THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR

SUMMER 1993

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF
MARYLAND



ATTENTION PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN!
1994 BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS
CONTEST.
Call Loretta White (410) 360-5108 for Details


LAYOFFS AT BISM

by Sharon Maneki

We reported rather favorably, but with reservations, on
initiatives at BISM in the last issue of this newsletter.
Unfortunately, our concerns were justified. 
   A BISM spokesperson announced that in May, the
subassembly operation at Baltimore was eliminated, and 28
employees were laid off. The Salisbury work force was also
decreased by 19. In June another 22 employees were laid off in
Salisbury. 
   The spokesperson stated that the closing of the
subassembly operation and the reductions at Salisbury were
caused by a severe reduction in the sweatshirt allocation from
NIB, and went on to announce that 12 employees would be called
back to work in Salisbury in the middle of August. 
   We have also learned that employees in Cumberland would
be furloughed for a week in August. To the best of our
knowledge, BISM has made no reductions in its management and
administrative staff.  


NFB STRENGTHENS MAYOR'S
 COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES

From the editor: Two of the tenets of Federation
philosophyspeaking for and representing ourselves, and
achieving first-class statuscaused us to mount a campaign to
strengthen the bill creating the Mayor's Commission on
Disabilities, which was introduced to the Baltimore City
Council last spring. As the Commission was originally
proposed, only the consumer representatives of persons with
disabilities, not the agency representatives, were required to
be residents of Baltimore City. As originally proposed, the
Commission would be dominated by agency representatives rather
than persons with disabilities. As originally proposed, there
was no assurance that the chairman of the Commission would be
a person with a disability. The members of our Baltimore City
Chapter worked diligently to convince the members of the
Baltimore City Council that amendments to this bill were
needed. The Baltimore City Council understood our concerns and
made the appropriate amendments to the bill, which was signed
into law on July 6. The chambers of the City Council were
filled with Federationists on the afternoon of June 15 when
public hearings for City Council Bill 543 were held. Here is
the written testimony that Eileen Rivera Forman, President,
Baltimore City Chapter, National Federation of the Blind,
presented at this hearing:

   INTRODUCTION
   My name is Eileen Rivera Forman, I am a member of the
Mayor's ADA Advisory Committee. I am also president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Baltimore. With more than
250 active members, the Federation is Baltimore's largest
disability advocacy group. 
   WHAT IS THE NFB
   The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the
nation's largest and most active membership organization of
blind and visually impaired persons. Our mission is to achieve
security, equality and opportunities for all blind Americans.
Our dream is that one day blind persons will be truly
integrated into society on the basis of equality. The creation
of this Commission can play a role in this dream. 
   For more than 50 years, we in the Federation have held
that the NFB is not an organization speaking for blind
persons, rather we are blind persons speaking for ourselves.
It is this essential ingredient which has enabled us to
achieve unprecedented success in the area of innovative and
progressive legislation legislation which empowers persons
who are disabled. 
   SUPPORT FOR THE COMMISSION
   Regarding the Commission on Disabilities, let me begin by
saying that the Federation is generally supportive of the
concept. We congratulate Mayor Schmoke and the City Council
for responding to Phil Holmes, and his colleagues at the
League, by introducing the legislation. We believe that much
good can be accomplished through a carefully designed and
appointed Commission.
   Nevertheless, there is widespread concern among citizens
with disabilities about the Commission structure, as currently
proposed. The current design will not effectively represent
the very persons it is designed to assist. If only nine of 35
members are persons with disabilities, the Commission will be
markedly regressive for disabled citizens. In prior decades
non-disabled individuals have been relied upon to represent
the disabled. However, times have changed. Today, the most
progressive programs and services are emerging because persons
with disabilities are being allowed to represent ourselves.
   To secure this reasonable representation, the Federation
has proposed three revisions to the bill.
   BROAD-BASED SUPPORT FOR
   AMENDMENTS
   We are pleased to say that there is broad-based support
for these changes as evidenced by the resolution passed by the
Governor's Advisory Council Representing Persons with
Disabilities. The Council unanimously voted to endorse the
revisions proposed by the Federation.
   REVISION OF MEMBERSHIP
   PROVISIONS
   As I indicated, we have proposed significant enhancements
in three specific areas of the membership provisions: 1)
representation of persons with disabilities, 2) city residency
requirement, and 3) appointment of the Commission chair.
   Let me explain each one of these separately.

