of the Resolutions
Committee and the Board of Directors, the annual banquet, and the
many seminars and workshops of the various divisions and
committees. Here is a partial list of activities being planned by
a number of Federation groups during the 1999 Convention, June 30
through July 6. Presidents of divisions, committee chairpeople,
and event presenters have provided the information. The pre-
convention agenda will list the locations of all events taking
place before convention registration on Thursday, July 1. The
convention agenda will contain listings of all events taking
place beginning that day.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: The 1998 Blind Professional Journalists meeting
with Bryan Bashin and Liz Campbell at the head table]
                 Blind Professional Journalists
                       by Deborah Kendrick
                           **********
     Are you a print or broadcast journalist or studying to
become one? Join others in your field to share ideas, techniques,
and tricks for getting the story and getting it into print or on
the air. Getting the job and getting visual information, managing
drivers and readers, and finding the right technology--these and
other issues will be discussed by working journalists, both blind
and sighted, on Friday, July 2, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Convention
activities for blind journalists this year will be coordinated by
Deborah Kendrick and Bryan Bashin.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: NFB campers playing Simon Says]
              NFB Camp: It's More than Child's Play
                       by Carla McQuillan
                           **********
     About the Director: NFB Camp is under the direction of Carla
McQuillan, the executive director of the Main Street Montessori
Association, operating two Montessori schools, a teacher-training
program, and parent education classes. Mrs. McQuillan was
recognized for her nineteen years of teaching experience in early
childhood education when she received the Blind Educator of the
Year Award presented by the National Federation of the Blind at
our 1996 convention in Anaheim. Carla is also the mother of two
children and the President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Oregon.
                           **********
     Camp Staff: Mary Wieczorek, the activities director for NFB
Camp, is a long-time employee of Main Street Montessori
Association. She has extensive experience planning and expediting
programs for children. As in past years, we will be recruiting
Head Start teachers from the local area to serve as our Camp
Counselors. In addition we will be working with teachers and
teens who volunteer at the Atlanta Center for the Visually
Impaired. Annie Maxwell is the volunteer coordinator at the
Center in Atlanta and is a new member of the NFB of Georgia. For
several years now Annie has been organizing a six-week summer
camp for blind children in the Atlanta area. She will draw on
teachers, speakers, and teens who have worked and volunteered at
her summer camp. We are truly blessed to have Annie working on
our team this year. As always, we encourage blind teens to
volunteer at NFB Camp throughout the week to acquire child-care
experience in a positive environment with blind role models.
                           **********
     Special Activities and Events: This year's convention
setting offers a wide range of opportunities to explore areas
outside the hotel. As most of you know from reading Monitor
articles about the convention, the Marriott is connected to the
Peachtree Center Mall. From our perspective this means the
freedom to practice a wide range of cane-travel and orientation
skills without ever stepping outdoors. The other exciting feature
is the proximity of the subway trains, located just below the
mall. We will be conducting philosophy discussions to complement
the skills training taking place every day. Once again the
children will enjoy daily art activities prepared by Corrinne
Vieville of the National Federation of the Blind of California.
We will feature afternoon matinees of our descriptive video
collection. Back by popular demand, we will sing, dance, and play
along with blind singer/songwriter Daniel Lamonds of Blind
Ambitions. Each day during general sessions children will be
encouraged to participate in games and activities both inside the
hotel and out in the community. A schedule of NFB Camp activities
will be available at the information table at convention. The
program just gets better each year!
                           **********
     Hours of Operation: NFB Camp will be open one half hour
before the beginning of sessions and one half hour after sessions
adjourn. Children must be picked up during lunch breaks. A late
fee of $10 per child will be rigorously collected if children are
not picked up from NFB Camp on time. The schedule follows:
     Wednesday, June 30, 8:30 - 5:00 (Staggered Breaks for Staff)
     Thursday July 1, Camp is Closed
     Friday, July 2, 8:30 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:30 (This is also
          the day of our Kids' Trip to the Coca-Cola Museum.)
     Saturday, July 3, 9:30 to 12:30 and 1:30 to 5:30
     Sunday, July 4, 8:30 to 12:30
     Monday, July 5, 8:30 to 12:30 and 1:30 to 5:30 and 6:30 to
          10:30 PM
     Tuesday, July 6, 8:30 to 12:30 and 1:30 to 5:30
                           **********
     Many blind and sighted teen-agers at the convention are
available for baby-sitting, and we urge parents to consider this
option. You may get names and room numbers of teens interested in
baby-sitting by contacting Loretta White, coordinator of teen
activities. We highly recommend that parents pre-register
children for NFB Camp using the form provided in the print issue
or by providing the requested information written out on paper
along with the correct payment.
                           **********
[PHOTO/DESCRIPTION: This picture evokes a 1930's-era soda
fountain.  CAPTION: The International Lounge at the Coca-Cola
Museum.]
     Kids' Trip: Coca-Cola was created in Atlanta in 1886. This
year participants in Kids' Trip will be touring World of Coca-
Cola Atlanta, located in a three-story pavilion adjacent to the
one-of-a-kind shopping area, Underground Atlanta. Experiences at
the museum will include a tribute to bottling; the largest
collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia ever assembled; a replica of
a 1930's soda fountain, where we will see how Coke was prepared
and served before the invention of modern equipment; and
complimentary drinks.

     The charge is $10 per child to cover transportation, lunch,
and the entrance fee. Children may bring extra spending money for
souvenirs or shopping in Underground Atlanta. We will gather at
11:30 a.m. in the National Federation of the Blind Camp rooms on
July 2, and we will be returning at 4:30. To insure your child's
space for this trip, please register by May 30, 1999.
                           **********
     Registration for both National Federation of the Blind Camp
and the Kids' Trip should be made using the forms which appear in
the print edition or by providing in writing the information
requested on the forms. Send completed forms or required
information together with your check (made payable to NOPBC) to
the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, NFB Camp, 5005
Main Street, Springfield, Oregon 97478. For more information call
Carla McQuillan at (541) 726-6924.



                 NFB Camp Pre-Registration Form
                           **********
Child(ren) Name(s)
_______________________________________________________Age ______
                           **********
_______________________________________________________Age ______

_______________________________________________________Age ______
                           **********
Parent/Guardian
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
Home Address
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
Home Phone ( ___ )_______________ Work Phone ( ____ ) ___________
                           **********
                                             Amount Enclosed     
Rates:
First Child (full week)            $60            ______
                           **********
Additional Siblings (full week)    $30 each       ______
                           **********
Daily rate per child          $15 each per day    ______

Banquet                       $10 per child       ______
                           **********
                              Total Enclosed      ______
                           **********
Make checks payable to NOPBC. Send this form with payment to
Carla McQuillan, National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, 5005
Main Street, Springfield, Oregon 97478, (541) 726-6924



                           **********
                Registration for 1999 Kids' Trip
                           **********
Child(ren) Name(s)
__________________________________________________ Age __________
                           **********
Parent/Guardian _________________________________________________
                           **********
Phone # _______________
                           **********
Address _________________________________________________________
                           **********
Amount Enclosed ($10 per child) $__________
                           **********
Is your child blind? [     ] yes [     ] no (If more than one
child is being registered, indicate which child is blind.)
                           **********
                           **********
Does your child have special needs? (List the special needs, and
indicate which child if registering more than one.)



                           **********
                   The Committee on Associates
                         by Tom Stevens
                           **********
     The Committee on Associates will meet on Friday evening,
July 2, at 7 p.m. We will review the final standings for the 1999
enrollment year, present awards, and see if we can gain consensus
for goals for the year 2000. Recruiters are welcome, but so are
those who are interested in making an impact on the
misconceptions which bug all of us.

     We will hold a short workshop at noon on July 3. Just as at
the committee meeting, a guest speaker will be featured. Come one
and all.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Audience members at a Deaf-Blind Division
seminar]
                       Deaf-Blind Division
                          by Joe Naulty
                           **********
     This year the Deaf-Blind Division will again staff a
convention table in the exhibit hall. We will have T-shirts,
document bags, new specialty items, literature, and resource
information on deaf-blind issues.

     On Wednesday, June 30, the subject "Training Interpreters to
Work Effectively with Persons Who are Deaf-Blind" will be
presented by Mark J. Myers, Project Director, and Elaine
Ducharme, Consumer Facilitator, National Interpreter Education
Project, Northwestern Connecticut Community-Technical College.

