




               MINNESOTA

                         BULLETIN










Quarterly Publication of the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.
100 East 22nd Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
(612) 872-9363
Tom Scanlan, Editor


Volume LXI, Number 3, Winter 1997


WE ARE CHANGING
WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE BLIND



Table of Contents


Les Affaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

SSB Staff Receives Blindness Training. . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

Pride Costs:  Hiring Readers Pays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7

Electronic Information Kiosks -- What's All the Fuss About?. .  9

Getting in Touch with Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Clippings Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Blind in the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

This Could Be the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Blind Candidate Wins West-central House Seat . . . . . . . . . 18

An Earlier Blind Lawmaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Parents' Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Central Minnesota Chapter Celebrates 25th Anniversary. . . . . 27

Convention Alert!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30




                          Les Affaires
                   By Joyce Scanlan, President

December 31, 1996, marked the tenth anniversary of the founding of our
Federation training center in Minnesota, Blindness:  Learning in New
Dimensions, BLIND, Inc.  The occasion gave us cause for celebration and
reflection upon a decade of success as an orientation-to-blindness training
program.  Graduates, staff and friends gathered in the formal dining room of
our NFB/BLIND headquarters building in Minneapolis on December 13 for
a four-hour party with music, fine food and a skit put on by students and staff,
capturing memorable moments and events of the past ten years.

Current students and staff planned meticulously for the occasion.  The holiday
season allowed us to decorate the center with two real Christmas trees cut
down by students with their own little hand saws after a selection process
which involved everyone available.  The banisters of the grand staircase were
adorned with garland, and the two lions at the front entrance were festooned
with wreaths, which glistened in the daytime sun and even in the moonlight. 
Musical bells were strung along the archway of the conservatory, and
throughout the building one could hear the songs of a musical bear or view the
beautiful candle and floral arrangements prepared by Marilyn, Betty and Dara. 
Oh, yes, the center looked spectacular.  The paneling throughout the
downstairs was polished to a gleam.  We had all labored for days to clean and
decorate.  Everyone had an assignment, and everyone had a title.  We had an
"Arborist," a "Branch Manager," a "Czarina," a "Knight of Illumination," a
"Madame Cuisine," a "joyful jester," and a Structural Integrity Engineer.  The
Tree Orientation Specialist had a formidable task to perform, as did the
Ornament Placement Technician.  Each person had a meaningful title and a
worthy task to perform.

At 3:00 on the afternoon of Friday, December 13, we were all in our places to
welcome our guests.  After all that preparation, what if nobody came?  Well,
we didn't wait long.  We were pleased to see many former students and
graduates of the training program, including many people from State Services
for the Blind (SSB) many of whom had been students in our center over the
past years.  It was like a great family reunion.

Somewhat later in the evening, Mr. Richard Davis, Assistant Commissioner of
SSB arrived.  He surprised everyone by presenting BLIND, Inc. with a
Certificate of Commendation from Governor Arne Carlson commemorating
our tenth anniversary with a plaque inscribed as follows:

                       State of Minnesota
                        Governor's Office
                         Arne H. Carlson
                            Governor

                   Certificate of Commendation
        In recognition of your commitment and dedication
             to excellence in the training of blind
             Minnesotans, and in honor of your 10th
                    anniversary celebration;
               this commendation is presented to:
                           BLIND, Inc.
            with the appreciation and respect of the
                      people of Minnesota.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal
of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this Thirteenth day
of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-
six and of the State the one hundred and thirty-eighth.
                         Arne H. Carlson
                            Governor

This plaque now stands in a very visible spot on the display shelves of the
executive director's office, where it can be seen by everyone who comes to our
center.

Everyone enjoyed the skit presented by students and staff of BLIND, Inc.  It
was written by Jennifer Dunnam, our braille instructor, and depicted events
from our first ten years as a training program (as seen from the perspective of
the year 2026). 

As usual, the food was excellent.  We had sandwiches, two different casseroles,
and, of course, a birthday cake.  The students in the home management
department always do a top notch job.  We can be sure our students will never
go hungry.  They become skilled in putting on an outstanding feast for guests.

Our best time of the evening was probably spent in doing what all families do
when they get together.  We did the "do you remember?" game.  We recalled
our humble beginnings in a small two-bedroom apartment; our first two
students; the $17,000 with which we began; our better days when we could buy
two computer systems; and our very prosperous time when we purchased a
building for our permanent location.  The experiences in the home
management kitchens, our trips to Iowa, rock climbing, and all the other
activities passed before us.  Reminiscing is always such fun.

BLIND, Inc. has been in existence for ten years.  When we opened for business
with our first students in January of 1988, there were many who thought we
would perhaps last until April.  Here we are, alive and stronger than ever ten
years later.  We are thriving.  The National Federation of the Blind has taught
us all that it is o.k. to dream.  BLIND, Inc. was a mere dream until December
31, 1986.  It became a reality and now plays a vital role in the lives of blind
people in this nation and indeed throughout the world.  Just in the past year
we have had one hundred thirty-eight students from many of the United States
and from Cyprus, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.  We continue to work
with the blind of Poland and will soon have four students in training here. 
They will be here for six months before returning to Poland to teach the
techniques and attitudes they have learned at BLIND, Inc.  These are exciting
times.

This celebration in 1996 was a rehearsal for the real ten-year anniversary we'll
have on January 4, 1998, which will signify ten years of actual program
operation.  That will be another party to remember.  Plan to be there.  This
is your invitation.  We'll be expecting you.


              SSB Staff Receives Blindness Training
                        By Dona Champlain

(Editor's Note:  State Services for the Blind (SSB) is now requiring all of its staff
to take six weeks of "adjustment to blindness" training at one of the three training
centers in Minnesota (BLIND, VLR, or Duluth Lighthouse).  This training provides
each person working for SSB with a wider experience with blindness.  In most
cases, people working there have received no meaningful information about
blindness beyond the typical stereotypes, misconceptions, and fears with which they
grew up.  The training is meant to take them beyond those stereotypes,
misconceptions, and fears.  Counselors also take an additional week at each of the
other two centers to provide them with experience and real knowledge of each
center.  Some of the staff have fiercely resisted such training.  Most have welcomed
it.  Here is the story of one of the first to take the training.)