   REPRESENTATION OF PERSONS WITH
   DISABILITIES
   We believe that a majority of the members on the
Commission should be persons with disabilities.
   OTHER COMMISSIONS
   You would never dream of creating a commission on women
which included only a minority of women. Nor would you think
it reasonable to establish a commission on Hispanic affairs
and include only a smattering of Hispanics.
   SELF EXPRESSION AND
   REPRESENTATION
   The disabled are a minority just the same. Our voice
needs to be heard and no one is better qualified to represent
our need and interests. Disabled individuals should have a
dominant role in shaping the policies and programs which
directly affect our lives. Family members and professionals
serving individuals who are disabled have important
perspectives which can enhance the Commission, nevertheless
disabled citizens of Baltimore will be better off if we have
the opportunity to represent ourselves. 
   NATIONAL PRECEDENT
   The principle of majority representation is not new. It
has come to be the norm in the field. For example, the re-
authorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 calls for the
creation of advisory bodies which have a majority of disabled
members. 
   CITY RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT:
   All Commission members need to be held to the same
standard. Either everyone must be a city resident or no one
must be a city resident.
   AN UNFAIR STANDARD
   Presently, the bill requires that only the disabled
members and their families need to be city residents. We
believe that this is blatantly unfair. In the interest of true
equality, we believe that all members should be held to the
same standard.
   EITHER WAY IS FINE
   Personally, I think that we have plenty of talented and
committed Baltimore City residents to appoint a perfectly able
commission. Nevertheless, we are deferring to the wisdom of
the City Council on this matter. All we ask is that it be all
or none. Do not hold disabled individuals and their families
to a harsher standard than you are holding other commission
members.
   CHAIRMANSHIP:
   Our final recommendation for strengthening the Commission
is to ensure that the Chairperson be appointed from among
those members who have disabilities.
   EMPOWERED DISABLED LEADERSHIP
   This provision would send a clear message that the Mayor
and City Council believe in the abilities of persons who are
disabled and trust us to take charge of our own policies and
programs.
   CLOSING REMARKS
   Members of the City Council, we in the Federation applaud
your interest in creating a Commission on Disabilities to
address the needs and concerns of our disabled citizens. We
urge you to create a productive and representative Commission.
We don't need a commission to speak for disabled citizens. We
do need a Commission which allows disabled citizens to speak
for ourselves. Thank You.
   For more information, contact:
Ms. Eileen Rivera Forman, 726 E. Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore,
MD 21212, (410)433-5176.


NO NEW STAFF POSITIONS FOR LBPH:
1993 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP

by Sharon Maneki

   The 1993 session of the Maryland General Assembly was not
one of the more significant sessions for blind persons. A
major disappointment was Governor Schaefer's failure to
include additional staff positions for the Maryland State
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in his budget
request to the General Assembly. Prior to our Day In Annapolis
on January 21, we received assurances from State Department of
Education personnel on several occasions that the Governor's
budget would include funding for two professional librarians
and a secretary. The legislators with whom we met on January
21 expressed considerable support for funding these positions.
When the budget was released to the General Assembly and the
public, we discovered that these positions were not included
in the budget, as we attempted to identify the line item
authorizing these positions. Upon our questioning, these same
personnel from the State Department of Education were
surprised by our discovery and could not explain the
omissions. 
   To concentrate its efforts on funding for the library and
on the implementation of the Maryland Literacy Rights and
Education Act, the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland did not initiate any legislation this year. However,
other bills of concern to blind persons were introduced. Here
is a summary of the disposition of these bills. 
   The Maryland General Assembly approved landmark
legislation, HB 1359, the Health Care and Insurance Reform
Act. This legislation will make medical care more affordable
and accessible to many of the 600,000 uninsured Maryland
residents, including those with pre-existing conditions, while
containing certain health and physician costs. Insurers will
no longer be able to engage in such practices, such as
requiring small businesses to pay higher premiums. The bill
also creates a Health Care Access and Cost Commission to
regulate health care rates. We will not see the implementation
of these changes until 1995. 
   On January 1, 1994, the implementation date for HB 45,
pedestrians will have to be alert to a new traffic pattern.
Because of the passage of HB 45, vehicles may make left turns
on a red light from a one-way street onto another one-way
street. The General Assembly viewed this legislation as a
natural extension of the "right turn on red" legislation which
it adopted a few years ago. Both of these measures were
adopted primarily as energy-saving measures.
   One piece of legislation of immediate concern to programs
for the blind was SB 823, initiated by Ralph Sanders, which
attempted to extend the priority for the Maryland Vending
Program for the Blind to the operation of cafeterias and other
snack facilities in state buildings. Under the current law,
the Maryland Vending Program for the Blind has the priority
only in state buildings that are controlled by the Department
of General Services. We took no action on this legislation
because it would not strengthen the vending program. Too many
state facilities, such as parks, colleges and universities,
the Department of Juvenile Services, the Corrections
Department, state transportation facilities, and hospitals,
were exempted from this bill, and the number of additional
state facilities actually covered by this bill was unclear.
The bill also did not adequately address the vending machine
income issue. The bill passed the Senate, but died in the
House Appropriations Committee.
   Once again, the General Assembly decided not to
strengthen Maryland's civil rights law. HB 903, which would
have strengthened the law prohibiting employment
discrimination, was defeated by the House Judiciary Committee.
The House Judiciary Committee also defeated HB 1246. This bill
would have brought due process hearings for students in
special education under the jurisdiction of the Office of
Administrative Hearings, which already handles most types of
state administrative complaints. Perhaps these bills will
enjoy a better fate in the 1994 session of the Maryland
General Assembly. 


WHO SHOULD LEARN BRAILLE?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From the editor: The following excerpt, "Guiding Principles,"
is taken from "Selection of Reading and Writing Media for
Students With Visual Impairments: Braille, Print or Both?" We
are reprinting various sections of this document because it is
an excellent resource and we should be thoroughly familiar
with its contents. These Guiding Principles provide "food for
thought" for parents and teachers who are deciding if a blind
or visually impaired student should learn braille, or for
blind or visually impaired adults who are deciding if they
should learn Braille themselves.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