     On Friday, July 2, Susan Brooke Lascek, Regional
Representative for the Helen Keller National Center, will speak
on the subject, "Overview of Deaf-Blind Issues, Specifically
Relating to Blind Persons Who Lose Their Hearing Later in Life."

     On Sunday, July 4, the Deaf-Blind general business meeting
will include reports from Board Members and committee
chairpersons. A guest speaker will be announced.

     Deaf-Blind Division members and guests are requested to
communicate their individual interpreting requirements for the
three meetings directly to the Deaf-Blind National Treasurer,
Kimberly Johnson. Kimberly will be coordinating interpreting
services; she will also be accepting 1999 membership dues, which
are $5 annually. Contact Kimberly Johnson at 4060 South Grant
Street, Englewood, Colorado 90110, (330) 761-2795. You may also
communicate with Division President Joseph B. Naulty, 11943
Suellen Circle, Wellington, Florida 33414, (561) 753-4700.
                           **********
                           **********
                     Diabetes Action Network
                          by Ed Bryant
                           **********
     At the 1999 convention of the National Federation of the
Blind, our Diabetes Action Network will conduct its annual
seminar and business meeting on Friday, July 2, from 1:30 to 4:30
p.m. We are working on getting a podiatrist as our keynote
speaker to cover diabetic foot care. An open panel discussion
will follow this presentation, covering all aspects of diabetes
(including talking glucose monitors). Once again we will have our
Make-the-President-Pay diabetes quiz game, and President Bryant
says he will give a nice donation to the Division for each right
answer! Our seminar is free and open to the public.
                           **********
      The Evaluation and Promotion of Technology Committee
                         by Jim Willows
                           **********
     The NFB's Evaluation and Promotion of Technology Committee
will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 1. As usual we will hear
brief presentations by vendors of technological products for the
blind. They will tell us about their product lines and emphasize
new developments. We will again begin the meeting with
presentations of new technology soon to be announced as products
for blind users. We ask our speakers to make their talks
understandable by the less technically oriented members of the
audience. This has made our meeting popular with convention
attendees who want a general overview of the technology being
displayed at our convention.
                           **********
                     Human Services Division
                         by Doug Elliott
                           **********
     This year the NFB Human Services Division will meet at 1:00
p.m. on Friday, July 2. As usual we will hear from an
interesting, thought-provoking keynote speaker. Two speeches will
be given by blind human-services authorities. At least two panels
of people working as blind therapists in social work, psychology,
or vocational rehabilitation will stimulate group discussion with
thoughtful presentations. Time permitting, we will conduct role
plays with audience participation to help describe and solve
problems. This is an election year. Please come ready to vote for
your favorite candidates. I look forward to seeing you in
Atlanta.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Richard Ring demonstrates Windows 98 to a group
of Federationists.]
         An Introduction to Windows 98 and the Internet
                         by Richard Ring
                           **********
     Windows 98 has replaced MS-DOS as the operating system of
choice in the workplace and at home. For the sighted this has
been for the most part a welcome change. No more complex command
lines to remember. Instead all the sighted user need do is point
and click the mouse, and programs run, files are moved, and the
World Wide Web is accessed. But what about those of us who are
blind? Can a blind person become a productive and efficient user
of Windows 98? The answer is, yes! If you want to begin to
understand how to accomplish this, an Introduction to Windows 98
and the Internet is a seminar you should attend. It will take
place on Wednesday, June 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

     Curtis Chong, director of Technology for the National
Federation of the Blind, and Richard Ring, supervisor of the
International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind, will
host this seminar. What makes this presentation unique is its
approach to teaching Windows 98. When sighted people attempt to
teach blind people Windows 98, they often find it difficult to
get beyond the point-and-click mentality. They are more
interested in the physical layout of the screen than the best way
to access the items and objects on display. We will show you how
to navigate in Windows 98 using the keyboard, how to create
shortcuts to your favorite programs, how to work with popular
Windows applications, what it is like to surf the Web in Windows,
and more.

     Sometimes you just have to use the mouse pointer to access
certain functions within a Windows application. However, screen
readers provide a way for a blind person to manipulate the mouse
pointer from the keyboard. This way a blind user can access
programs that are not keyboard-friendly. We'll even show you how
sounds generated by Windows 98 can serve as valuable cues, as
well as providing a bit of entertainment.

     Many blind people have expressed grave concerns about how
well they can learn to work in Windows 98. What holds true for
blindness in general is true for Windows 98. Given the proper
training, a blind person can not only learn to use Windows but
enjoy doing so. Though we cannot promise you that when you leave
this seminar you will be a Windows expert, we can assure you that
you will come away knowing that Windows need not be an obstacle
to success. Join us and discover, as we already have, that blind
people do Windows!
                           **********
           The Louisiana Center for the Blind Players
                           **********
     Long Ago When Freedom Rang is the title of this year's
original play by Jerry Whittle. Two performances will take place
on Friday evening, July 2. The play is the story of a Vietnam War
veteran who loses everything in order to find himself. Proceeds
from ticket sales will benefit the Louisiana Center.
                           **********
                   Blind Merchants Association
                        by Donald Morris
                           **********
     On Wednesday, June 30, the Blind Merchants Association and
the National Buyers Group will cosponsor a huge food show
featuring scores of manufacturers and hundreds of products. The
time of the show will probably be 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but
check the pre-convention agenda for the exact time and place. The
National Buyers Group will bring you many, many special offers,
deals, and discounts. Be sure to attend this national show to
learn how to take advantage of these special opportunities.

     Once again the Blind Merchants Association will have a
$1,000 raffle to be drawn at the banquet. One dollar tickets can
be purchased from any member of the Blind Merchants Association
or at the Merchants booth in the exhibit hall. Contact Wayne
Shevlin at (919) 847-3470 for raffle tickets to sell.

     Attention vendors: please contact Joe and Laura Van Lent at
(515) 243-6843 to learn the time slot you will be assigned to
work. Many slots are available; please call and volunteer so you
can have the time slot you want.

     As noted above, the Blind Merchants Association will again
be present in the exhibit hall passing out free soft drinks,
selling snack packs, and providing corsages and boutonnieres for
the banquet at a truly modest cost.

     The snack packs contain an assortment of munchies--candy,
chips, and snacks. A nearly $20 value for $5. Vendors, contact
Don Hudson, (303) 447-1615, to let him know the items you will be
donating for the snack packs. Either bring your items to Atlanta
by June 30, or ship them in advance to Kim Williams, 2806 Igou
Ferry Road, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee 37379, or call (423) 842-7582
or (423) 843-7298. Ship via UPS to arrive no later than June 25,
1999. Kim says to mark your shipment "signature not required for
delivery."

     Finally, our annual business meeting will occur from 1:00 to
5:00 p.m. (unless we finish sooner) on Friday, July 2, 1999. I
look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta--come early, stay late.
                           **********
                           Mock Trial
                        by Scott LaBarre
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Lawyers will sponsor the
Second Annual Mock Trial at the 1999 Convention. This trial will
reenact an old Federation case. Federation lawyers will be pitted
against each other, arguing the merits of the two positions. We
will revisit the 1986 Kevan Worley Case, which tackled the issue
of whether a blind man had the right to refuse society's charity
to the blind when that charity was being forced upon him. This
case was tried to a jury and won by the Federation. See your
favorite Federation lawyers strut their legal stuff.

     The audience will serve as the jury. This year's trial
promises to be as entertaining and thought-provoking as last
year's. A nominal charge of $5 for the trial will benefit the
National Association of Blind Lawyers. The trial will take place
on Thursday afternoon, July 1, at 4:30 p.m. somewhere in the
convention hotel. Consult the convention agenda for the exact
place.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Music Division members stand in line to
register.]
                         Music Division
                        by Linda Mentink
                           **********
     The Music Division will again conduct its Showcase of Talent
at this year's convention. It will take place on Saturday
evening, July 3. If you would like to participate in the
Showcase, here are the guidelines: 1) Sign up no later than noon,
Saturday. 2) Perform only one number, taking no more than four
minutes to perform. 3) If you are using a taped accompaniment, be
sure that the tape is cued up properly. Do not sing along with a
vocal artist; you will be stopped immediately. 4) If you need
live accompaniment, make your arrangements before the Showcase
begins.

     Children who plan to participate will be invited to perform
first. The Showcase will be limited to two hours, about twenty-
four performers. Come help us enjoy music.