Though I have been a Braillist for many years, and my knowledge about
blindness issues is better than average, I wanted to participate in Adjustment
to Blindness Training for several reasons.

First, it became Agency Policy.

Second, last year there was a question and response in the Star Tribune Fixit
column that really bothered me.  The column said,  "I drove past the Lyndale
and Franklin intersection the other day and was surprised that the Minneapolis
Society for the Blind was no longer there.  Where are the blind employed
now?"  I think the response gave the impression fewer blind people are
employed because the Minneapolis and St. Paul Societies for the Blind
combined and now provide more services than employment.  I think an
opportunity was missed in the response to let people know that blind people
are employed in many different places, have many skills, and need or don't
need services from agencies for the blind.

Third, I am left-handed.  Kenneth Jernigan wrote "Blindness:  A Left-Handed
Dissertation" which helped me better understand my left-handedness and
increased my understanding of blindness.

Fourth, my mother has macular degeneration, glaucoma, and has had cataract
surgery.  I want to know as much as I can to help her stay independent and do
the things she can and wants to do.

Fifth, I have had diabetes for seventeen years and have glaucoma and minute
amounts of retinopathy.  Someday I may be blind because of diabetes
complications, heredity, or age.  If that happens, I want it to be okay with me
to be blind.  I want it to be okay with anyone I meet that I am blind.

Those are some reasons I appreciated the opportunity for Adjustment to
Blindness training.  Training at BLIND, Inc. continually taught and reinforced
the idea that it is all right to be blind.

I learned to use the main alternate techniques of blindness, especially:

a.   use of the long white cane and the philosophy about its use

b.   learning Braille tactually and reading to learn, to have fun, to use
     recipes, to record information

c.   using speech synthesis to input and access information from a computer

Although other alternative techniques were taught and used, there is more
emphasis on common sense and how to use what is available.

Every class day brought a variety of ways to practice what I had learned the
day before.  I traveled using my cane and wearing night shades in and out of
the building; on bus or train or by car; in stores, museums, restaurants, in a
park, on a mall.  Each of my classes had different ways of using Braille,
reading and/or writing.  Some ways I practiced my new skills were:

a.   I Brailled a shopping list, took it to Lund's and asked a shopping
     assistant to help me find what was on my list.

b.   I got separated from the group I was with on the Nicollet Mall and
     asked another pedestrian what corner I was on.  I found my group
     almost before they knew I was missing (to me it seemed like a very long
     time).

c.   The skills I learned in computer class allowed me to keep a journal of
     my activities at BLIND, Inc.  Proofreading with speech synthesis let me
     know what I was typing and I had the fun of embossing it and reading
     it in Braille when I was finished.

d.   Braille class gave me lots of speed practice both with reading and writing
     Braille.  It was really helpful to listen to my instructor and more
     advanced students read and write quickly.  It helped me try harder; I
     knew it could be done.

e.   Industrial Arts and Home Management classes used many implements
     that would be found in any home.  Common sense prevailed.  Few items
     were specifically made for blind users; the click ruler, and needle
     threader were a couple adaptations I was pleased to work with.

My day to day observations helped me see the effectiveness of experiential
learning.

My learning about attitudinal and skill change came from conversations with
other students and instructors.  For example, a student who graduated while
I was there told me about his coming to BLIND, Inc. with an attitude of not
wanting to be there.  He said his attitude was expressed through anger and
becoming easily frustrated.  As he experienced ways of doing things that helped
him do what he wanted to do he felt less anger.  He still did not carry his slate
and stylus with him all the time, but knew when it could be helpful and used
it to make notes to himself as reminders.  He always had his cane with him
and used it effectively.  He was willing to travel most anywhere and seemed
confident about his abilities to go where he wanted to go.

My appreciation for blind people as peers has increased as I have become
acquainted with people who have interests similar to mine such as using the
Internet for communication and information gathering and discussing diabetes
related issues.  A couple instructors and other students and I have maintained
contact since classes and will probably continue to do so.

Some resources I will continue to use to increase my awareness of blindness
issues are: "Reflections," Internet access to ACB and NFB and other groups;
subscribing to the NFB Diabetes newsletter; and talking with people about
blindness.

I think orientation centers for blind programs are important because of the
resources they have and can lead people to.  Most importantly though, BLIND,
Inc.  offered lots of reinforcement, experiential and verbal, between instructors
and students and between students and students.

The main thing I learned about full-time adjustment to blindness training was
the day-to-day increase in confidence building and the feeling that it is okay
to be blind.

My personal goals during training were met by asking lots of questions, trying
new ways of doing tasks and being allowed to share what I know with others. 
Much of what I learned I had been taught in Diabetes Management classes
over the years.  Planning ahead, learning from success or error, and learning
from each other are concepts that work for me and were constantly reinforced
while at BLIND, Inc.


                Pride Costs:  Hiring Readers Pays
                      By Patrick A. Barrett

(Editor's Note:  The Metro Chapter conducted another essay contest this year.  This
is the winner of that contest.)

Why use readers?  When I was in college, it was more a decision I had made
not to use them than to consider the possibilities.  I was dating my wife Trudy
at the time, who is blind and used readers.  She encouraged me to use readers. 
Trudy knew how much time I was spending at the special resource room at the
library using the Visualtek machine to read books that had not been recorded
yet.

I was getting books from Recordings for the Blind.  I knew Braille, but at that
time felt I was too slow at reading it to apply it to college work.  I had reading
covered.

Trudy kept insisting I try readers.  I finally relented.  She gave me the name
of a reader of hers she felt did well.  The person did!  I got the assignment
read in less time than using the print enlarger, experienced no eyestrain and
had time to take Trudy out.   A heck of a deal!

Pride prevented me from realizing the real value of employing readers until
years later.  All of us grow up with the formidable conviction that it is better
to see, even a little.  Five senses are certainly better than four.  The strong
emphasis placed on relying so much on a partial sense of sight eclipsed the
thought of more efficient alternatives.  Regrettably, this "partial," (and I know
I speak for others of you out there), has mentally put down "totals" for having
no sight and depending on readers.  Puffed up with pride, we unwittingly
blinded ourselves to better ways of covering reading.  The totals had it covered
all along!