   Every student receiving vision services should be
assessed in reading and writing media at least annually to
ensure that present and future needs are being met.
Professionals, families, and students must work together to
assess, evaluate, and determine the most appropriate reading
and writing methods and media. In this process, the ARD/IEP
Committee must carefully consider future visual changes as
well as future educational and vocational needs, especially
during times of transition. All committee members must be well
informed about the value of Braille, especially for students
with partial vision. To help ensure the availability of
accurate information, a professional experienced in the
teaching of Braille shall serve on the committee. 
   When Braille is selected, it may also be necessary to
identify strategies which will assist the student in
developing a positive attitude toward Braille in order to
ensure success as a Braille user. It is important that
students feel proud about their Braille reading ability. One
possible strategy to consider is the use of peer support and
role models which can occur through the introduction of the
student to other students or adults who use or are learning to
use Braille. 
   The assessment and decision-making process will vary
somewhat according to the age of the student and whether the
student is a pre-reader or reader. Ideally, programming for
the preschool student shall emphasize visual, auditory, and
tactile skills so that observations and understanding of the
student's learning style can be evaluated. 
   The ARD/IEP Committee should keep in mind the following
principles when collecting and interpreting the data from
assessments: 
- Students with visual impairments often profit from knowing
both Braille and print. 
- The reading and writing media should allow students to
participate independently and fully in community activities of
their choice. It should also permit a smooth transition to
employment and/or post secondary education. 
- The more adaptation and modifications a student needs in
order to use print, the greater the need for Braille
instruction. 
- Print sizes diminish and reading demands increase as
students advance in grade. 
- Braille should be taught as early as possible. 
- Students learning Braille should learn to write with a slate
and stylus in addition to the Braillewriter. 
- A student who seems to be a visual learner can gain
advantage from learning Braille. 
- The use of vision for travel is not an indicator of the
appropriate reading or writing medium. 
- Academic achievement is not necessarily an indicator that
appropriate reading and writing media are being used.
Likewise, not all academic problems may be solved by the
selection of appropriate reading and writing media. 
- Decisions about teaching reading and writing must be in line
with a student's cognitive ability to learn reading and
writing. 
- Students with additional disabilities should be afforded
equal opportunity for Braille instruction. 
- Some students who are both visually and cognitively impaired
may have limited potential for learning to read and write.
Nevertheless, even the ability to read and write some Braille
(Grades I and II) enhances opportunities for independent
living. 
- Reliance on auditory input is an indicator of the need for
Braille. 
- Additional disabilities may affect teaching strategies. 
- A hearing loss in addition to vision loss, compromises an
individual's potential for information gathering. 
- Technology and readers may be beneficial to a student's
education, but should not preclude reading in either Braille
or print. 
- No one component of the assessment can stand alone as the
sole determiner of reading and writing media.


ANNA CABLE AT 100

by Al Maneki

   "I always have to explain that my birth date is
6/29/1893, not 6/29/93."
   "Each day I rate how well I feel on a scale from 1 to 10.
Some days I'm a 10. Some days I am a 5. I'm always a 10 when
I go to visit my doctor."
   "I had a transfusion a few years ago because of internal
bleeding. I felt much better after that. It set my age back at
least ten years. I'd like to do that more often, but they
can't give you blood that you don't need."
   This was some of the lively chatter from Anna Cable at
her home in Columbia where 20 Federationists gathered on
Sunday, June 27, to celebrate Anna's 100th birthday two days
early. As we entered her home, Anna stood up to greet each of
us and she apologized graciously for not being able to show us
to the comfortable chairs scattered about her living room.
   More than just pleasant chatter about her age, Anna has
vivid memories of her rewarding life in the century that has
brought about the greatest changes to mankind. She is never at
a loss for a good story, as her letter in the last issue of
this newsletter demonstrates. She even spoke a few phrases of
German to Tom Bickford when he told her that his daughter was
studying German and spending the summer in Germany.
   Besides the decorated birthday cake, soft drinks, and
other snacks, besides the joyous renderings of "Amazing Grace"
and "Happy Birthday," and the dispatch of a telegraph
messenger attired in roaring twenties garb who delivered a
singing telegram and balloons, and the reading of greeting
cards, President Sharon Maneki announced that the NFB of
Maryland's Board of Directors voted to establish the Anna
Freysz Cable Award which will be presented at our annual state
conventions to the blind adult who best exemplifies Anna's
zest for life and who has mastered Braille and the other
alternative techniques for maintaining productive and
independent lives. Sharon Maneki presented the certificate
proclaiming the award to Anna at the community birthday
celebration on June 29. 
   Other fellow charter members of the Sligo Creek Chapter,
Rosa Hines, Clara Sisselman, and Alan and Billie Ruth Schlank
also attended this gathering. Anna remembers many of the
charter members and regrets that they cannot meet more often. 
   As we were about to leave, Anna said that she enjoyed
this party so much that she would like to another hundred
years to have a party just like this one. We wouldn't put it
past this remarkable woman to do just that. Happy Birthday,
Anna, and many more just like this one!