     The Music Division's annual meeting will take place Thursday
evening, July 1. We are still working on agenda details, but you
won't want to miss the meeting. This is not an election year,
but, if you are serious about music, we hope to see you at Music
Division events in Atlanta. Remember that division dues are $5
and may be paid any time before the meeting. Treasurer Ben Snow's
address is 358 Orange Street, Apartment 409, New Haven,
Connecticut 06511.
                           **********
    National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith
                        by Robert Parrish
                           **********
     It is hard to believe that another NFB convention is around
the corner. With this in mind the leaders of the National
Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith are making plans
for our annual meeting. The theme for this year's seminar is
"Religion and Attitude."

     The date is July 2. As usual, the time and location will be
given at the convention. We are hopeful that we will have Dr.
Elizabeth Browne as our main seminar speaker. As you will recall
from the February, 1998, Braille Monitor, Dr. Browne is a
professor of theology at Loyola University in Chicago and author
of the book Disabled Disciple. A panel discussion, including
audience participation, will follow her address.

     In addition to the seminar, we will conduct a breakfast
meeting to discuss what people have done and can do locally to
strengthen our division. We will also be selling raffle tickets
again this year. Tickets will be $4 each. The first prize will be
$50. The winning tickets will be drawn during the convention.

     As president of the NABICF, I invite you to participate in
our convention activities, and I look forward to seeing you in
Atlanta.
                           **********
             National Association of Blind Educators
                         by Mary Willows
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Educators will meet on
Friday, July 2, 1999, from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. Teachers from all
over the country will gather to share tips on techniques as well
as support for each other with solid advice. Some of the topics
which will be discussed will be readers vs. aides to accomplish
everyday paperwork tasks; technology in and out of the classroom;
and pulling your own weight on the playground.

     This year we will hear from a recently retired teacher and
department head who has seen and done it all when it comes to
managing students, parents and colleagues. Allen Harris will tell
us everything we ever wanted to know about teaching but were
afraid to ask.
                           **********
         The National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs
                        by Connie Leblond
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs (NABE) will
hold its annual division meeting in 1999 with increased momentum
and enthusiasm. Agenda topics will include the right technology
for blind business owners, mapping the future of this division,
accounts of success by on-the-move blind business owners and much
more. The networking of blind people, the sharing of resources,
the collective action of this group of creative individuals have
only just begun to be tapped. Your attendance is welcome and
encouraged. We are changing what it means to be blind one
business at a time.
                           **********
             National Association of Guide Dog Users
                          by Gigi Firth
                           **********
     The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) will
conduct two meetings this year. The first one is the usual
business meeting, which is scheduled on Wednesday, June 30, from
7 to 10 p.m. The second is the seminar "A Guide Dog In Your
Life," to be held Saturday, July 3, from 7 to 10 p.m. The evening
schedule was decided upon to allow members and other interested
people to attend other activities with as little conflict as
possible. Some of the topics to be discussed at these meetings
are puppy-raiser contact, abuse and changing abuse laws, progress
of the Hawaii suit, school updates, and a report on their
activities from Ed and Toni Eames. We will also discuss what it's
really like to have a guide dog, how you know if a guide dog is
right for you, what preparation you need before going into class
for a dog, how you know when it's time to call an instructor, and
how you can best introduce a guide dog into your family.

     Veterinary assistance and help with getting and applying
flea-control medication will also be available. As before, Ed and
Toni are heading the Canine Concerns Committee. This committee
will procure the veterinary assistance and maintain the dog
relief areas.

     We hope to see anyone interested in working with or living
with a guide dog at the meetings this year. Cane users who might
wish to get a guide dog are encouraged to attend since some of
the topics are aimed at this group.
                           **********
              National Association of Blind Lawyers
                        by Scott LaBarre
                           **********
     As the hot and humid days of our Atlanta Convention draw
near, activity in the National Association of Blind Lawyers is
beginning to heat up. First, I would like to invite all of you to
join us in Atlanta to take part in the largest meeting of blind
lawyers and legal professionals held anywhere in the country. The
National Association of Blind Lawyers will meet Friday, July 2,
1999, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in
downtown Atlanta as part of the fifty-ninth annual Convention of
the National Federation of the Blind.

     We will discuss many exciting topics on that afternoon.
Speaking from their expertise, lawyers will give an update on the
current status of laws affecting the blind. We will hear reports
on various advocacy matters in which the Federation has been
involved throughout the last year. We expect that officials from
the American Bar Association, Georgia Bar Association, and
Atlanta Bar Association will address the group about what's new
and exciting in the organized bar of Georgia. Experienced
practitioners will offer strategies on how best to conduct
various types of cases. We will share strategies and techniques
for securing the best possible jobs in the legal field. We expect
to hear from West Group representatives about the latest
developments in West Law and how the blind can access this
important research tool. This and much, much more will take place
at our annual meeting in Atlanta.

     As NABL President I am also pleased to announce that we will
be hosting our second annual reception after the NABL meeting for
blind lawyers, law students, and legal professionals. This
reception will give us the opportunity to get to know each other
and share ideas. Blind law students will be able to learn how
their predecessors did it. Practicing professionals will learn
new tips from their colleagues.

     With our regular meeting, the mock trial, and the reception
the National Association of Blind Lawyers plans to be busy in
Atlanta. Make your plans now and join us in the Home of the
Braves and those Dirty Birds.
                           **********
   National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers
                          by Lisa Hall
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Secretaries and
Transcribers is scheduled to meet on June 30 with registration
beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m. We
are planning a couple of exciting things on the agenda. Anyone
wishing to be a member can contact Lisa Hall, 9110 Broadway, Apt.
J102, San Antonio, Texas 78217; Phone: (210) 829-4571; e-mail:
<lehtex@concentric.net>.
                           **********
             National Association of Blind Students
                          by Shawn Mayo
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Students is ready to take
over Atlanta! This year's seminar will take a look at the history
of the organized blind movement through some of our favorite
songs, address what issues blind students currently face, and
present speakers and panels that lead to thought-provoking
discussion. Whether you are a student in the classroom or a
student of life, you won't want to miss this year's seminar on
Thursday, July 1, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

     As students we also know how to have a good time. So get
your poker face ready, and come join the National Association of
Blind Students at Monte Carlo night on Sunday, July 4, from 8:00
p.m. to Midnight. Card games of all types will be played, and
good fun will be had by all. Cash prizes are given to the first-,
second-, and third-place winners. You will also find us at the
NOPBC's Braille carnival. And be sure not to miss out on the
student parties.
                           **********
                     NFB Amateur Radio Group
                     by D. Curtis Willoughby
                           **********
     In accordance with long-standing tradition, again in 1999
the first meeting of the NFB convention will be the Emergency
Preparedness Seminar conducted by the NFB Ham Radio Group. The
seminar will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30. We will
discuss frequencies to be used during the convention, especially
those to be used in the event of an emergency call-out.

     We will also discuss the architectural features of the
convention hotels and other information that NFB hams must know
about if an emergency response is necessary. The annual business
meeting of the NFB Ham Radio Group will be held at noon on
Monday, July 5.

     Any Atlanta hams who would be willing to do a little
frequency scouting before the convention are asked to contact
Curtis, KA0VBA, phone (303) 424-7373, e-mail,
<ka0vba@dimensional.com>.
                           **********
      National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
                  Computers, the Web, and More!
                         by Curtis Chong
                           **********
     If you want to talk about computers, the World Wide Web,
strategies blind people can use to deal with technological change
in the workplace, and more, come and join the National Federation
of the Blind in Computer Science (NFBCS) at its annual meeting on
Friday, July 2, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration will
begin at 12:30. Here is what we know about the agenda so far.

     Dr. James Thatcher from the IBM Special Needs Systems group
will be talking about the work being done by IBM to promote
accessibility. Dr. Thatcher is a long-time favorite at NFBCS
meetings. His talk is particularly timely in light of the
tremendous amount of publicity we have been seeing regarding a
new program called the IBM Home Page Reader.

     We are organizing a panel of blind computer users to talk
about technological change in the workplace. They will discuss
the challenges brought about by changes and upgrades in software
used by their employers and the strategies which have worked well
to enable them to adapt to the changes.

     Speaking of adapting to change and learning new technology,
we will hear from Project Assist, a program which develops
tutorials designed to teach you how to run an application such as
a word processor, spreadsheet, or data base software with
specific screen access programs.