Ten years after college, I was working at an independent-living center in Idaho. 
I had two long-term jobs before this one and had not used readers.  Working
out reasonable accommodations for that job, I requested readers over a print
enlarger.  I cannot recall what made me make that commitment.  Perhaps it
was knowing role models in the NFB who did their jobs successfully using
readers.

I enjoyed the flexibility and lack of eyestrain using a reader with 20/20 vision. 
Depending upon what needed reading, my reader could read verbatim, scan,
or skip material.  I have hired readers on the job ever since.  I also apply
synthesized speech, Braille, large print, and the enlarging machine (only if a
reader is not immediately available).  Experience using readers has helped me
be more informed on the best alternative for a given facet of the job.

Enrolled as a student at BLIND, Inc. in 1994, I realized that the python of
pride had not been pried sufficiently loose.  Pam Iverson, my Life Skills
teacher, urged me to complete the class goal to start using a personal reader
at home for mail and other print.  My main concern was intrusion into my
privacy.  But like Trudy, Pam kept at me until I agreed.
I can honestly say now that, after employing readers for the past two years, I
would not be without them.  Examples of personal reading made easy are the
none-too-brief government documents, bank statements, information from our
landlord, and handouts connected with our church classes and jobs.  Also,
there's my daughter Raeann's school stuff, reports, teacher notes, and field trip
permission slips.  What has worked best for Trudy and I is to find a reader that
can come the day after the school stuff arrives home with Raeann, because of
the short turnaround time.

Sharon Menlove is our current reader, and has worked for us for two years. 
We met Sharon through our church, and knew her to be responsible.  The
concern I mentioned earlier about privacy has never been a concern.  Just as
if I were hiring her on the job, I let Sharon know what the job entailed and
how she would do it.  I have been flexible that if there is a day she cannot
make it, if she lets me know a day ahead, we can reschedule.  If something
needs to be read immediately, I arrange for a substitute.

As of this writing, I am looking for work.  (Editor's Note:  He found it as a
salesman for a drug company.)  I have hired a second reader, Doug Christy, who
had worked with me on my previous job at State Services for the Blind.  Doug
has read Job Service handouts, filled out job apps, and helped with library
research on employers.  It has paid off.  In a recent interview, I was told that
I knew more than most applicants about the company.

Another matter that is somewhat related to readers is customer service.  I
cannot believe that I was so stubborn as to spend forty-five minutes or more
trying to find two items in a store by myself!  Trudy cannot believe that I have
cast that pride aside and now routinely ask for customer assistance.  Another
slick trick I picked up at BLIND, Inc.  One department store, when paging for
a clerk, refers to you as "customer 1,000."  Shouldn't I win a prize for being the
thousandth customer?

More often than not, the clerks know the store better than you do.  Not only
do I ask for customer service at stores, but more readily ask for the server's
help in reading menus at restaurants, if a Braille menu is not available.

Relying on readers and customer service saves time.  All of us complain about
there never being enough hours in the day.  Hire readers and enlist customer
service, buying time to do fun or productive things.  Waste time feeding pride. 
Which investment gets the greater return?


      Electronic Information Kiosks -- What's All the Fuss
About?
                         By Curtis Chong

What is an electronic information kiosk anyway?

Generally speaking, an electronic information kiosk is a public computer
terminal designed to give and receive information.  It is intended to be
operated by anyone--especially by someone with limited or no computer
experience.  Information is usually presented on a video display, sometimes
accompanied by pre-recorded speech.  Some kiosks contain a printer that can
be used to produce paper copies of information that you might want to take
with you.  There is typically no typewriter keyboard or numeric keypad with
keys that can be felt.  Information can be entered by pressing "buttons"
displayed on the screen.  For more complex data entry, a typewriter keyboard
or numeric keypad image can be displayed on the screen.  You then touch the
keys shown to enter information.  Information on the screen is displayed using
a combination of text and still or animated pictures.  The visual buttons can
be located anywhere on the screen.  There is no way to find any button by
touch.

These kiosks are appearing with increasing frequency in public places and they
could literally replace human beings as sources of valuable information and
services.  Such public information terminals are meant to increase public
accessibility to governmental and private sources of information.  Federationists
have not missed the ironic significance of the term "accessibility" as used in this
context.  As far as the blind are concerned, electronic information kiosks were
anything but accessible.

There is little thought given to whether these devices will be useful to persons
who are blind.  At least, this is the way it appears today.

Is the inability to operate an electronic information kiosk without sighted
assistance something for blind people to get excited about?  Will our lives be
irrevocably damaged by the proliferation of these devices throughout
Minnesota and the nation?

As I see it, we are faced with two fundamental questions:

1.   Will the proliferation of electronic information kiosks--at least in their
     current form--harm our prospects to compete on terms of equality with
     the sighted?  To put it another way, will the widespread use of this
     technology force blind people to rely upon sighted assistance to perform
     those basic tasks that we perform independently today?

2.   If we wish to have full and equal access to the data and services available
     through information kiosks, what solutions should we be pushing for? 
     In other words, how do we want to interact with an electronic
     information kiosk?  Do we want to deal with it on its own terms (i.e.,
     using the touch screen instead of a regular keyboard) or do we want to
     promote only those modifications that would make it possible for us to
     use them with our own access technology (e.g., personal computer,
     Braille 'n Speak, or whatever)?

Although I do not regard the proliferation of information kiosks as an
immediate threat, I do believe that we should begin formulating answers to the
question of how the technology should be adapted so that it can be used
without sight.  State and federal agencies find kiosks appealing not only
because they give the appearance of increasing public access to the
government, but also because they represent a way to reduce staff while
appearing to provide the same amount of service.  We are already seeing
kiosks spring up in California, Washington, Texas, and other states.  They are
under serious consideration in Minnesota.  Kiosks are simply too appealing to
resist.  So, although today it is no big deal for us not to have access to
government information and services through these kiosks (we can always visit
an office where there are live human beings to provide the service), what will
happen if the decision is made to close down a local office because the service
can be provided more cheaply and efficiently through an electronic kiosk?  It
is no stretch of the imagination for a bank or airport to replace live staff with
an automated kiosk.

The day will come when electronic kiosks will be even more common than
automatic teller machines, and it is incumbent on us as knowledgeable and
concerned blind consumers to have a say about how we will use this
technology.