NEW REHABILITATION PROGRAM
AT BISM

by Rosemary Lerdahl

   The last six months have been a time of change, growth,
and expansion for the BISM Rehabilitation Program. I began my
employment as Director of the Rehabilitation Program on
January 4, 1993. My first duties were to evaluate the existing
program and then initiate change and expansion. 
   One of the most important functions of a good
rehabilitation program for the blind is to challenge students
to explore their beliefs and attitudes about blindness.
Therefore, one of the first changes was to incorporate into
the schedule two group discussion sessions per week where all
staff and students meet to discuss blindness related issues.
Over the last six months, the guest speakers at these sessions
have included Joanne Wilson and eleven staff and students from
the Louisiana Center for the Blind; Debbie Koester, a
rehabilitation counselor from DORS; Bob Esposito from AFB; Al
Pietrolungo who works for the National Labor Relations Board;
Dale Otto, the Director of Development and Public Affairs at
BISM; Raymond Lowder, a vendor at SSA; Marsha Levi, a former
student at the Louisiana Center who talked about incorporating
vision with alternative techniques; Naomi Walpert, a diabetic
educator from Sinai Hospital; Susan Turley from Health
Professions Institute who talked with us about medical
transcription and a new training opportunity which will soon
be available; and several managers from BISM to share
information about their departments. 
   The class schedule was redesigned so that it was
consistent from day to day for each student. Most of the
classes were extended to one and one-half hour time slots.
This allows more time for completion of projects, especially
in Independent Living and Cane Travel. 
   Another very important consideration is having high
expectations of students. We began talking about expecting
students to learn to travel to and from BISM by city bus. The
expectation is that as soon as the student is able to do so he
or she will take the bus to and from BISM, unless there are
other complicating factors such as health considerations. 
   Rehab staff and students have started giving
presentations to local community groups which request that
someone speak about blindness. These speaking engagements are
an excellent way to get the word out about our Rehab Program,
and provide a great opportunity for students to practice bus
travel skills and to do public speaking. 
   Outside activities are an integral part of a good
rehabilitation program. These diverse activities are very
beneficial because they involve planning, organizing, working
closely together, and utilizing skills which are being taught
in the rehab program. All of these activities are designed to
provide confidence building experiences, and some of them are
specifically designed to encourage students to look outside of
themselves to provide a service to others. These varied off
site training activities also provide an excellent opportunity
to assist students in learning how to most effectively deal
with the attitudes of the general public about blindness. Our
activities have included bowling, movies, shopping at nearby
shopping malls, boat trips, a walking tour of the Naval
Academy, picnics, hiking, strawberry picking, planting a
flower garden, and more. 
    Much activity and class time was used in March planning
for a larger field trip to Atlantic City which was all planned
and organized by the students. It was an evening trip which
involved renting buses and selling tickets to family, friends,
and other BISM employees. This activity incorporated computer
skills to make flyers and tickets, Braille skills to number
the tickets and make lists, travel skills to check out the
buses and run errands related to the trip, and homemaking
skills to prepare food. The event was a huge success and the
students gained a great deal of confidence and skill by
participating in this event. The enthusiasm and energy was so
great after the first trip that we planned and organized
another Atlantic City trip in June. We have also had other
fund-raising events including a Bake Sale and a Hot Dog Sale. 
   Some students extended their training time by a month or
two in order to incorporate some of the newer expectations
into their training, such as preparing and serving a
commencement meal for at least eight people as a graduation
project for Independent Living. All class areas will now have
more consistent expectations and graduation projects for each
student.  
   We have started having what we call "staffings" with each
student. These will be held at periodic intervals to review
and discuss the students' progress, to make changes in the
Rehab program and/or to set graduation dates with students.
   The BISM Rehab Program has several other goals which have
not yet been met. These include: establishing a physical
fitness program, establishing a residential living component,
and establishing a Home Maintenance and Woodshop Program. 
   In building and expanding our Rehabilitation Program, it
is essential that we build a team of dedicated instructors who
believe very strongly in the abilities of blind people so that
they will be able to encourage, challenge, and empower the
students to become truly independent and to regain control
over their own lives. We are still searching for appropriate
Rehabilitation Instructors to be permanent members of our
team.
   In hiring instructors we will be looking for versatility
and flexibility to teach in more than one program area. Joyce
Hall joined our teaching team in February as our Braille
instructor. Since then, she has begun teaching cane travel on
a full time basis. Kathy Burnside has been temporarily
teaching Braille to assist us until we hire a full time
instructor. 
   Overall, there is a lot more student initiated activity
and independence on the part of the students. There is a new
sense of energy and enthusiasm. Students are being challenged
to expect more activity and productivity of themselves. They
are also being asked to question their beliefs about their own
ability as blind adults to function independently and
productively in the world. About half of the students are now
walking or taking the city bus to and from training. On
several occasions we have taken the city bus to and from
activities. We have re-initiated the teaching of typing, some
students are using sleepshades for training, all students are
learning to use the slate and stylus now, problem-solving
skills are being taught, experiential learning is happening,
and we are beginning to talk more about career and life
planning and will continue to incorporate this more and more
into the training. 
   The students and other staff have weathered the staff and
administrative changes very well. The students are eager to
learn and have great potential. The staff is dedicated and
genuinely cares about the students. There have been some ups
and downs because of all the changes, but things are leveling
out now, and I believe that the program will be much stronger
and much more beneficial to blind Marylanders because of the
changes. There has been a lot of energy and activity of late
in the BISM Rehab Program which generates more activity,
enthusiasm, and productivity. 
   I very much appreciate the support, encouragement, and
referrals that we have received from the NFB. If you have
questions, comments, or concerns, or you want further
information about the BISM Rehab Program, please feel free to
call me at (410) 233-4567. 


GOING BLIND ON THE JOB:
THE CHALLENGE OF MAINTAINING
                         EMPLOYMENT

From the Editor: We are reprinting this edited transcript of
the panel discussion presented at the 1992 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland because of the
significance of its content and because it vividly
demonstrates the high quality of our convention program. 