     There has been a flurry of activity surrounding a new and
improved Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, including a
mandate for the Federal Access Board to develop standards around
procuring accessible electronic and information technology. The
standards promulgated by the Board could have far-reaching
effects upon all kinds of technology; the Federal Government is a
very large purchaser of such things as computers, software, and
other electronic equipment. Therefore it seems appropriate for us
to hear from Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden, who directs the Trace Center
operated out of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr.
Vanderheiden is a strong champion of accessibility to
technologies (both current and future) by people with
disabilities. The Trace Center has done a lot of ground-breaking
work in the area of access to electronic public information
kiosks and other technologies.

     If our plans come to fruition, we will once again hear from
Microsoft about the work it has done and continues to do to
ensure access to its systems and programs. A lot of work has been
done by Microsoft, and many promises have been made. But have we,
as blind computer users, seen the results of this work on the
computers we must use at work, not to mention at home?

     We are also trying to line up a presentation from the Web
Access Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. This is an
effort to ensure that future developments in the World Wide Web
do not push people with disabilities off the information
superhighway. If this body does its work correctly, we have a
very good chance of enjoying full access to all of the mountains
of information available to us on the Web.

     Last but not least, this is a year for electing new officers
and board members in the National Federation of the Blind in
Computer Science. But you have to be a member of NFBCS to vote.
Membership dues in NFBCS are $5 per year.

     Come, pay your dues, and participate in the technologically
enlightening discussions at the NFB in Computer Science meeting.
Remember the date and time: Friday, July 2, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m., at the National Federation of the Blind convention in
Atlanta.
                           **********
                    NFB NET Training Seminar
                        by David Andrews
                           **********
     At one time it was necessary to make a long distance
telephone call to reach NFB NET, the official bulletin board
service (BBS) of the National Federation of the Blind, unless you
were lucky enough to live in the same city in which the BBS was
located. This is no longer the case, thanks to the Internet.

     It is now possible to reach the BBS through Telnet or FTP or
by using a standard Web browser such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer, Netscape, Lynx, PW Webspeak, or IBM's Home Page reader.
NFB Net also hosts a large number of listservs or mailing lists.
See the Braille Monitor, March, 1999.

     The 1999 NFB NET Training Seminar will build on the
information provided by Mr. Chong and Mr. Ring in the Windows
98/Internet training Seminar, which will be held earlier the same
day and teach you how to access NFB NET on the Internet, using
all of the methods just mentioned.

     So, if you want to learn how to use NFB NET using the
Internet from anywhere in the world, attend the 1999 NFB Net
Training Seminar. It will be held on Wednesday, June 30, from
2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. See the pre-convention agenda for
location.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Federation teens gather 'round to talk with Dr.
Jernigan on the platform before a session of the 1998
convention.]
       National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
                       by Barbara Cheadle
                           **********
      For an increasing number of families and educators of blind
children the National Federation of the Blind Convention has
gradually become the place to be over the 4th of July. Although
the events scheduled and sponsored by the National Organization
of Parents of Blind Children are their primary attraction, more
and more parents and teachers have come to understand and
appreciate the relevance of the entire NFB convention program to
their blind children and students. That is why we do not schedule
the entire week with parent workshops or programs. It is
important for parents, children, youth, and teachers to have
sufficient free time to prowl the exhibit hall, attend the NFB
Board meeting, sit in on the NFB Resolutions Committee, take in a
play performed by blind actors, compete in the Music Division's
Showcase of Talent, see a NEWSLINE(R) Network demonstration, or
take part in one or more of the numerous division or committee
meetings, e.g., the National Association of Blind Students, the
National Association to Promote the Use of Braille, the Science
and Engineering Division, the National Association of Blind Piano
Tuners, and the National Association of Guide Dog Users.

     So, as you look at the following parent workshop schedule,
please remember that there is much, much more to experience at an
NFB National Convention, and make your travel plans accordingly.

     Wednesday, June 30: Note: pre-convention agendas with
details on time and location of the following activities (and
others) will be available Tuesday night and Wednesday morning at
NFB information tables in the hotel lobby and in the NFB
Presidential Suite.

* National Seminar for Parents and Teachers of Blind Children:
All-day seminar (registration at 8:00 a.m., sessions from 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) with a general seminar session in the morning
and small-group workshops in the afternoon. Two of our seminar
and workshop speakers will present some exciting information
about computer technology for preschool through high school kids.
Fee: $10 per person.

* NFB Camp for Kids: The main attraction will be the Kenneth
Jernigan Braille Carnival. In honor of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, all
of the activities at this special carnival--games, prizes,
competitions, demonstrations, etc.--will have a Braille theme.
But don't worry, you don't have to know Braille to enjoy the
carnival. In fact there will be activities for any child, blind
or sighted, between the ages of four and twelve. The fee for this
NFB Camp- and NOPBC-sponsored activity is $5 per child, lunch
included. NFB Camp workers and volunteers will supervise the
children throughout all activities, so parents may participate
fully in the seminar for parents.

     Child Care: NFB Camp, under Carla McQuillan's directorship,
will provide child care all day for infants and toddlers.
Children registered for NFB Camp for the week pay no additional
fee: others are asked to contribute $15 per child for the day.
There is no additional fee for children receiving child care
before and after the Kenneth Jernigan Braille Carnival.

* Discovery Day of Fun, Friends, and Fitting In: all-day activity
for youth (blind and sighted) ages twelve to eighteen (or senior
in high school). Conducted in the hotel simultaneously with the
parents seminar. Fee: $15 per teen (includes lunch). Loretta
White of Maryland will coordinate these activities. Loretta White
will also coordinate a Teen Room, where teens can congregate
during free hours to snack, talk, play games, watch movies, or
just hang out. The room will be located next to Loretta's hotel
room and will be supervised by adults at all times. Loretta will
post and distribute a schedule to teens on Wednesday, June 30.
Parents looking for baby sitters to hire might want to drop by
the room to locate interested teens.

* Family Hospitality: Relax and chat with other parents,
teachers, and blind adults while the kids roam and play around
the tables (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). Snacks or light kid-friendly
fare will be provided (donations requested). To add to the fun,
door prizes will be awarded throughout the evening.

* Youth Convention Orientation: Get acquainted with the hotel the
fun way--a scavenger hunt. Two sessions: Kids' Scavenger Hunt
(ages nine through twelve), 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Teen
Scavenger Hunt (ages thirteen through eighteen), 9:00 p.m. to
10:30 p.m. Basic rules: Rule one--Have fun! Rule two--Everyone
who participates must wear a sleepshade (blindfold). Rule three--
Have fun! Rule four--Everyone who participates must carry a white
cane. Sleepshades and canes will be available for loan during the
activity.) Rule five--Please stay with your age group. Part of
the purpose of this activity is to give kids and teens a chance
to meet new people and make friends within their age groups.
Rules six through ten--Have fun!

     Thursday, July 1: This is the best day to register for the
Convention and visit the exhibit hall. The registration fee in
the past has been $10 per person and is required. The special
room rates are contingent upon registration. You will receive a
Convention agenda when you register.

* Conversation with Lilli Nielsen, Ph.D.: A two- or three-hour
drop-in discussion and question-and-answer session. Inventor of
the Little Room and developer of the Active Learning philosophy,
Dr. Nielsen is known worldwide for her work with blind and
multiply handicapped children. In recent years parents and
teachers have discovered that her work also has implications for
blind children who do not have additional disabilities. Location
and time to be announced.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Katie Watson of Wisconsin demonstrates cane
travel to other children and parents.]

* Cane Walk: This activity is directed by Joe Cutter, Pediatric
Orientation and Mobility Specialist, with the assistance of
student teachers from the Louisiana Tech University/Louisiana
Center for the Blind O & M master's program. Parents, teachers,
and blind children team up with instructors (most of them blind)
and go on a cane walk throughout the hotel. Parents and teachers
too have the option of using a cane and sleepshades. This Cane
Walk is designed for the student who is relatively new to cane
travel and for parents who need tips on how to help their
children be more independent travelers. Age of child: toddler
through high school teens (parents of infants may come, too). No
fees, two sessions: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Groups will gather outside the NFB convention
registration room to begin the walk.