Turning to the second question--how will we access electronic kiosks--I will be
the first to admit that we do not have all of the answers.  However, the work
of Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden, head of the Trace Research Center in Madison,
Wisconsin, has really helped us to get a jump start in this area.

Dr. Vanderheiden took the computer program from an existing kiosk
application running on the University of Wisconsin campus and modified it to
work on a Personal Computer equipped with a touch screen and a speech
synthesizer.  Then, he took this prototype to local and national meetings of the
blind to learn what consumers wanted.  Taking the comments and suggestions
received from many blind people across the country (people with a wide range
of computer expertise), Dr. Vanderheiden put together a system that has since
been incorporated into a kiosk at the Mall of America.  Here is a little about
how it works.

At a minimum, the system consists of a computer, a touch screen, and a single
"select" push-button.  With speech turned on, all functions of the kiosk can be
operated without sight.  Menu items can be heard simply by sliding a finger
down the left edge of the screen.  When a particular item is to be selected, the
blind operator lifts the finger off the item just spoken and presses a "select"
button.  If information is to be entered (e.g., one's name, address, or social
security number), the letters to be typed can be displayed vertically (the letters
a through z in a single column) or in a different format.  The kiosk operator
slides a finger across the screen, hearing each letter traversed, and when the
right letter is located, lifts the finger off the screen and presses the "select"
button.  All informational text is spoken whenever and wherever needed.

The work of Dr. Vanderheiden has given us a jump start in this area.  Locally,
right here in Minnesota, a company called Intuitive Solutions is working with
the Federation and with Dr. Vanderheiden to ensure that the kiosks it places
in public areas are accessible.  
Blind people can use a talking kiosk based on this work at the Mall of America
to learn about and apply for jobs at the mall; and we can do this without any
sighted assistance.

This kiosk is at the east end of the Mall of America, on the third floor, next
to an ATM machine, near the Copy Center.  Besides listing information about
jobs at the Mall of America, the kiosk also contains job ads from the St. Paul
Pioneer Press and other information.

The unique thing about this kiosk is that it is completely accessible to someone
who is blind.  It has a keyboard, a touch screen, DECTalk synthesized speech,
and digitized speech for the initial prompt.  All you have to do to use it is to
walk up and touch the screen.  The kiosk will walk you through the rest of it.

This is the first ever public job information kiosk providing information to the
blind.  I think that blind people should find time to visit the mall and try out
the unit.  It's not perfect--not by any means.  But the designers from Intuitive
Solutions, working cooperatively with the Trace Research Center, want to hear
from people about how well it works and what could be done to improve the
kiosk's usefulness to the blind.

The proliferation of electronic information kiosks may not be anything earth-
shattering for blind people today.  But as it is with everything else in life, we
as blind consumers need to participate actively and affirmatively in the
development of solutions that affect us.  Accordingly, we will continue to work
toward positive solutions as far as independent access to electronic information
kiosks is concerned.  In the end, the work we do today will bear fruit for blind
people tomorrow.


                 Getting in Touch with Literacy
                         By Tom Scanlan

Blind people have always had to fight for literacy.  Braille was not firmly
established as a method for reading and writing by blind people until nearly
a third of the way into this century.  Opposition to Braille generally came from
people who didn't want to bother to learn it and thought the blind should
learn to read raised print.  Today there are those who believe blind people
should use recordings and computer speech instead of Braille.

The National Federation of the Blind has always led the fight for Braille.  We
have twice successfully gone to the Minnesota Legislature and gotten Braille
literacy placed into law.  NFB organizations in other states have done likewise. 
At the national level, we are getting close to having Braille placed firmly in the
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).

As part of our ongoing efforts to promote Braille, the NFB of Minnesota is an
organizer of an upcoming Braille literacy conference.  We are glad to join with
others who know that Braille is important to blind people.

Here is the flier that announces the conference.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
for
The Third Biennial Conference of
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH LITERACY
A National Conference Focusing on the Needs of Individuals Who are
Blind or Visually Impaired

will be held at
Radisson Plaza Hotel
Minneapolis Minnesota

September 25, 26, & 27, 1997

Organized by MN Teachers of the Blind & Visually Impaired, MN State
Services for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind of MN, MN
Department of Children, Families & Learning, MN Deaf/Blind Technical
Assistance Project, MN State Academy for the Blind & Visually Impaired,
AER of MN, and the Wisconsin Bureau of Exceptional Children.

Help us make the 3rd Biennial Conference exceptionally exciting!
A conference of innovative as well as practical applications to literacy in all
stages of life.


                        Clippings Needed
                         By Peggy Chong

For the past 25 years, the NFB of Minnesota has contracted with a clipping
service to look for material in newspapers throughout the state regarding
blindness.  At the November 1996 board meeting of the NFB of MN, it was
decided to stop this service as the accuracy of the service has declined
significantly as the cost continues to climb higher and higher each year.  

In the past few years, because of Dial-In-News, and lately, Newsline, members
and friends are finding more articles than the clipping service was.  Articles
about the activities of blind people, and issues that affect the blind community,
are being mailed to our office frequently.  

It is very important to keep up to date on what is being said about the blind
in the media.  Some chapters read newspaper and magazine articles at local
chapter meetings.  From time to time, interesting news articles will be
reprinted in the Minnesota Bulletin.  We forward any articles that may be of
interest to persons outside our state, to the national office and the Braille
Monitor.  Each clipping is kept at our state office for future use and reference. 
So you can see just how important it is to look for and send a copy of any
news article about blindness to our state office.

Now more than ever, everyone needs to be on the lookout for articles.  When
you hear of an article in a paper, try to get a copy of the article.  If you do not
get the paper, try to purchase one or get a copy from a friend.  If you cannot
get the article, try to find out what day the article ran, what section of the
paper it appeared in and in what paper.  Send our state office a copy.  

Chapters may wish to appoint a person who regularly reads the papers to be
the media-watchdog for the chapter.  This could be a good way for sighted
members to participate regularly in your local chapter.  


                     The Blind in the Media
                         By Peggy Chong

In the past several months, blind persons have been the latest gimmicks in the
advertising world.  

In September, we learned that the Barnes and Nobel bookstores had a poster
that equated blindness with illiteracy to promote their literacy week.  Mothers
Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) have had a radio commercial that said
"Driving drunk is like driving blind."  Of course everyone has now seen or
heard one of the ads for AirTouch where a blind man, Rick Boggs, promotes
cellular phone service by comparing it to his blindness.  