   Sharon Maneki: When a person goes blind during his
working years, all too often his employer wants to retire him
on disability. But is this really the only course of action
for persons who become blind on the job? For those persons who
are fortunate enough to find us at the right time there are
alternatives to a long retirement on disability income. This
panel of speakers demonstrates the intricacies and the promise
of maintaining gainful employment after blindness.
   First, here is the director of governmental affairs, Mr.
Jim Gashel, to talk about the role of the organized blind and
the law in discrimination against the blind on the job. Mr.
Gashel.
   Jim Gashel: Thanks a lot, Madame President. So that is a
very good thing. We've come a long, long way in the past year
and I think it just shows, as this next panel will, that we
really truly have come a long way, because only a year or so
ago we could not have had this panel, the one we're about to
have, in the way that we can here today. We have a couple of
people on this panel who have really been out there on the
firing line and learned what happens when you become blind on
a job. Sharon will be introducing those people in a moment.
But let me just say this. Probably, in a legal respect, it is
one of the most difficult positions to be in when, in the full
bloom of life, working and bringing home a paycheck, and if
you think about all the demands on that paycheck to buy a home
and raise a family and meet all the expenses and feed the kids
and keep everybody happy and functioning, and then all of a
sudden to be facing a situation where you become blind on the
job and the employer says, "Buddy, you're out of here! We're
signing you up for disability today." You don't know what else
to do. You don't really--who are you going to go talk to, DVR?
You talk to DVR, Buddy, you're out of here! You might just as
well sign the disability paper if you talk to DVR. But then
yet, you come to the National Federation of the Blind and we
tell you, well, you've got a certain amount of adjustment to
make, but you're certainly not out of here. You can make that
adjustment and you can continue in this employment, go back to
this employment in many instances. Well that's the kind of
thing we're talking about here today.
   For a long time the laws have not really necessarily
supported that position, but more and more they do. I think
that we as an organization need to know that when someone
comes to us, and they dopeople come to our chapters and our
individual members throughout the year and say, "I'm becoming
blind, I'm faced with layoff or termination from employment,
what should I do?" I think we can say in those situations that
in many instances the law assures those people of the right to
continuing employment as long as, and there is a proviso in
all of this, of course, as long as they can continue to
perform the essential functions of a job. The law certainly
does not provide the opportunity for continuing employment if
the guy is just going to sit. We don't have the right to
insist upon drawing a paycheck just waiting around on the
employer's doorstep. But as long as a person is prepared to go
to work, to perform the essential functions of a job, to do a
meaningful day's work, a person is entitled to a meaningful
day's pay from that employer. That's what the law says. The
people who will follow me will demonstrate that that is so. 
   I know John Jones' case the best, but here's an example
of where we were able to help a person in using Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 was adopted in
1973 and its regulations became effective in 1977. It's a very
general law but it generally says that a person may not be
discriminated against, on grounds of disability, in a
federally-assisted program or in a federal program. The
regulations go on to specify lots of details about that. But
the regulations are issued by each federal government agency
department and instrumentality that distributes any form of
federal financial assistance. If a problem arises for someone
who works for a transportation agency, let's say, then there
are regulations of the federal department of transportation
pertaining to implementing Section 504. Or if the person works
for a school district, there are regulations of the U.S.
Department of Education that implement Section 504. Or if a
person works for a hospital there are regulations of the
Department of Health and Human Services. So it tracks the
particular federal department that would distribute federal
financial assistance. But it's also possible to go directly
into the federal courts using Section 504, and that's what we
had to do in John Jones' case. In John's case, he'll be
telling you about the details of what he does, but the point
is that here's a guy who was working for the fire department.
He was a fireman in Baltimore City, and along comes blindness
in his life and all of a sudden, of course he can't fight
fires anymore and as far as the fire department is concerned
he's no good to them anymore. Never mind the fact that there
are certainly jobs to be done at the fire department, it isn't
as though they weren't hiring anybody else. But they weren't
willing to retain a person that they had on the job.
   Section 504 applies to retention on the job just as much
as it to applies to initial employment. So as long as we could
establish in that case that John Jones was available for work,
was fit for duty, and prepared to fulfill and perform the
essential functions of a job, then of course we could win that
lawsuit. Now in the wisdom of Baltimore City, rather than
making us do it in a full-blown court hearing, the mayor and
the city council of Baltimore saw fit to settle that case at
expense to the mayor and the city council of Baltimore, and to
the everlasting benefit of John Jones. But at the same time it
was to the everlasting benefit of the mayor and the city
council of Baltimore because they have a first-class and
first-rate employee who happens to be blind and is able to
perform the essential functions of a job.
   The same kind of thing can happen more and more in
another type of employment. That happens to be public
employment and our other panelist will also discuss public
employment with the Police Department. But it need not
necessarily be just public employment. With the enactment of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, this type of theory
extends as well to private employment because basically Title
I of the Americans With Disabilities Act transfers or extends
the prohibition of employment discrimination principles over
to private employment. So any employer that has 25 or more
employees, effective July 26, 1992, comes under the general
guidelines that I've just described about Section 504. The
regulations that apply to this kind of situation are specific
to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They are 29CFR
part 1630. These regulations specify that a person with a
claim of employment discrimination needs to first take his or
her complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
You may be working for a federally assisted program and use
this regulation, but not for the federal government. So in
that case you really do have a choice. You could choose to go
to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or you could
choose the regulations under Section 504. If I had my choice,
I'd probably take the EEOC. Or you might be able to go
directly to court, as we did in John's case. But in any event,
after you've had a case at the EEOC for I guess it's six
months, Mildred Rivera knows, I don't necessarily know, you
get a right to sue. That means that you can go right into the
federal district court against the employer as well. But you
first do have to exhaust that administrative remedy under
Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
   We also should mention in a footnote, because that's
about all it's worth, the Maryland Human Rights Law, which you
could use to file complaints with the Human Relations
Commission. But I don't think that would be the preferred
choice, unless there wasn't any other kind of coverage, such
as if the employer had less than 25 employees and wasn't a
federally assisted program or something like that.
   In any event, I would just underscore what I've tried to
say here, that for people like the panelists who we will now
hear from, when blindness occurs while on the job, and they
come to us for help and say, "What can I do, what can I do,
the employer's trying to force me out on disability," we can
offer and extend the hand of the National Federation of the
Blind to protect those people legally and we can prevail.
Here's the evidence. Thanks very much.
   Sharon Maneki: And now I would like to introduce Duty
Officer John Jones, Fire Prevention Bureau, Baltimore City, to
tell us about his journey back to alternative employment.
   John Jones: Good afternoon. I don't really know exactly
where to start other than to start off by saying, thanks to
the National Federation of the Blind and their efforts in
helping me understand the facts of blindness, Braille and the
rights that blind people do have in society. We're just as