* Youth Hang Out: NOPBC and Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland (BISM) Rehabilitation Program are again co-sponsoring a
gathering place where youth (blind and sighted) ages twelve
through eighteen can hang out, meet other kids, and become
familiar with the NFB, the hotel, and the ins and outs of an NFB
Convention. Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Check the NFB Convention
Agenda for room location. Rosemary Lerdahl, Director of the BISM
Rehabilitation Program, will coordinate the teen room. Basic
Rules: Rule one--no parents allowed! (parents, don't worry--adult
volunteer counselors will be present at all times). Rule two--
Have fun! (now you know the reason for rule one). Rule three--No
younger siblings below the age limit! (there may be unusual
exceptions, but we really want to keep this activity for teens
only!). Rules four through ten--Have fun!

     Friday, July 2:

* Annual Meeting of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. State Parent Division reports,
door prizes, a presentation by the 1999 Educator of Blind
Children Award winner, reports on new programs and initiatives
for blind children: these are some of the exciting program items
on the NOPBC agenda. We also have Dr. Lilli Nielsen from Denmark,
who will give a presentation.

* Kids' Field Trip: Trip to the Coca-Cola Museum--see NFB Camp
section for details. Volunteers under NFB Camp Director Carla
McQuillan will accompany children on the trip, leaving parents
free to attend the NOPBC meeting. NFB Camp Child Care services in
the hotel will also be available during the NOPBC meeting for
children too young for the trip or those who choose not to go on
the trip.

     Saturday, July 3:

* NOPBC Board Meeting: The newly elected NOPBC Board will meet
from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., NOPBC members are welcome to
observe.

* IEP Workshop: One of the first (and still the most popular) of
the workshops conducted by the NOPBC at the NFB National
Convention. Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Marty Greiser, Second
Vice President of the NOPBC, will moderate the workshop this
year.

     Sunday, July 4:

* Afternoon workshops for parents: Two or three years ago NOPBC
began to schedule some workshops during the Convention's free
afternoon. These workshops are generally less formal and more in-
depth, intensive, and longer than the workshops on parent seminar
day. Exact topics for these workshops have yet to be confirmed,
but here are a few under serious consideration: Canes and Kids:
Joe Cutter, Pediatric Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Joe
has been conducting outstanding workshops for the NOPBC for
several years. We hope to have him back again this year. Also
under consideration is a technology workshop, exact title and
focus yet to be determined. Workshops will be scheduled between
2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
                           **********
            National Organization of the Senior Blind
                        by Christine Hall
                           **********
     The National Organization of the Senior Blind will be
holding its annual meeting at the NFB National Convention in
Atlanta on Thursday, July 1, 1999, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. At the
time of this writing in January, the Board of Directors is
planning an informative and stimulating agenda. We are pleased to
announce that our new National Organization of the Senior Blind
division brochure is hot off the press and will be available at
the National Convention. Please come and join us. We will be
registering new and old members and collecting dues of $5. We
look forward to seeing you in Atlanta. For further information
regarding the senior division contact Christine Hall, President,
at (505) 268-3895.
                           **********
         The National Association of Blind Piano Tuners
                         by Don Mitchell
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Piano Tuners will meet on
Friday evening, July 2, 1999, at 7:00 p.m. Check your convention
agenda for location. I look forward to seeing many of you this
year. I am planning a visit to the Yamaha piano factory on the
morning of Wednesday, July 7. If you wish to make this trip,
please let me know and plan your return from the convention for
Wednesday afternoon or evening. Send e-mail to
<dsmitch@pacifier.com> or phone (360) 696-1985.
                           **********
                    Public Employees Division
                        by John Halverson
                           **********
     Once again it is almost time for the annual convention of
the National Federation of the Blind. The Public Employees
Division will meet at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 2, 1999, at the
Marriott Hotel. We are planning an exciting agenda. This year's
main topic may be of interest to more than public employees. We
plan to have the director of the General Store as a guest
speaker. The General Store is not a retail establishment selling
everything from groceries to garden supplies. Rather it is a
joint venture of the U.S. General Services Administration, other
federal agencies, and state and local governments. The General
Store offers answers to any government-related question. Subject
matter experts are available to research anything of the kind.
Let's try to stump them.

     We also plan to demonstrate the use of the Internet for
federal job exploration and to have updates on Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act. This is the strengthened law which now may
make it possible for blind federal employees and recipients of
service to sue if they can't effectively use accessible computer
and other office equipment.

     Contact me if you wish to be on the agenda to talk about
your job or if you have any suggestions for further agenda items:
John Halverson, President, Public Employees Division, National
Federation of the Blind, 403 West 62nd Terrace, Kansas City,
Missouri 64113, (816) 361-7813, <johnhal@concentric.net>.
See you in Atlanta.
                           **********
                     Social Security Seminar
                         by James Gashel
                           **********
     An outreach seminar (Social Security and Supplemental
Security Income: What Applicants, Advocates, and Recipients
Should Know) will take place on Sunday afternoon, July 4. The
purpose of this seminar, which will be conducted jointly by the
National Federation of the Blind and the Social Security
Administration, is to provide information on Social Security and
Supplemental Security Income benefits for the blind. Seminar
presenters will be Jim Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs
for the National Federation of the Blind, and a representative to
be announced from the Social Security Administration.
                           **********
                     The Masonic Square Club
                        by Harold Snider
                           **********
     Dr. Jernigan often said that "A convention of the NFB is
like the meeting of the Scottish clans." That is certainly true
if one considers all the endeavors in which Federationists are
involved. The Masonic Square Club is an NFB group comprised of
those involved in one way or another in Freemasonary or its
offshoots. If this includes you, you are invited to attend a
breakfast meeting of the Masonic Square Club, which will take
place at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 4. Any Master Mason, Scottish
Rite Mason, York Rite Mason, or a member of the Tall Cedars or
the Blue Grotto, or a Shriner or anyone ever in DeMolay is
welcome to attend. Any member of the Eastern Star or the
Daughters of the Nile or anyone who was ever a Rainbow Girl is
also welcome to attend. The Masonic Square Club also recognizes
all Prince Hall Masons. In other words, all Federationists who
have ever been affiliated in any way with any Masonic body are
welcome to attend the meeting of the Masonic Square Club at
convention this year. All Masons are encouraged to bring their
wives. Annual membership dues are $10, payable at the breakfast.
Those interested in attending this meeting must make reservations
with Harold Snider before Friday, July 2. Contact him at (301)
460-4142 or by e-mail at <hsnider@concentric.net>.

     It is important that we have a good turnout at this year's
meeting because the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Georgia
has been invited to speak, along with the Sovereign Grand
Inspector General of the Scottish Rite Temple of Georgia and the
Imperial Potentate of the Shrine Temple in Atlanta. Other
speakers are being considered. We must continue to convince our
colleagues in Masonry not to discriminate against us on the
ground of blindness.
                           **********
                What Your Mother Couldn't Tell You
                        by Barbara Pierce
                           **********
     For Teens Only: Are you interested in meeting other blind
young women? Do you want to learn about fashion, flirting,
dating, and other issues faced by blind young women? Do you want
to become more assertive, a self-advocate, an action-oriented
person? Do you want to learn about tips for putting on make-up,
choosing clothes, cooking an elegant meal, or keeping track of
your own stuff? Do you want to meet blind role models? Then come
to the discussion group on Wednesday, June 30.

     For sometime now the Committee on the Status of Blind Women 
of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union
has been discussing ways blind adults might help steady the
transition for blind kids from childhood to adulthood.
Adolescence is hard on everybody, but some of the pressures
facing blind teens are unique to their situation. Two years ago
blind women gathered to discuss some of these issues in an effort
to see how we might help young women move through these difficult
years more successfully than many of us did. A number of women
are interested in continuing these discussions and developing
ways of working personally with groups of teens.

     At this year's convention Dr. Sharon Sacks, assistant
superintendent of the California School for the Blind, and I will
conduct a discussion for young women ages thirteen to eighteen on
Wednesday afternoon, June 30, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. This will be
a chance for some honest talk and the exchange of useful
information. Dr. Sacks has developed instructional materials for
adults working with blind teens and has a good deal of experience
working directly with teens themselves.