Barnes and Nobel did not talk with blind persons before they printed their
posters.  After Joyce Scanlan, our state president, contacted their national
office and talked with one of their Vice Presidents, we received a letter
promising not to use blindness in any of their promotions without talking with
the NFB.  

MADD contacted our state office to ask our opinion on their advertising. 
Joyce informed them that equating blindness with drunkenness did not put
blindness in a good light.  They have just changed their advertisement.

AirTouch did contact the National office before going ahead with their ads
using blindness to promote their product.  AirTouch is using a blind actor for
the commercials.  They are portraying the blind spokesman in a normal light,
doing normal, everyday activities.  However, some ads are a bit demeaning to
the blind.  The ad where Rick is getting his hair cut and implies that a blind
person could not cut hair, the ad where the dog guide brings a bone from the
dinosaur exhibit to his master's feet, do not portray blind persons in a positive
light.

When we see ads that do not portray blindness or blind people in a positive
light, it is our responsibility to let the advertiser know how we feel.  Contact
your chapter and state president, discuss the material at chapter meetings and
let the advertiser know how the Federation feels.  Point out what is offensive. 
If possible, make suggestions on how to change the ad.


                     This Could Be the Year
                         By Judy Sanders

During our Day at the Capitol in mid-January, we introduced our legislative
priority for this session.  Now we have our work cut out for us.  Who knows
better than the National Federation of the Blind that what is worth having is
worth working for.  Read the following fact sheet and call your legislator to
express your support for the establishment of a Department for the Blind.  


                           FACT SHEET
                          PRESENTED BY
        THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
                        January 15, 1997

CONTACT:  Joyce Scanlan, President


ATTN:  Members of the 1997 Legislature

The following Information and Request for Legislative Action is presented to
you by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, the voice of
Minnesota's blind citizens.  We represent a cross-section of society: rich, poor,
professionals, unskilled laborers, senior citizens, children, parents, and friends
of the blind.  The National Federation of the Blind is an organization of the
blind speaking for ourselves.


                     LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE

We request that you create a Department for the Blind to conduct services
provided by State Services for the Blind (SSB).  SSB currently is located in the
Department of Economic Security.  Services to the blind are so unique that no
current State Department exists with which SSB is compatible.

                    RATIONALE FOR LEGISLATION

A look at SSB's service statistics for FY96 shows that while some of SSB's
services provide competitive employment, most of them go far beyond the basic
job-service mission of the Department of Economic Security.

Here is a breakdown of services provided by SSB, the number of blind people
served in each service category, and the percentage of total services.  The total
number of people served by all services was 32,924.  However, each person
receiving more than one service is counted in each category.

Career and Independent Living Services: 6,016 (18%).  Only 3,496 of those
(58%) sought competitive employment.  The rest received independent living
services allowing them to remain in their own homes.

Business Enterprise Program:  74 (less than 1%).  This means that SSB
licenses 74 vending facilities in the state that are operated by blind persons.

Client Staff Support:  11,093 (34%). This includes people eligible for the
special homestead property-tax credit for the blind and customers of The Store
where special aids for the blind (white canes, talking clocks, Braille writing
material, etc.) can be purchased.

Communication Center:  15,741 (48%).  These services include the Radio
Talking book, transcription of textbooks into Braille and tape, Dial-in News,
distribution of tape players to listen to recorded books, and transcription of
work-related or pleasure reading into Braille or tape.

These statistics show that SSB's services aid the whole blind person's lifestyle;
not just the employment factors.  One of our chief concerns has to do with
extraneous issues that SSB staff must deal with to help the Department
develop and operate Workforce Centers.  While blind people seeking
employment may want to use Workforce Center services this should be
possible without SSB staff spending time and money to bring it about.

Another concern that happens when an agency like SSB is a part of a larger
Department is the temptation to consolidate our services with other agencies. 
Such an attempt was made last year when the Department of Economic
Security contemplated combining SSB with its Rehabilitation Services branch. 
With the help of some legislators, our distinctive services were preserved. 
Establishment of a Department for the Blind would go a long way toward
diminishing this risk from happening again.

We acknowledge that this proposal bucks trends of consolidation but we hope
that you can acknowledge that there are exceptions to all trends and that you
can best serve blind Minnesotans through this new structure.  We ask you to
lend your support to the creation of a Department for the Blind.  Help SSB
better use its funding and provide first-rate service that will be a model for the
whole country.

                               ***

This could be our year.  We visited with more legislators than ever, and where
we could not make personal visits we left the fact sheet.  Some legislators were
enthusiastic, others were noncommittal, and still others said it didn't have a
chance.  A great deal depends on whether we make a case that the needs of
blind people are truly unique and that we do not fit into any already existing
Department.

We have commitments for hearings in both the Senate and House Government
Operations Committees.  Plan to join us throughout this Legislative session
and be a part of history in the making.


          Blind Candidate Wins West-central House Seat
                       By Richard Meryhew

(Reprinted from the November 7, 1996 Star Tribune)

Torrey Westrom was in the sixth grade when he first toured the State Capitol
and saw its majestic dome and golden horses.

But when he returns in January as a newly elected representative from House
District 13A, those images will be only memories.

Westrom, 23, has been blind since he was 14, when he was injured in a car
accident on his family's farm.  He fractured his skull in six places, and has seen
nothing but darkness since.

In defeating DFLer Clair Nelson of Barrett by 228 votes Tuesday, the
Republican will become the first blind person to serve in the Legislature in
recent history.

Mark Sathe, a Republican from St. Louis Park, who also is legally blind, was
defeated in his bid for the District 44 state Senate seat vacated by Ted
Mondale.

"It's quite an honor," Westrom said of his triumph Wednesday from his home
in Elbow Lake, a community of 1,180 people about 170 miles northwest of
Minneapolis.  It's a humbling experience."

He will represent a large strip of west central Minnesota that includes parts of
seven counties and 26 communities.  But his victory, which wasn't certain until
late returns trickled in about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, was cause for celebration
far beyond his district's borders.

"To see one of our citizens who happens to be blind really make it in the
political field is another sign of our progress," said Joyce Scanlan, president of
the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, based in Minneapolis.