normal as the rest of this world. I wanted to work. I never
wanted to retire. I fought very hard. I tried to avoid the
conflicts that came about, and I went forward and talked with
everybody in the city agency to get a job. It was extremely
hard--they wouldn't listen.
   The straw that broke the camel's back is when I went for
an interview for a job for the city as a civilian and when I
went for the job as a civilian working in communications, they
said, "Off the record, we admire your skill and courage, being
able to learn Braille and walk this world in a different way,
but we'll never hire a blind person." Well, let it be known
that they did hire a blind person. Thanks to the NFB and their
guidance, they ate those words. 
   Today, presently, I am employed as a duty officer. The
first thing I was asked the day I went back: "How are you
going to walk up the steps? How are you going to get to and
from work?" I said, "It's none of your business. I'll get
there." In 1987, when they called me back to a fake job that
they lined up for me, it was the biggest snowfall to fall in
Baltimore city and I walked. My family was from Florida; they
were going to drive me. I said, "Nope, this is the test of the
Lord for me to get there on time. I got there and no busses
were running. I hitchhiked to work, and they said I shouldn't
have come in. I said, "Oh, yes." 
   Needless to say, I'm back. I love the work I'm doing
because it's part of me. The Fire Department--I was commended
a number of times in my profession, saving lives. I enjoyed
it. I feel now, that what I'm doing as duty officer, answering
phones, handling complaints, that I'm helping the citizens of
Baltimore to alleviate problems that exist out there in the
field of fire protection. We stop a fire today, it saves a
life tomorrow. And it's very important. With the use of
Braille, typing, dictaphone and some other adaptations that
I've implemented by myself to help me perform the job, I've
been told by my superiors that I'm doing the job that they
need. And also with the books being on tape, that I've learned
a great deal in the last months or so on the building codes
and fire codes of the structures of the buildings throughout
the city. It never felt so great to be able to be employed
back with the Fire Department. The reception has been somewhat
on the negative side, but very positive yet on the other side.
   What helped me, though, if anyone ever comes up to a
problem like I did, is don't lay down and stop. Keep going
forward. I kept going forward. I'm a state licensed vendor. I
ran my own stand, as some of you know. It wasn't a profitable
stand, but it was a very good learning experience. I worked
for a company called the Alert Line monitoring phones out of
my home, a 1-800 line, a policeman, so-called, by phone. So I
kept working in other jobs. But those jobs were very
beneficial, because they helped me to know what I would have
to do when I took over this position. If it wasn't for the
NFB, John Jones wouldn't be where he is today. So it's very
important for all of us to try to help this organization to
stay afloat, and my thanks to everyone here.
   Eileen Rivera Forman: It is my pleasure to introduce to
you today Agent Gene Cassidy, an instructor at the Baltimore
City Police Academy. I first met Gene last summer when I was
called by the Police Department to give some advice on
accommodations for blind employees as he began and re-entered
the work force after his retraining. I find Gene to be an
exceptional individual, a wonderful and very dynamic and
energetic and enthusiastic person, a person who wasn't going
to let blindness stop him, regardless of the tragic
circumstances which caused his blindness. Gene is a great
family man, a real good model citizen. He's got excellent
gumption, and I know that after you hear from Gene you're
going to like him. I am pleased to call him my colleague now
and I hope that he'll be with us for a long time to come.
Please help me welcome Agent Gene Cassidy.
   Gene Cassidy: Good afternoon everyone. Thank you very
much. I'd like to thank the NFB for giving me the opportunity
to speak before this assembly, and especially Sharon Maneki as
well as Eileen Rivera. Hopefully when you hear this story, so
to speak, it will encourage you to continue on and to set
forth for your, shall we say, achievements and accomplishments
and so forth within your goals.
   I was working as a patrolman in Baltimore City. It
happened to be October 22, 1987. As I was driving down the
street I observed an individual that I thought was wanted on
a warrant. I turned up Appleton Street in order to surprise
him. Well, unfortunately he surprised me. As he turned the
corner he removed from his pocket, a 357 pistol. ... He fired
three shots at me. The first shot missed me, the second one
struck me in the left cheek and traversed through my brain and
severed my right optic nerve, and I guess for icing on the
cake he fired again at my temple and destroyed the back of my
eyeball. Thankfully, there was a retired steelworker who
happened to live across the street and he alerted the police
as to my situation. Now what occurred after that was frantic,
actually. 
   I traveled 18 blocks, shall we say, down to shock trauma,
where the doctors gave me a 4% chance of survival. All you
need is one, though, right? Now I know that sounds somewhat
cocky, but you see you've got to look toward the positive.
That's the key. It's a very interesting story. 
   But what occurred after that on my first year anniversary
of being injured. I happened to be up in Morristown
celebrating it, so to speak, getting a guide dog. After that
I decided to return to college where I would shoot for an
education degree. Obviously, with the encouragement and help
from my wife, Patty, I was able to achieve the degree with a
3.54 grade point average. 
   Just prior to my graduation, I guess they must have kept
notes as to how I was doing, because one month before I was to
graduate I was contacted by the personnel board, for the
commission for the city police department actually, and they
basically offered me a position as an instructor teaching
within the Police Academy. I had actually gone to college
beforehand for criminology. Then I went back to school again
to become a teacher, so I think that they felt that they
weren't just giving it to me because I happened to be a guy
wounded in the line of duty in as much as I was quite the
qualified individual. Plus I also had a couple of years of
experience in the busiest, most violent district in the city
of Baltimore, the western district. 
   When I arrived at work, needless to say I was very very
nervous, apprehensive. Talk about butterflies in my
stomach--it was an entire flock of them. But I had to look at
it in the right perspective. I felt that actually, for all
intents and purposes the staff has been very very positive
toward my so-called comeback. However, occasionally I get the
line of, "I wonder if the blind guy can do it." Well, yes I
can. I can do just about anything they want. I can even teach
firearms, driving (obviously in a classroom). I'm not going to
get behind a wheel. Now another point which is very important
is the fact that I felt that I enjoyed police work, so what
I'm really doing is going at a different angle now teaching
the students or the cadets how to be good policemen. And
that's very very important. As for my sergeant, who is
needless to say very very intelligent and as much as his
understanding of the situations that occur as you happen to be
in a predicament that I'm in right now, to be blind, he's very
very sensitive to that. And that helped me out quite a bit
too. 
   Now on the other hand, outside of work, I'm an avid, and
I hate to even say this, New York Giants football fan. See I
used to play football when I was younger in North Jersey,
actually, and so that's why. It was either you become a Giants
fan or you get beat up every day. So I thought well, it would
be reasonable to become a Giants fan. What happened is this.
Obviously the Giants are not doing too well, but they'll do
fine on Monday night. What I do is I still continue to play
football. Obviously I'm 100% blind. Needless to say the person
who happens to be receiving the ball has to shout, and then I
can throw the ball to him, right? There's ways of adapting,
put it to you like that. Obviously I need a third person too
to catch the ball because I don't want to be hit in the head.
Actually that's probably the safest spot for me to be struck.
I also run with my daughter Lauren, who is a precious little
angel, and I also do acrobatics with her in the front yard.
You can do many many things. See blindness is not the end all.
Blindness is just something that I've read within the National
Federation is a nuisance. That's all that blindness is. It's
nothing totally out of control or anything along those lines. 
   Sometimes people at work feel that I'm somewhat
demanding. I do it for three reasons: number one, my wife
Patty; number two, my daughter Lauren; and number three, my
son Kevin. The individual who happened to have taken or stolen
my eyesight will not steal my longterm visions. And more of
that idea be taken from you guys. Thank you very much.