     The pre-convention agenda will list the location of this
discussion. It will begin after the lunch provided for teens in
the youth program that day. All blind and visually impaired young
women between thirteen and eighteen, whether or not they have
signed up for the youth activities, are welcome to join this
discussion. Preliminary plans are being made for a similar group
that afternoon for young men. Consult the pre-convention agenda
for information.
                           **********
                        Writers Division
                         by Tom Stevens
                           **********
     Best-selling authors, motivational speakers, newspaper
reporters, and television anchor men have been among the featured
speakers at workshops presented by the Writers Division of the
National Federation of the Blind. Our 1999 seminar/workshop will
convene at 1:30 p.m. on June 30, 1999, in Atlanta at the
convention hotel. Everyone is invited to attend. We will charge a
nominal fee of $5, unless we get a speaker of note who desires to
be highly paid.

     These presentations have been personal, revealing,
entertaining, humorous, and somewhat instructional. It is our
belief that, whether you are a writer or not, the time spent
listening to our speaker will be most pleasing. We always end
with a question-and-answer session, so interaction is also a part
of our program. Block out the time and prepare for a most
stimulating experience with these guests.
                           **********
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Gigi Firth]
                             Recipes
                           **********
     From the Editor: This month's recipes were provided by Gigi
Firth, Secretary of the National Association of Guide Dog Users.
She recommends them all. She also makes the following
announcement: the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
is putting together a cookbook as a fund-raising activity. If you
would like to help us with this project, please send some of your
favorite recipes to Karla Westjohn, Editor, Harness Up, National
Association of Guide Dog Users, 2009 Broadmoor, Champaign,
Illinois 61821. You can send Karla your recipes in Braille or
print or on cassette tape or disk in DOS files. Unfortunately,
Karla doesn't currently have e-mail, so that option is not
available.
                           **********
                     French Market Beignets
                        by Cathy Pinckley
                           **********
     Cathy Pinckley is Gigi Firth's sister.
                           **********
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 package dry yeast
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar
                           **********
     Method: Combine milk, margarine, and brown sugar in a
saucepan; cook over low heat until margarine melts. Stir often.
Cool to approximately 105 to 115 degrees F. Transfer mixture to a
large bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand five minutes; then stir
in egg. Sift flour, salt, and nutmeg together. Add 1-1/2 cups of
the flour mixture to yeast mixture. Beat at medium speed with
electric mixer until smooth (1 or 2 minutes). Stir in remaining
flour to make soft dough. Place dough in a well greased bowl,
turning to grease top. Cover and let dough rise in a warm place
free from drafts about one hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch
dough down and turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead four or
five times. Roll dough into a 15-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into
3-inch squares. Then cut each diagonally. Place on a floured
surface and let rise in a warm place free from drafts about
thirty minutes or until double in bulk. Pour three inches of oil
into a fryer or Dutch oven. Heat to 375 degrees. Fry a few at a
time about one minute on each side or until golden brown. Drain
on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes
about forty.
                           **********
                           **********
                      Cathy's Hush Puppies
                        by Cathy Pinckley
                           **********
Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 cup sweet milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 large onion grated
1 small can corn
                           **********
     Method: Mix all ingredients together just before frying. Do
not stir any more than absolutely necessary. Drop by
tablespoonfuls into oil in electric frying pan or deep fryer
heated to 400 degrees. Cook about four minutes on each side till
hushpuppies are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep
warm.
                           **********
                           **********
                        Lemon Ice Box Pie
                        by Carolyn Fisher
                           **********
     Carolyn Fisher is Gigi Firth's mother and the compiler of
the family cookbook from which these recipes come.
                           **********
Ingredients:
3 lemons (choose juicy ones)
3 eggs, separated
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla wafers
Butter or stick margarine
                           **********
     Method: Crush vanilla wafers in the bottom of an 8-by-8-by
2-inch pan or round 9-inch pie plate. Drizzle enough melted
butter over wafers to moisten all crumbs. Line sides of pan with
whole wafers. In a bowl beat egg yolks until frothy. Add juice
from the lemons and beat until mixed. Add condensed milk while
beating. In a separate bowl make meringue. Egg whites will
achieve better volume if they come to room temperature before
beating. If still cold, set the bowl in a bowl of warm water
until they warm up. Add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or baking
powder) and a pinch of salt to whites as you begin beating. Beat
egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add six
tablespoons of sugar, one at a time, and beat until meringue is
stiff and shiny. Pour lemon mixture into wafer-lined pan and top
with meringue. Seal meringue to wafers. Bake at 400 degrees or
until meringue is lightly brown (from five to ten minutes).
Refrigerate until chilled through. Serves nine.
                           **********
                           **********
                     Asparagus, George Style
                         by Polly Fisher
                           **********
     George Fisher is Gigi's brother, and Polly is his wife.
                           **********
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus (must be tender, pencil-size is best)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
1/2 cup white wine (only good drinking wine)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon canola oil
                           **********
     Method: In large frying pan heat butter and oil. Saute
garlic, stirring for about five minutes or until it begins to
turn light brown. Add asparagus and saute for about five minutes.
The asparagus should still be tender crisp. Add the wine and
simmer for two to three minutes. Then serve. You can also saute
fresh mushrooms or onions before adding the asparagus. Allow each
to cook to desired doneness; however, the asparagus must be
crisp. If not, George won't eat it! Any leftovers make excellent
cream of asparagus soup.
                           **********
                           **********
                          Broccoli Soup
                        by Carolyn Fisher
                           **********
Ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups reconstituted dry milk
16 ounces frozen broccoli
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tony Chacherie Creole Seasoning
                           **********
     Method: Cook frozen broccoli in a small amount of water
until tender. In an iron skillet melt butter, add flour, and stir
until well mixed but not brown. Add milk, stirring constantly.
Stir constantly until soup thickens. Add cooked broccoli and
seasoning. Serve hot. Use larger package of broccoli if desired.
The more broccoli the better it is. For those who like things
spicier, add more Tony's to taste.
                           **********
                           **********
                          Seafood Gumbo
                        by Carolyn Fisher
                           **********
Stock Ingredients:
2 packages dried shrimp
3 or 4 stalks celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 catfish fillets
Gumbo Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
2 large packages frozen shrimp (or equal amount of fresh shrimp)
1 package frozen crabs for gumbo or 1 can crab meat
3/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
file (optional)
                           **********
     Method: In a large stock pot with four or five quarts of
water, combine all stock ingredients. Boil for thirty-five to
forty minutes. Strain through colander. Rescue catfish and return
to liquid. Discard the remaining solids in colander. Reserve
stock. In a heavy skillet over high heat to begin with, heat the
cooking oil and flour. When flour begins to brown, reduce heat
and brown slowly, stirring constantly, until flour is dark brown.
(A properly made roux is the secret to good gumbo.) The brown you
want is almost black but never burned. If you get little black
specks of burned flour, throw mixture out and start again. There
is no way to rescue it. When roux is done, pour off excess oil,
or skim off the excess from gumbo before serving. (Tip: If you
have trouble getting the roux browned properly or if you are
worried about browning it too much, add a teaspoon of Kitchen
Bouquet per gallon of gumbo. This spice will darken the gumbo and
add some flavor as well.) Add roux to liquid in stock pot. To
this add frozen shrimp, package of frozen crabs for gumbo or 1
can crab meat, salt, pepper, and cayenne. At the last minute add
finely chopped green onions. Cook gumbo only until shrimp are
done. Do not overcook, or shrimp will be tough. Serve over rice
and add file. Never let file come to a boil. File can be served
at the table and added to taste by each diner. Since File cannot
be reheated, in this way gumbo can be saved and reheated. There
are many ways to make gumbo. Here are a few options for seafood
gumbo. The celery and onions can be finely chopped and left in
the stock instead of discarding. Parsley is also good. Add with
green onions. The amount of seafood used can be varied to suit
your taste (and pocketbook). Oysters can be added if you like
them.
                           **********
                           **********
                       Monitor Miniatures
                           **********
The Personal Organizer That Does It All:
     Parrot Plus v3 is the third generation of Parrot pocket-
size, voice-activated and -operated Organizers. It weighs 5.3
ounces and is .7 inches thick.

     It uses the latest digital data storage and speech-
recognition technologies to provide a talking organizer with a
wide range of features. You can retrieve phone numbers and
addresses by speaking a name and perform speak-to-dial functions
from most phones. It also features a digital note taker, a vocal
appointment book with reminder, a talking alarm clock, and a
talking calculator.

     Parrot Plus v3 is specifically adapted to the blind and
visually impaired. It now has the following improvements:

     * The default mode is set to accessibility. You don't have
to go to the Control Panel to activate spoken menus and prompts
when you get started the first time.