"We don't want to get caught up in the fact that this is just a blind guy.  This
really is a Member of the Legislature who has campaigned and won an election
and been successful.  And he happens to be blind."

Said Dick Davis, Assistant Commissioner of State Services for the Blind with
the Department of Economic Security, "People in his legislative district looked
at him as somebody who could do a good job for them in the Legislature and
elected him.  That's the neat part.  They trusted him enough to put him in the
Legislature.  That's just dandy."

Westrom, who has participated in Republican politics for about six years, was
elected to office on his first try.  He says his agenda in St. Paul will be simple;
economic development, education and property-tax changes.

But he also knows that along the way, his blindness quietly may become part
of his mission, too.  "It's going to be a point people will ask about, and it's
something he'll have to talk about," Scanlan said.  "But I found him to be very
open, and I think he'll do well."

Overcoming difficulties

Westrom, the son of a dairy farmer, was 14 when he hopped into a car, drove
out to a hay field and lost control of the vehicle on an "S" curve.  The car
flipped, his forehead crashed into the steering wheel, and the car's roof
collapsed on his head.  

The optic nerve connecting his eyes to the optic centers of his brain was
irreversibly damaged, cutting off "all the light perception between the eyes and
the brain," he said.

He credits his family, friends and community with helping him through difficult
times.

"It was always a question of 'If there's anything we can do, let us know,'" he
said.

He graduated from Elbow Lake High School in 1991 and from Bemidji State
University in 1995 with a degree in political science and business
administration.  He works in sales for a telecommunications firm.

Scanlan, who is blind, said she met Westrom in August, when he met with
blind students at the organization's training center in Minneapolis to discuss
his handicap.

"It's encouraging for them to see a person who is not that much older than
they are, doing what Torrey is doing," she said.  "Whether he likes it or not,
he's going to be a role model."

Westrom said he's prepared for the responsibility. 

"There have been lots of people throughout my life who have been major
players or minor players, and they've been anything from helpful to
inspirational," he said.  "So, yeah, I think it's not a bad thing to try and be a
role model."

Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore,
said Westrom is one of several officeholders nationwide who are legally blind.

It's not unprecedented in Minnesota, either. 

Thomas D. Schall, who was blind, represented Minnesota in Congress from
1915 to 1935 - first as a representative and later as a senator.

"I don't think there (are) any problems Torrey won't be able to deal with,
because he's resourceful, he's sharp, he's intelligent, and you know, I think he
knows where to go if he has problems or questions that he needs help with,"
Scanlan said.

"He's not going into it without a lot of planning and thought of how handle it."

Westrom said he'll travel to St. Paul before the start of the legislative session
to learn the layout of the Capitol complex.

"I'll get familiar with it," he said.  "Once I get that map in my head, it's there. 
It's memory."


                    An Earlier Blind Lawmaker
                         By Peggy Chong

The election of Torrey Westrom to the Minnesota House of Representatives
has caused some in the press to marvel at his courage.  But he is just following
other fine blind Minnesotans into politics.

Our most famous blind Minnesota politician has got to be Thomas David
Schall.  Friends, as well as enemies of Mr. Schall all would agree that he was
a strong force in our country's political world.

Thomas David Schall was born in Michigan on June 4, 1878.  After his father
died in 1880, his mother left Michigan to make a life for her and her son. 
They eventually settled in Traverse County where his mother worked as a cook.

From early childhood, Tom led a tough life.  At an early age he was selling
papers in the streets until late at night.  He tells of sleeping in boxes in the
streets of Minneapolis after selling his last paper for the night.  Being able to
dance and having a strong voice, he joined the circus for several months.  After
that, he found himself back with his mother in Wheaton.

Wanting the best for her son, his mother arranged for his adoption by a
wealthy farmer with the understanding that Thomas would get a good
education.  Instead of school, Thomas was put to work on the farm.  His first
attempt to run away was unsuccessful.  But the second time, he made it back
to his mother. 

Tom started school at the age of 12 in Wheaton.  He went to Ortonville High
School where he was convinced to enter an oritorical contest and won first
prize.  He went on to state competition and won second place.  Previously, his
interests had been fighting and baseball.  Now he turned to speaking.

His oratorical gift earned him a scholarship at Hamline University.  After
transferring to the University of Minnesota in 1900, he continued to win
honors for himself and his school in the Northern Oratorical League.  While
at the U. of M., he also won the Pillsbury Prize.  He once told a reporter that
the more expensive his suit for the contests, the higher his placement.  

Thomas earned his BA degree from the University in 1902, and received his
LLB degree from the St. Paul College of Law in 1904.  He was admitted to the
bar in 1905.  He and his new bride set up house while Thomas began his
practice in corporate law.  He felt that things had turned out right well for
himself.

In 1907 he was trying a case in Fargo, North Dakota.  Court had recessed for
lunch.  Thomas and another attorney went to the cigar stand to purchase a
cigar.  The other attorney lit his cigar with a match.  But Thomas lit his with
a new electric cigar lighter.  The lighter exploded and threw Schall backwards. 


His arm was seared, but he still went back into court to finish off the day. 
Thomas noticed that his vision was a bit unfocused.  As the days progressed,
he lost more of his sight.  Within a year, Schall was totally blind.  

Schall and his wife went to doctor after doctor, hoping for a cure.  They
exhausted their savings, sold all their belongings, sold his law library and
eventually everything they owned.  Tom heard of a doctor who had a new
surgical procedure.  But it would cost much money -- money that they did not
have.  He had to go back to work.

A friend gave him some space in his law offices.  Gradually, his confidence
came back.  He focussed on personal injury law.  Soon he forgot chasing after
a cure for his blindness and opened his offices in the Security Building in
Minneapolis.

Margaret, his wife, became his personal secretary both in the law offices and
in Washington.  While she was attending the University of Minnesota, she
earned extra money reading to a professor who was losing his sight.  Given
Thomas's past and her knowledge of what the blind professor accomplished at
the University, she urged her husband to continue in his law profession.

The Schalls also started on their family at this time.  Their first son, Thomas
Jr. was born in 1911.  Richard was born in 1913, and their daughter Padget
Ann was born in 1920.

