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SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES


Blind Washingtonian subscriptions cost the Federation about five
dollars per year.  Members are invited, and non-members are
requested, to cover the subscription cost.  Donations should be
made payable to National Federation of the Blind of Washington and
sent to:  National Federation of the Blind of Washington Post
Office Box 2516 Seattle, Washington 98111


Bennett Prows, President
Post Office Box 2516
Seattle,  Washington 98111
(206) 823-6380                          

Albert Sanchez, Editor
East 707 Garland
Spokane, Washington 99207
(509) 487-0809

BLIND WASHINGTONIAN
SUMMER - FALL 1993


     Address changes, requests for editional coppies of this
newsletter, and articles should be sent to the Editor.
EDITOR'S CORNER
BY Albert Sanchez

OOPS!!!
     One of the things that makes the task of editing a newsletter
difficult is the discovery of  mistakes.  In the Winter 1992 - 1993
issue of the Blind Washingtonian, right on  the front page, we had
an error.  It reads:  "Blind Washingtonian subscriptions cost the
Federation about five dollars per issue. ..."  It should read: 
"Blind Washingtonian subscriptions cost the Federation about five
dollars per year. ..."  We are sorry for any confusion this might
have caused our readers.

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!
     Doug Trimble has been a long-time leader in this affiliate. 
As Federationists know, in addition to receiving the second annual
Beverly Prows scholarship last October, he and Dan Frye spent the
summer working at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Denver. 
Appearantly, Doug made a good impression on the management of CCB,
because earlier this year he was offered, and accepted a full-time
staff  position in Colorado.  While we will miss Doug, we know that
he will do a great job and continue to work hard to help blind
persons learn to believe in themselves.

MUCH THANKS!
     Before leaving this portion of our newsletter, I want to thank
you all again for your help in making this publication possible. 
I appreciate hearing from you with your suggestions on how we can
make our Blind Washingtonian both interesting and informative. 
Remember, if you want to contact me you may do so in braille, on
computer disk, typewritten print or via modem, I look forward to
hearing from you.

     For the past several  years we have had our newsletter put
into braille by Father Palmer Memorial Braille Service, in Spokane.

They have done a fine job and we have appreciated there fine work. 
Our last issue, (Winter 1992 - 1993), was done by our Oregon
Affiliate, nice job and thanks to the NFB of Oregon!

A MATTER OF SCALE
By Gary Deeter

(Editor's Note:  Gary Deeter is a long-time member of our Greater
Seattle chapter. He may not have much to say, but when he does,
its right on the mark.  He sent me the following article shortly
after the Mini-convention in March of this year.)
Why are people so afraid of diversity.  The example that comes so
vividly to mind is the fervor displayed by adults in forcing
young blind people to use any residual sight rather than learn
braille.  It is obvious to me that this approach is taken not
because it is best for the child, but it is best for the psyche
of the adult.  Is the opportunity to live in a diverse world with
the quality it can offer lost to these adults?

I am a partial vision person.  Although I function well reading
print with the proper technology the pressure is felt to try and
see more.  My low vision optometrist tells me that many people
with my acuity, or even less, have a driver's license.  This is
the same dilemma that faces the child who is told that reading
print is better than reading braille.  The message for adults is
it is better to drive than ride the bus.  The issue of public
safety does not seem to enter into the discussion.  The general
public would much rather take the chance that a low vision person
could kill someone in an automobile accident than accept that it
is all right for someone to be different.

I offer these observations to illustrate what we in the National
Federation of the Blind are up against.  Society in general will
always want everyone to conform to an accepted norm.  Reading
braille and riding the bus are certainly not in the norm.  The
fight will be never ending.  The pressures are immense to conform
to the general perception of the norm.  Passage of the Braille
bill in Washington State is essential as a tool to help the blind
show everyone else that it is okay to be an individual.


1993 NFB of WASHINGTON CONVENTION
BY  Bennett Prows

     It's time to beat the bushes, beat the drums, then beat your
feet to the 1993 NFB of Washington Convention.  This year's
celebration of Federationism will be held at the Holiday Inn Boeing
Field at 11224 Pacific Highway South in Seattle from October 15
through October 17, 1993.  We plan many activities that are
important to the blind population of this State and of the nation.

     Betty Nicely, President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Kentucky has been appointed by President Marc Maurer to
represent the national office at this year's Washington State
CONVENTION.  Betty has many attributes, one of which is to convey
to all of us the energy of true federation spirit.  You won't want
to miss her presentations on Saturday October 16.  This is your
opportunity to meet and get to know a great national board member. 

     The activities begin on Friday with a student division
seminar. Our scholarship award will be held on Saturday at the
banquet, and a discussion of rehabilitation services will be a part
of this year's activities also.  So, you students will want to take
a break from the mundane, unimportant scholastic activities, and
join the study of the NFB of Washington.

     The room rates are still good.  $52.00 each night for singles,
doubles, tripples, and quads.  The registration is $15.00 prior to
the 10th of October, and $18.00 at the door.  Be there!

CHAPTER NEWS

     (Editors Note:  This section of the Blind Washingtonian is
dedicated to Chapter Reports.  We hope you find it interesting.)