     * All functions are spoken as you select them.

     * The Control Panel options and settings all speak.

     * Double clicking on the side click from the Control Panel
speaks the amount of free memory.

     * All digits are spoken as you type them in

     * In the Calculator function operators and numbers are
spoken as you type them.

     Parrot Plus v3 is powered by four AAA batteries for a few
months. No charger required. Parrot Plus v3 still costs only $200
from the NFB's Materials Center. Our entire supply of Parrot Plus
units has been up-graded to version 3. According to those who
have used it, it is an immensely helpful organizer. Get yours
while the supply lasts.
                           **********
Simply Talker Screen-Reader Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     Econonet International's Simply Talker 98 Screen Access for
Windows 95 and Windows 98 has never been so affordable. This
screen reader has a Smart-Tracking feature that reads with a
human-like voice what the user is doing on the screen. It allows
access to the Windows 95/98 desktop and provides ample support
for thirty-two-bit applications using Microsoft's Active
Accessibility API. It also enables access to the Internet with
its very own talking Web browser, Simply Web 98.

     Simply Talker 98 includes a U.S. English software speech
synthesizer, which works through your existing sound card. A
hardware synthesizer can also be used. Program requires 486 or
better IBM-compatible computer, sixteen-megabyte RAM, Windows 95
or 98, and a sixteen-bit sound card or an SSIL/SAPI compliant
synthesizer. Simply Web 98 requires Microsoft's Internet Explorer
3.02 or higher. Price: $50.

     In addition to the U.S. English synthesizer, the
International version includes one of the following ETI-Eloquence
software synthesizers: French, Castilian Spanish, Mexican
Spanish, German, Italian, and UK English. Price: $75.

     For more information visit our Web site at
<http://www.econointl.com/>.
                           **********
New Web Browser:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
EconoNet International announces the release of its free talking
Web browser, Simply Web 98, which can be used in stand-alone mode
because it includes a software synthesizer. It can also be used
with a screen reader since it is speech friendly. It is 100%
accessible when used in conjunction with our screen reader,
Simply Talker 98. This Web browser uses Internet Explorer 3.02 or
greater. However, optimum performance and accessibility are
achieved when using it with Internet Explorer 4.01. If you have
installed or purchased our latest screen reader, Simply Talker
98, you do not need to download and install this Web browser
because it comes bundled with the program.

     For more information or to download a copy of your free
talking Web browser, go to <http://www.econointl.com/>, and
follow the link that points to Simply Web 98.
                           **********
Elected:
     The Capital Chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania recently
elected new officers. They are Fred Leader, President; Jerry
Handel, Vice President; Cindy Handel, Secretary; Ann Leader,
Treasurer; and Chris Boone, Norma Flinchbaugh, and Nick Peters,
Board Members.
                           **********
Stamps Labeled in Braille:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     As members of the community that's the home of the Alabama
School for the Blind, we at the Talladega, Alabama, Post Office
take great pride in offering a new service to all sight-impaired
customers. We are now selling stamps by mail with Braille
labeling. Each book or coil comes with a Braille label attached
indicating the value of the stamps and the number of stamps
purchased. We also offer, free of charge, a retail products list
printed in Braille. This list includes padded mailing bags,
manila envelopes, mailing tape, etc. To order a free retail
products list or to order stamps with Braille labeling, send a
check or money order to Stamps with Braille, 127 East Street,
North, Talladega, Alabama 35160-9998.
                           **********
Elected:
     During the January, 1999, meeting of the Seattle Chapter of
the NFB of Washington annual elections were conducted. The new
officers are Dan Frye, President; Rita Szantay, First Vice
President; Stephanie Yates, Second Vice President; Renee West,
Secretary; Gary Deeter, Treasurer; and Ben Prows and Yelana
Semenyuk, Board Members.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: NFB of Arizona President Bruce Gardner (left)
pins a U.S. flag lapel pin on Gus Ortiz's collar (right).]
New American Citizen:
     We are delighted to pass along the following report from
Bruce Gardner, President of the NFB of Arizona:

     Gustavo (Gus) Ortiz of Chandler, Arizona, was sworn in as a
new American citizen on February 5, 1999. Gus is an active member
of the NFB of Arizona's East Valley Chapter. He attended his
first National Convention in 1996 in Anaheim, and he has come to
each one since. Gus will be starting training in the Business
Enterprises Program soon. Congratulations, Gus.
                           **********
Elected:
     The Columbia Chapter of the NFB of Missouri has elected new
officers for 1999. They are Debbie Houchen, President; Bill Neal,
Vice President; Carol Coulter, Treasurer; Tom Stevens, Secretary;
and June Homan, Historian.
                           **********
For Sale:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     Braille 'n Speak 640 for sale, carrying case, charger, and
connecting cable, no flash. Asking $700, negotiable. Call Kathy,
(617) 969-3496, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
                           **********
International Music Competitions:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     Czech Blind United announces the eighth International
Competition of the Blind and Partially Sighted Music Composers
and the ninth International Competition of the Blind and
Partially Sighted Musicians.

     The music composers competition is open to living blind and
partially sighted music composers from all countries of the
world. There is no age limit. In order to be accepted,
compositions should be submitted by October 15, 1999,
International White Cane Day. The competition for musicians is
open to any blind or partially sighted musician between sixteen
and twenty-three years of age. The preliminary registration form
must be submitted no later than May 31, 1999, and the completed,
obligatory registration form should be submitted no later than
October 31, 1999. For detailed information regarding both
competitions, contact SONS (Czech Blind United), Competition
Secretariat, Karlinske namesti 12, 186 03 Praha 8, Czech
Republic, phone +420 2 2427 7393, fax +420 2 2481 8398, e-mail
<sons_zahr@braillnet.cz>. [The "e" of namesti needs a breve mark
over it, but I could not find a Control-V command for it in WP.]
                           **********
Elected:
     At its November 20, 1998, meeting, the Johnson County
Chapter of the NFB of Kansas elected new officers. They are Carol
Clark, President; Susie Stanzel, Vice President; John Thompson,
Treasurer; Jeff Frye, Recording Secretary; and Don Payne,
Corresponding Secretary.
                           **********
Business Reference in Braille and Large Print:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     The American Institute of Small Business announces the
availability of its best-selling two-volume set of books entitled
How to Set Up Your Own Small Business, in both Braille and large
print. The new text is like an encyclopedia for starting and
operating a small business.

     The book contains examples and case studies. Subjects
include choosing the right business, financing and where to go
for funding, writing the business plan, advertising, public
relations, site selection, franchising, legal considerations,
bookkeeping, computer applications, sources of supply, sales and
sales forecasting, home-based business, and more.

     For information write or call the American Institute of
Small Business, 7515 Wayzata Boulevard, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55426, (800) 328-2906.
                           **********
For Sale:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     DecTalk Express, hardly used, comes complete with driver
software, $600 or best offer. Also for sale, JAWS for Windows
3.1, hardly used, comes with manuals, $400 or best offer. Contact
Paul Amirian at <hkr@flash.net>.
                           **********
Goin' Fishing:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     The Helen Keller Fishing Club is now scheduling trips aboard
boats for the 1999 season from ports along the North and South
Shores of Long Island. The club is entering its fifty-first
season and is the only deep-sea fishing club in the United States
for men and women who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-
blind.

     If you are interested in accompanying this unique club for a
day of fishing and relaxation or want more information on
becoming a member, contact Walter Bach at Helen Keller Services
for the Blind, 57 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or
call (718) 522-2122.
                           **********
For Sale:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     I am selling a Fast Charge Braille 'n Speak 640 for $800 and
a Fast Charge Disk Drive for $200. The Braille 'n Speak contains
the July, 1996, software revision. Both items are in great
condition and come with a full array of hardware and software
accessories, as well as the $50 Blazie Checkbook Program--no
extra charge. Moreover, if you make your purchase during the
month of April, I'll arrange to have the Braille 'n Speak updated
on my nickel. You won't find another deal like this anywhere, so
get it while it's hot. For more information contact Jason Farrar
at 2711 Wilton Drive, Cambria, California 93428, Phone: (805)
927-0193, E-mail: <jfarrar@thegrid.net>.
                           **********
Interactive Training CD for Windows 95:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     NavigAide is a fully interactive training CD developed by
the Bartimaeus Group to teach visually impaired people the basics
of Windows 95. It contains between ten and twelve hours of
training and is fully interactive, monitoring the keyboard
activity of the user to provide feedback when mistakes are made.
Its other major features include a bookmark, a go-to-page
feature, variable speeds at which the courses can be played, a
page-number command, and more. For more information on NavigAide
contact the Bartimaeus group by phone at (703) 442-5023, on the
World-Wide Web at <www.bartsite.com>, or by regular mail at
Bartimaeus Group, 1481 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 100, McLean,
Virginia 22101.
                           **********
Halt!:
     Monitor readers who have been sending Braille for use abroad
to 4433 7th Avenue, Sacramento, California 95820 are requested to
stop. The recipients are now overwhelmed with the response and
cannot handle more.
                           **********
Braille Books and Equipment Needed:
     The National Institute for the Disabled of Bhutan seeks
items for its library. Readers are encouraged to donate Braille
materials in good condition in English with preference to novels,
current events, popular magazines and periodicals, children's
books, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, and books on
Buddhism. 