                CREDITS AVAILABLE TO RENTERS

   Do you know that if you rent an apartment, house, or
other type of dwelling, you may be eligible for a tax credit
from the State of Maryland? 
   The Renters Tax Credit Program is a plan that provides
property tax credits for renters who have reached age 60 or
who are totally disabled.
   The plan was modeled after and designed to be similar in
principle to the Homeowners Tax Credit Program, which is known
to many as the Circuit Breaker Program. The concept rests on
the reasoning that renters indirectly pay property taxes as
part of their rental and thus should have some protection, as
do homeowners.
   The plan is based upon the relationship between rent and
income. If the portion of rent attributable to the assumed
property taxes exceeds a fixed amount in relation to income,
the renter can, under specified conditions, receive a credit
of as much as $600. The credit is paid as a direct check from
the State of Maryland.
   A renter, according to the plan, can be anyone who is at
least 60 years of age or who is certified as totally and
permanently disabled, and who, during the calendar year for
which a credit is sought, resides in the dwelling being
rented. A surviving spouse of one who otherwise would have
been eligible also qualifies.
   If the dwelling that is rented is owned by a tax exempt,
charitable organization, or is exempt in any way from property
taxation, no tax credit would be authorized.
   The rented dwelling may be in an individual house, in any
type of apartment building, a duplex, a co-op, a condominium,
house trailer, or mobile home pad. The type of dwelling is not
important and it can be of any size, but the dwelling must be
the principal residence and the renter must live there at
least six months of the year.
   The property tax relief a renter may receive is equal to
the assumed real property tax less a percentage of the
combined income of the renter. For example, if your income is
$11,000, your tax limit is $265. If your rent is $300 per
month, your yearly rent is $3,600. Fifteen percent of $3,600
is $540. Subtract your tax limit amount from the assumed
property tax: $540 minus $265 equals $275, the amount of your
renters tax credit.
   The size of the renters tax credit will vary according to
the relationship between the rent and income, with the maximum
allowable credit being $600. Those found eligible for a credit
as determined by the State Department of Assessments and
Taxation will receive a check directly from the State
Treasury. Anyone who is found ineligible will be so notified
in writing and given the reason why. 
   Renters have until September 1 of the year in which the
credit is sought to apply, but it is advantageous to file as
early as possible. For an application, call the Tax Credits
Telephone Service at 225-5915 (Baltimore Metropolitan area) or
1-800-944-7403 (other areas), or write the Tax Credits Office,
State Department of Assessments and Taxation, 301 W. Preston
Street, 9th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201. 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MSB!