As a favor he began making speeches for his friends who were running for
political office.  Soon he decided to run for office himself, filing for the
congressional seat as a Progressive in 1913.

All his life, just like his father, he had been a Republican.  But when Teddy
Roosevelt, Thomas Schall's hero, bolted from the Republican Party, so did
Tom.  He rejoined the Republican Party a few years later, but was always on
the outside because of his defection and unwillingness to follow the Party line.

Schall began his term as the first blind Congressman on March 4, 1915.  He
was reelected each year until 1925, when he began his first term as Minnesota's
blind U. S. Senator.  In the House, he chaired such committees as the
Committee on Alcohol Liquor Traffic and the Committee on Flood Control. 
Tom also served on the Rules Committee.

One thing he loved to do was to speak to the people.  It is said that he would
talk to any group and at great length on current issues.  Most of his supporters
were the poor people of our state.  He would address crowds, primarily
outdoors, at community picnics or on street corners from the back of a car. 
It didn't matter to him.  It has been said that if three people were found
loitering outside his Lake Harriet home, he would take that opportunity to
speak from his retaining wall to those who would listen.

He did not forget his blind brothers and sisters.  Tom Schall was the first
legislator to accept an invitation to speak to the convention of the Minnesota
State Organization of the blind (MSOB, now the National Federation of the
Blind of Minnesota) in June of 1924.  The MSOB counted Schall as a friend
in the Congress and contacted him on issues such as the Pension for the Blind
Bill.  While in the Senate, Schall met with MSOB representatives over the
Robbins bill that was the forerunner to the Randolph-Shepard Act that gave
blind persons preference to vending stands in Federal buildings.

The press of Minnesota was controlled by the Democratic Party and therefore
had little to say in support of Schall.  But this did not bother him.  He gave as
good as he got.  His associates describe him as "unyielding" and "not afraid of
any man."

Schall took his work seriously, serving on his committees as well as attending
and participating in committees he was not a member of.  He once was
described as "blazing forth in strong and vivid language" to make his point for
the State of Minnesota.  He also took great pride in the fact that he answered
all his letters within a twenty-four-hour period.

William Randolph Hearst was a big supporter of Thomas Schall.  With his
support came many front page articles about the Senator in his many papers. 
This also prompted criticism back home.  His opponents tried to paint him as
part of an eastern block of politicians and not interested in the affairs of
Minnesotans.  Yet, with each election, Schall's popularity grew.

Schall voted to repeal Prohibition so that men and women could purchase
better liquor openly.  He was the first senator to stand up and strongly oppose
the New Deal and President Roosevelt.  Tom lobbied hard for an import ban
as he felt that by eliminating imports from other countries that duplicated
American goods, more Americans could go back to work and end the
depression.  He openly commended people and communities that refused
federal support and worked to make it on their own.

Politics was not his only love.  Ever since he was a child, working on farms and
taking care of the animals, he loved horses.  While visiting his daughter's
school in Virginia in October 1935, Tom showed off his skills as an equestrian. 
Using a buzzer system that he had worked out, Schall rode the horse around
the area then took it over four-foot jumps.

Other hobbies included flying and shooting.  He often could be seen flying on
an Autogyro from his Washington office to his Maryland home.  When he
could, he would choose to fly across the country.  Both of his sons had pilot's
licenses.  He also enjoyed target shooting at his Maryland home.  He would
use sound to focus on.  Sometimes a person would stand at a great distance
and hit the target with a stick.  It is said that he was a pretty good shot.  

Blindness was something Thomas was never ashamed of.  Most often, he could
be found in the front row of the House with his cane between his knees.  Early
photos of Thomas Schall show him using a walking stick.  Often he traveled
with his wife or one of his staff.  A German Shepard police dog named Lux
was given to Schall to walk through the streets of Washington.  Lux earned a
following of his own.  The dog's picture was used to sell dog food.  
In 1926, Schall and Senator Wadsworth introduced a bill that would allow a
guide dog to accompany his master on public transportation and other public
places.  Traveling back and forth between Minneapolis and Washington alone,
Lux was forced into the baggage car on every occasion.  The railroads would
not allow Lux to accompany his master into the main train or a private
compartment.

Thomas Pryor Gore and Sen. Thomas Schall, the two blind Senators, posed for
press photos in 1932 with the new white canes with the contrasting red tip that
would make it easier for motorists to see a blind person crossing the street.

On December 19, 1935, Thomas Schall stopped on his way home in Maryland
to do some shopping.  While crossing the street with his aid, they were hit by
a car.  Thomas Schall died two days later on December 22.  Schall was buried
at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.  The state and the nation mourned the
great loss of a strongly opinionated and tireless supporter of the poor and
working class.


                       The Parents' Column
                       By Barbara Schultz

Volunteer Braille Services has capacity to print requested materials in large
print if your child needs that.  Contact them directly at 521-0372 for
information.

If you are on our parent mailing list, you should have received a questionnaire
recently.  If you have not returned it, please do.  Our parents' division wants
to meet the real needs of families in Minnesota, and we want to know what we
should be doing.  Thanks!

There are several children who have expressed an interest in a mentoring
relationship with a blind adult.  Ages and hometowns follow.  Please call
Barbara Schultz at (612) 772-4093 if you want to become a mentor.  Thank
you.
     19-year-old boy, Babbitt, MN  
     17-year-old girl, North Mankato
     14-year-old boy, Hayfield
      6-year-old boy, Stillwater
      7-year-old girl, St. Paul

A parent in North Mankato is willing to set up a local group of Parents of
Blind Children for support, social activities, sharing ideas, etc.  Call Barbara
at (612) 772-4093 if you are in the Mankato area and are interested.

The 1996-1997 Braille Readers Are Leaders contest is underway!  For
information, rules, or an entry form, please call Barbara at (612) 772-4093. 
And while we're on this topic,  congratulations to last-year's Minnesota
participants; Brandon Cole of Plymouth, Lisa Kidder of Owatonna, and Emilie
Schultz of St. Paul!

If you have information, announcements, or questions for this column, or if
you are interested in participation in the parent's division in any way, please
contact:
     Barbara Schultz
     President, Parents of Blind Children
     1728 Leone Avenue
     St. Paul, MN  55106
     (612) 772-4093

The Insights group continues to meet monthly in the metro area for
education/information/support/socialization for families of blind children. 
There is now also a discussion/support group meeting being held separately,
monthly for parents.  For information on either or both, call Carol at 429-7293.