     Also needed are Perkins Braillers, cassette recorders,
talking book players/recorders, talking watches, talking
calculators, slates and styluses, and white canes. The receipt of
your gift will be acknowledged. Send items marked non-commercial
to The National Institute for the Disabled, Khaling, P.O.
Khaling, Bhutan.
                           **********
Information Needed:
     Kristine Watkins recently wrote with the following inquiry:

     Some years ago I bought a very nice little cassette recorder
that played NLS-recorded books. I would like to know how to get
another. It played and recorded on four tracks and had both
speakers and ear phones. It was a truly user-friendly machine.
Its most notable characteristic was that it required FIVE AA
batteries. If you can identify this machine, please write to
Kristine Watkins, 208 Bay Avenue, Cape Charles, Virginia 23310,
call (757) 331-3111, or e-mail <kristinewatkins@erols.com>.
                           **********
Elected:
     The Austin Chapter of the NFB of Texas elected new officers
at its January meeting. They are Zena Pearcy, President; Wanda
Hamm, First Vice President; Mary Ward, Second Vice President;
Norma Gonzales Baker, Secretary; and Margaret (Cokie) Craig,
Treasurer. Board Members are Mike Waddles and Diane Domingue.
                           **********
Materials Needed:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     Fundacion Mundo Opportunidades (World Foundation of
Opportunities) collects, refurbishes, and distributes materials
for disabled children and adults in Costa Rica. This organization
was started in 1998 by the First Lady of Costa Rica, Lorena Clare
de Rodriquez. This is a nonprofit organization and will continue
to function in succeeding administrations.

     Materials needed include canes, slates and styluses, rulers
and measuring tapes, abacuses, Braille writers, walkers, Braille
paper, and visual aids. Please mail all donations to Despacho De
La Primera Dama, Ministerio De La Presidencia, (Fundacion Mundo
De Opportunidades) Casa Presidencia, Apartado 520-Zapote, Costa
Rica, Central America.
                           **********
New Chapter:
     The Dane County Chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind of Wisconsin was recently re-established. Newly elected
officers are President, Jim McCarthy; Vice President, Jodi Cowle;
Secretary, Melissa Lehman; and Treasurer, Dave Ballman.
                           **********
New Hadley Course Catalog Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     The Hadley School for the Blind has just published a new
edition of its course catalog. Available in large print and
Braille and on audiocassette or computer disk, the catalog
describes ninety-one courses offered to blind individuals. All
courses are offered through distance education and are completely
free of charge. Contact The Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm
Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093-0299, (847) 446-8111, or fax
(847) 446-9916.
                           **********
For Sale:
     Crystal McClain, President of the parents division of the
NFB of Ohio, asks us to carry the following announcement:

     The Parents of Blind Children of Ohio offer the following
items for sale:

     We are accepting orders for rhinestone NFB and guide dog
pins. These pins are of high quality and are selling like
hotcakes for $8.50 each, which includes shipping. The NFB pin
consists of the letters NFB in clear rhinestones. The letters are
approximately one-half inch high. The guide dog pins are clear
rhinestones that make the outline of a dog's head. The pins are
suitable for both men and women to wear to NFB banquets and on
other dressy occasions. We also have Cane Walk T-shirts for sale.
The shirt has two stick figures on the front (an adult and a
child) both using canes. Above the picture in large letters are
the words, "Take a Hike!" Under the picture it says "Annual White
Cane Walk Sponsored by the Parents Division of Blind Children."
The back of the shirt has a cane in a diagonal position with the
message: The Long White Cane: a necessary tool for a blind kid to
achieve independence, acceptance, safety, and a future! The
shirts are available in royal purple with white lettering in the
following sizes: youth: 10-12 or 14-16; adult: large, XL, or XXL.
We also have bright yellow shirts with white lettering in youth
sizes only: youth: 6-8, 10-12, and 14-16. The shirts are $12,
including shipping. Send your order and a check made payable to
Parents of Blind Children of Ohio, 1070 Twp Rd 181,
Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311. For more information call (937) 599-
5782 or e-mail <mcclain@loganrec.com>. 
                           **********
Business Opportunity:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     An online shopping center making available electronically
the goods and services of such well-known companies as Land's
End, L.L. Bean, Hammacher-Schlemmer, Cabella, Rubbermaid,
Kellogg, Franklin-Covey, Panasonic, New Balance, Botany, and a
host of others. Electronic commerce is growing, and you can
become a distributor by signing up now. Contact Kenneth A.
Gatteys, Gatteys Enterprises, 5022 Highridge, Garland, Texas
75043, (972) 682-0269.
                           **********
Craft Books Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

     I have compiled a wide selection of knitting, crochet, and
cooking books at reasonable prices. They include several knitting
afghan and blanket books, potpourri, sweaters for both adults and
children, wash cloths, several books with hats, gloves, scarves,
mittens, slippers, knit and crochet toys, knit and crochet baby
shower books and lots more. Among the recipe books are Meals
Across the Miles, several three-ingredient cookbooks, Lipton mix
cookbook, and cookies galore. I have also started a general
section which has to date a book of poetry and also one which is
called Kitchen Cupboard Remedies.

     If you are interested in any of these or wish to receive a
catalog, please write to Marjorie Arnott, 1446 North Coronado
Street, Chandler, Arizona 85224-7824, or call (408) 345-8773. You
can also find my catalog on my home page at
<http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rowan/marjorie-crafts.html>.
                           **********
New York School for the Blind Reunion Announcement:
     The Alumni Association of the New York State School for the
Blind will hold its annual reunion in Batavia the weekend of June
11 to 13, 1999. We are looking forward to finding new members or
people who have not renewed membership for a long time. If you
ever went to our school, even if you did not graduate, you are
eligible. If you can't come to the reunion, we invite you to join
our Association. Dues are $5 per year and allow you to get the
annual bulletin. Send checks to Alumni Association NYSSB. For
more information contact Sukosh Fearon, 501 Broad Street, Oneida,
New York 13421.

     We are also producing two lists for alumni association
members. One will contain all e-mail addresses for members who
are online. The other will contain all ham calls of members. If
we get enough participants, we will have Braille copies of each
list at the reunion. To be on either list, contact Tim Hendel,
3619 Patton Road, Apartment 15, Huntsville, Alabama 35805, (256)
512-9988, or e-mail <tim@hiwaay.net>.

                           **********
Invitation to a Reception and Dance: 
     Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky
cordially invite you to join us in Louisville for a gala
celebration in the Galt House Hotel Ballroom from 7:00 p.m. to
midnight on May 8. This wonderful evening is free of charge,
except for the cash bar. An orchestra will play big-band music
for your listening and dancing pleasure, and free food will be
available for your enjoyment. We hope some of our Federation
friends will come help us celebrate the successes of outstanding
blind individuals and the progress made toward elevating the
status of the blind during the twentieth century. 

      Short tributes will be given by dignitaries from the
University of Louisville, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and
the American Printing House for the Blind. If you are wondering
what triggered this wonderful celebration and why we chose the
eighth day of May, Dr. Marc Maurer, our own NFB President, is
receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the
University of Louisville earlier in the day. So naturally we want
to celebrate. Y'all come!

     For more information call NFB of Kentucky President Betty
Niceley after 5:00 p.m. EDT or weekends at (502) 897-2632.
                           **********
                           **********
                           NFB PLEDGE
                           **********
     I pledge to participate actively in the effort of the
National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality,
opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies
and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.