Reprinted from The Window, the newsletter of the Maryland
School for the Blind, Summer 1993.

   On May 19, 1853140 years agosix civic minded
businessmen founded the Maryland Institution for the
Instruction of the Blind. Chartered by the State of Maryland
as a private school, it has always been privately endowed and
State aided.
   Originally located in the Paca Mansion on West Saratoga
Street downtown, the School's directors constructed a new
building in 1868 on North Avenue, which later became Baltimore
Polytechnic Institute. The School formally changed its name to
"The Maryland School for the Blind" in 1886.
   MSB continued to grow, and in 1906, the directors
purchased a 95-acre farm in Overlea. The first building
constructed on the new campus was Newcomer Hall, named after
Benjamin Franklin Newcomer, a founder of the School and its
first Board President.
   The 95-acre, partially wooded and beautifully landscaped
campus at 3501 Taylor Avenue opened to students in 1911.
Today, about 195 students attend classes there, and nearly
three-quarters call it home from Monday through Friday. In
addition, more than 260 toddlers and students are served by
statewide outreach programs administered from Baltimore.
   The Maryland School for the Blind is the sole institution
within the state to offer a comprehensive primary and
secondary education for young individuals who are blind or
visually impaired. In the current movement to inclusive
education of all students with disabilities, the Maryland
School for the Blind remains a viable option in the full range
of services for students who are blind or visually impaired,
now and in the future.


                           SPECKS

DEATHS. We are saddened to report the death of Fred Maurer,
76, the father of president Marc Maurer on May 24th. We are
also sorry to report the death of James King, 52, who died
suddenly on July 30th. James was an employee at BISM for the
past 31 years. For much of that time, he was the top producer
in the paper department. May they rest in peace. 
BIRTH. Congratulations to Ken, Gloria and Adam Canterbery on
the latest addition to their family. Tyler Canterbery was born
on July 27. Weight: 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Length: 20 1/2 inches.
Everyone is doing well.
ANNIVERSARY. Congratulations to Marc and Patricia Maurer who
celebrated their 20th anniversary on August 17. 
HOTDOG CONTEST WINNERS: Ken Canterbery reports that the second
annual hotdog eating contest, held on June 24th was a great
success. In the children category, first prize went to 8 year
old Floyd Elswick for eating 6 hotdogs. In the adult female
category, first prize went to Barbara Johnson for eating 7
hotdogs. In the adult male category, runner up was 11 year old
Russell Blalock who ate 11 hotdogs, and the top prize winner
was Ralph Wickes who ate 12 hotdogs. Many thanks to all of the
participants. Kudos to the sponsor of the contest, radio
station WPOC, and Ken Canterbery, the proprietor of Hot
Diggity Dogs. 
DIABETICS SPEAKERS. Donna Goodman reports that she has
scheduled speakers for the August, September, and November
meetings of the Diabetics Committee. August: Dr. William
Benedict, Johns Hopkins University, will speak on hypoglycemia
and hyperglycemia. September: Cindy Miller, a diabetic
educator at Johns Hopkins University, will answer questions on
diabetic complications. November: Dr. Maddoff, an
endocrinologist at GBMC, will discuss the hypertension and
cardiovascular effects of diabetes. For further information
call Donna Goodman, 410-730-9430. 
ANNA CABLE AWARD. Nominations for the first annual Anna Cable
award should be sent to Al Maneki, 9736 Basket Ring Road,
Columbia, Maryland 21045 by October 1, 1993. Each nomination
should be made in writing identifying the nominee and
describing the nominee's accomplishments in adjusting to
blindness. The award will be presented at the 1993 convention
of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Ocean
City. The winner must attend the convention to receive the
award. For further information call Al Maneki 410-992-9608. 
                         THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR

                           Al Maneki, Editor

                              Summer 1993

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, an affiliate
of the National Federation of the Blind, is a non-profit
organization of blind people whose purpose is to promote equal
opportunities for the blind.  We provide advocacy services for
the blind, special training programs for parents of blind
children, job referrals and placements for the blind, public 
education programs, scholarships to blind students, and help
the newly blinded to acquire special techniques for
maintaining productive lives.

Please address inquiries to:                     Please send
donations to:

NFB of Maryland                       NFB of Maryland
9736 Basket Ring Road                 11909 Coronada Place
Columbia, MD 21045                    Kensington, MD 20895
phone (410)992-9608

The Braille Spectator is published quarterly for members of
the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and others
who share an interest in the work of this organization.  The
recorded edition, available on cassette, can be obtained from
the editor upon request.  Cassettes may be returned to the
National Center for the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,
MD 21230.

Changes of address and additions to the circulation list
should be sent to the editor.  Address all news items,
articles and letters to the editor.

                          Al Maneki, Editor                       
                         The Braille Spectator
                         9736 Basket Ring Road
                          Columbia, MD 21045
                                            
     Officers:                              Members of the Board
                                               of Directors:
     Sharon Maneki, President
       Columbia, Maryland                   Ken Canterbery
     Eileen Rivera, First Vice                Essex, Maryland
       President                            Ronald Coleman
       Baltimore, Maryland                    Adelphi, Maryland
     Barry Hond, Second Vice                Jean Faulkner
       President                              Cumberland, Maryland
       Baltimore, Maryland                  Fred Flowers
     Debbie Brown, Secretary                  Baltimore, Maryland
       Rockville, Maryland                  Blanche Payne
     Judy Rasmussen, Treasurer                Baltimore, Maryland
       Kensington, Maryland                      Brenda Williams,
                                              Baltimore, Maryland
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