SPOKANE COUNTY CHAPTER 
By Susan Phillipy
     The Spokane County chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind wants you to know that it is alive and growing!

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
     In the last six months we have had three new people become
members.

     Lynda Waring moved to Spokane last fall from California.  Some
of you met her at this year's mini-convention.  She is the mother
of three children, (Robin 16, Stacey 13, and David 11), and is
currently looking for work in the area of child-care.

     Linda Schappals is currently enrolled as a student at Eastern
Washington University, in Cheney.  She is majoring in Applied
Psychology with a minor in alcohol and drug addiction counseling. 
She has jumped right into being an active member as co-chair of our
fundraising committee.  She is also a transplanted Californian.  On
top of her studies and activity in the chapter, Linda and her
fiance Dweight are operating a "juice bar" at the Spokane
Marketplace each Saturday this summer.

     Karen Holman came to us in February, the mother of a deaf-
blind daughter, Ashley, as the result of our Statewide "kiddy cane"
bank.  Unfortunately, due to Ashley's illness and subsequent death
from a nerve disorder, Karen has not been as active as she would
have wished.  She Says: "I want to be active because of what I have
learned from you!"  She and her husband Bob are the parents of two
other children.  Karen works as a secretary for the Spokane City
Engineering Department, while Bob works as a "feeder" driver for
United Parcel service.

OUTREACH AND FUNDRAISING
     While we are proud to have our new members, we have been
active in other areas as well.  Our chapter President, Albert
Sanchez, has been busy on the "speaking tour".  He has spoken to
several community groups recently such as the Kiwanis club, and the
Quota Club of Spokane County.  

     We started the year off with a fifty-fifty drawing at the
mini-convention in March.  After that, John Croy and Linda
Schappals, did a booth at a "Scoutarama" in early June, where
literature was distributed and braille name cards were made.  Also
in June we had a "yardsale" in my front yard that was moderately
successful.  We distributed literature and sold some nice items. 
Linda Schappals got the Spokane Indians baseball team to donate
some tickets for which we had a drawing.  Probably  the best, (and
most unusual)  fundraiser project that we did this summer was
"Neighborday".  During the July 4th  weekend we raised funds by
having a "car parking concession."



(Editor's Note:  We have been asked to mention the following):


NAPUB PLANS NATIONAL BRAILLE-A-THON FOR DETROIT
      
     For the past five years, the National Federation of the Blind
of Louisiana has held a Braille-A-Thon as a pre-convention event at
its state convention as a means to both promote Braille literacy
and to raise funds for the state affiliate.

     During the past five years, the NFBL has raised over five
thousand dollars and has received some excellent publicity about
Braille literacy in almost every major city in Louisiana.

     Volunteer Braille readers pledge to read a set number of
Braille pages between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. on the Friday before
a state convention begins.  For several weeks prior to the state
convention, these volunteer readers procure sponsors, and then the
volunteers gather in a large room in the hotel where the state
convention is held and complete their page goals.  Some read as
many as three hundred pages, and others read just a few pages.  For
example, Harold Wilson raised over $11300.00 on just ten pages the
first year the event was held.  Harold, who had just completed
grade two Braille at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, pledged to
read his ten hard-earned pages during the Braille-A-Thon, and using
a sign-up sheet, he found persons in his hometown who were willing
to pay him money to see him reach his page goal.  "It was easy to
find sponsors.  People seem to like the idea of helping us become
better readers.  There is still a mystique about Braille, and the
more we promote and show people that it is not so amazing, the
better off we will be," Harold said.  During one Braille-A-Thon in
New Orleans in 1989 the New Orleans Times Piceyune featured a blind
father and daughter both reading Braille together, and almost every
major television station in cities like Shreveport and Baton Rouge
has covered this event.

     Because the Braille-A-Thon has drawn many volunteer readers in
Louisiana and because it is an excellent way to promote Braille
through the media in different cities each year, the National
Association To Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) has decided to
hold a similar event at next year's national convention in Detroit,
and if successful, it will be continued at each national
convention.  "We expect to have excellent Braille readers and
brand-new Braille readers participating on Saturday from 9:00 A.M.
to 4:00 P.M. In Detroit," said Betty Niceley, President of NAPUB. 
"We should have at least two hundred people reading Braille in one
room in Detroit, and we will try our best to have every major
television station and newspaper in the Detroit area there to cover
the event.  We will be calling on our membership in NAPUB to pledge
to read their pages and to find sponsors in their home states who
would be willing to pay them handsomely for their hard work.  Half
of the money will go to NAPUB and half will go to the national
organization.  If Louisiana can raise two thousand for a state
convention, there is no reason why we couldn't raise over one
hundred thousand for our national Braille-A-Thon," said Nicely,
smiling.  "We want to make this an annual event.  I bet it will be
one of the quietest fund raisers we could ever have."

     If you would like to participate and receive some sponsor
sheets, you may contact either Betty Nicely, 3818 Dayton Avenue,
Louisville, KY 40207, (602) 897-2832 or Jerry Whittle, 101 South
Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270, (800) 234-4186.NFB of Washington
 East 707 Garland
Spokane, WA 99207


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