Future Reflections Special Issue, 1995, is available to children in Braille, large
print, or on tape.  It was devoted to articles written for blind children grades
3 and up.  Request it, free of charge, from:
     Future Reflections
     National Federation of the Blind
     1800 Johnson St.
     Baltimore, MD  21230.
 
Slate Pals is a pen pal program for blind Braille reading students who want to
correspond with other students.  Contact:  
     Slate Pals
     5817 North Nina
     Chicago, IL  60631.


      Central Minnesota Chapter Celebrates 25th Anniversary
                         By Tom Scanlan

Our Central Minnesota Chapter, based in St. Cloud, was 25 years old in
November.  And its members are proud of it.

State President Joyce Scanlan sent the following letter to Chapter President
Andy Virden and the members in honor of the event and to wish them well
from all the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota.


November 7, 1996

Mr. Andrew P. Virden, President
Central Minnesota Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota
Waite Park, Minnesota

Dear Andy and Members of the Central Minnesota Chapter:

Congratulations to all of our fellow Federationists in the Central Minnesota
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind on the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the founding of this very outstanding chapter.  I am sorry I
cannot be with you today to take part in the celebration, but I am in San Juan
on assignment as the national representative at the NFB of Puerto Rico
convention.  I would very much like to be in St. Cloud with all of you today. 
Vice President Curtis Chong and Metro Chapter President Peggy Chong are
our official NFB of Minnesota representatives, who will bring this message to
you.

Like many of you, I was in attendance at the founding meeting of our Central
Minnesota Chapter in 1971.  It was a very exciting time for all of us.  To
mention names of leading Federationists who were there on that founding day
from the chapter and from the entire Minnesota affiliate would be difficult
because there are so many.  Jim Schleppegrell, Rosemary Varey, and Mary
Hartle certainly deserve recognition, as do you, Andy, since you have served
as chapter president for most of those twenty-five years.  There are certainly
many other memorable leaders: Tom Anderson, Sister Jude, Brad Hodges,
Agnes Marklowitz, Lenore Ruhof, and many, many more.

Our Central Minnesota Chapter has been a vital part of our state and national
organization throughout its twenty-five-year history.  The chapter has had a
prominent presence in the community of St. Cloud as it served as the voice of
the organized blind in that area.  Everyone knew of the existence of our
chapter, because Federationists were always on hand to express the views of
the organization on all significant issues.  Whenever an individual in the area
who happened to be blind experienced difficulty due to blindness, the chapter
members were available to lend support and provide advocacy until the
problem was resolved.  Yes, the chapter has filled a very important role in the
community and throughout the entire National Federation of the Blind. 
Everyone should be justly proud of the role Central Minnesota has played in
the National Federation of the Blind.

Please have a wonderful day as you celebrate the birthday of our chapter.  I
will be thinking of all of you with warm and friendly thoughts and memories. 
Congratulations again, and I know we will have even a more brilliant future
which exceeds the success of the past twenty-five years.  Have a wonderful day.

Very truly yours,

Joyce Scanlan
President


The chapter has worked hard over the years to improve the lives of blind
people and uphold the principles and philosophy of the National Federation
of the Blind.  In recognition of their success, the following article appeared in
the St. Cloud Times on November 7, 1996.


IN 25 YEARS, ADVOCACY GROUP FOR BLIND MAKES POSITIVE
STRIDES

"Chapter president says group has increased opportunities for disabled"
(by Kendra E. Johnson)

Back in 1971, not many businesses took chances on blind people or those with
seeing disabilities.

Local historians say few of the area's blind were able to get steady jobs -- a
fact largely due to stereotypes and misinformation.

Today, more than half of area residents with full or partial blindness have
careers or are working steady jobs.  More than 15 of the 30 members of the
Central Minnesota chapter of the National Federation of the Blind work, said
Andy Virden, chapter president.

Virden said he likes to think the consumer group deserves much of the credit
for changing those working statistics and people's attitudes.

As organizers prepare for the chapter's 25th anniversary celebration Saturday,
Virden and other members reflected on the organization's achievements.

"I think attitudes are improving toward blind people as well as other people
with disabilities," said Virden, who's been a member of the national
organization since 1951.

Virden credits the organization for several strides for blind people nationally,
including helping to pass copyright laws that allow literature to be available in
Braille or on recordings almost immediately, and lobbying for maintaining
appropriations for the Library of Congress to continue publishing and
recording books in Braille.

Statewide, Virden said, the organization helped get Braille books to needy
children by working to get a bill passed that provides the necessary money. 
The local chapter lobbied for the bus depot and provides scholarships for blind
youth, Virden said.

"I think we've made it easier to create a better climate for securing
opportunities for blind people, and more members have become active in our
community because of the organization," he said.

Member Patti Karim agreed.

Karim, who moved to St. Cloud a year ago, said the organization made her
feel at home. 

"I'd been in the organization for about 23 years, but that was in other places. 
This provided me with the community, the commonality and the interest by
people going in the same direction," she said.

Karim, who's looking for a job in her field of broadcasting, said, "I didn't know
that much about St. Cloud, but it was through other blind people that I
learned what services I could tap into, places to go, things like that," she said.

Between 30 and 50 residents are expected to attend the celebration, which will
be
at noon at the Waite Park American Legion, Virden said.


                        Convention Alert!

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions.  Keep these in mind as you
plan your activities throughout the coming year.  

The Semiannual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be held in the Twin Cities
in April.  Members will receive a letter with details in early March.

The National NFB Convention will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana during
the first week of July 1997.  This is a whole week of friends, fun (the French
Quarter!), and serious business.  It is a chance to be part of the largest
gathering of blind people in the world.  Full details are in the December 1996
issue of the Braille Monitor.  However, get your reservations into the NFB
National Office right away.  The Hyatt Regency hotel has reserved only 1,100
rooms for our convention, but we expect to need nearly 1,500.  Dr. Jernigan
is working hard to get the rest, but there is a big jazz convention at the same
time.  So don't take a chance and wait too long and be left out in the cold
(even in New Orleans in July).

The Annual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be held in October in the Twin
Cities.

