                       MINNESOTA BULLETIN 

                        April-June, 1993

                           Vol. LVIII
                              No. 2

                          Published By 
                National Federation of the Blind 
                          of Minnesota 

                715 Chamber of Commerce Building 
                     15 South Fifth Street 
                 Minneapolis, Minnesota  55402 
                     Phone: (612) 332-5414 

                 WE ARE CHANGING WHAT IT MEANS 
                           TO BE BLIND

 LES AFFAIRES
                        By Joyce Scanlan

             ACCEPTING HELP:  HOW TO BREAK THE CYCLE

As members of the National Federation of the Blind, we frequently
find ourselves engaged in serious discussions of pertinent
blindness-related issues.  We compare notes on the most humorous
stories, the absolutely unbelievable attitude demonstrated by
someone, how to handle difficult family situations, blindness and
relationships with significant others, what blindness really means,
what constitutes independence and competence for a blind person,
how blind people can achieve equality with the sighted and full
acceptance in society, and a great number of other weighty topics. 
Depending upon personal experience, exposure to constructive
training, and a variety of other factors, opinions on these matters
cover a broad spectrum.  

The subject of accepting help--whether or not to, how to or not to,
what to say or not say--generates profound conversations which stir
up the emotions and challenge the intellect.  The question comes up
numerous times for a student in an orientation program.  For some
students, it is taken for granted that if one is blind, help is
definitely needed and should be sought and accepted at all times. 
End of discussion.  For others, if one is blind, accepting help is
prohibited.  Blind people must be independent and accepting help
creates a negative public image.  End of discussion.  For most
people, the answer lies somewhere between the two extremes.  For
most of us, because of our participation in the organized blind
movement, our opinions and attitudes have evolved and are still
evolving through constructive training, exposure to differing
views, positive experiences, and ever-rising expectations.

As we work with many people with different backgrounds, we learn
how many facets there are to an issue which may seem so simple.  In
a recent discussion with an orientation center student who has been
blind since birth, I found myself trying to convince the person
that although he made a practice of soliciting help from sighted
people, he could break that cycle and be independent.  My friend
brought forth all the arguments supporting his use of sighted help. 
"Although I may not need help, if I don't accept the offer, the
sighted person may not be willing to help the next blind person who
may really need it.  Taking help from sighted people gives me good
social contact; it's a way to meet people.  It's disrespectful to
turn down an offer of help, especially from someone like a
policeman.  If I turn down help, the sighted person may become
angry and yell at me.  I may think I can do it, but if I make a
mistake, the sighted person will see that; I'll be embarrassed and
be forced into letting the person help me anyway.  I must accept
help, because I don't know how to refuse it."  I pointed out that,
if one were to be perfectly honest about it,  the underlying belief
probably was that "I really do need help.  As a blind person, I am
expected to take assistance; that's what I'm used to, and I can't
change."

The extreme position of always using assistance is just as harmful
as never taking help from others.  Because my friend had habitually
used sighted assistance whenever traveling about, he had developed
numerous techniques to garner help whenever he felt the need, in
his home or out on the street.  He could cajole, guilt, manipulate,
be direct or subtle--whatever a situation might call for.  For a
blind person on the public streets, attracting help is not at all
difficult.  If one merely stops for just a second, Mr. Public is
sure to approach and ask, "May I help you?"  or "Do you need help?" 
My friend had perfected some techniques which invariably drew
attention to himself.  These behaviors had become so natural to him
that he no longer recognized them or their effect.  For instance,
he would approach a building or an intersection and begin talking
aloud.  "I wonder if this is the right building."  Or, "I hope I
can make this crossing without being run over."  Hearing such
comments, most individuals would be bound to conclude that help was
not only needed but being requested.  Therefore, without directly
asking for help, my friend received just what he felt he needed. 
Yet he could claim, and rightfully so,  that he hadn't requested
help.

Breaking a habit so ingrained is a major challenge.  But overcoming
the denial and accepting full responsibility for what is going on
is a first step.  It's easier to make excuses by saying, "The help
came to me because of Mr. Public's negative attitudes toward
blindness.  People always think we need help.  I did nothing to
invite the help I got."  To make someone understand that he had
actually appeared helpless, had caused alarm,  and was primarily
responsible for what happened forces a painful realization upon the
blind person.  But once that has happened, the next step is to
recognize that one can also take charge of making something else
happen.

The question is what do you want to happen?  Do you want to be
helped in a different way, or do you not want to be helped at all?

As our discussion proceeded, my friend slowly but surely admitted
that he sought and accepted any help he could get, because he
firmly believed he could not function competently without it.  That
brings us to the question of how to have opportunity for successful
experiences which will overcome such a negative belief.  "How can
I seize upon the chance to prove to myself that I can accomplish a
task without help when all these people descend upon me?"  Well,
you can.  And the best time to do that is when you're in a training
program.  There, you are in a structured environment where you will
have as many successful experiences as possible so that you will
overcome fears and doubts which have ruled your past.

Remember that others are around; they may be watching you and
certainly can hear what you say.  Don't talk out loud.  Think
anything you want but to yourself only.  If some over-zealous
person approaches you to help, say, (and you must practice saying
this to yourself ahead of time over and over again so that you can
speak spontaneously, "Thank you, but I am in a training program and
must work this out independently."  You might also add, "My
instructor is nearby watching to see me work this out by myself." 
Most people will not pursue the matter.  When you have done this a
few times, your successes will build upon each other, and you will
find yourself believing that you definitely can be independent and
do not need to accept help whenever it is offered to you.

At this point, once you are convinced that you absolutely can
locate an address, cross a street, or resolve any number of travel
problems independently, you are in the wonderful position of having
options.  You are the decision-maker.  You can accept help some of
the time, or you can turn it down.  The choice is yours.  As long
as you know you can accomplish whatever it is you want to do by
yourself, you are in good shape.  The pressure for worrying about
whether or not someone else offers help to you is off.  Your
energies can be focused on other, more interesting matters.

Because of the National Federation of the Blind, more and more
people are breaking the stereotype of the helpless, pitiful blind
person.  We give ongoing encouragement and support to each other in
our struggles to break the cycle of behavior that labels us and
forces us into accepting less of ourselves than our full
capabilities.  Many of us are still in the process of convincing
ourselves that we are fully capable of independence and first-class
citizenship.  Once we have gained full belief in ourselves, we will
be in a better position to go out and convince the world.


 NFB OF MINNESOTA 1992 ANNUAL CONVENTION
                          by Jan Bailey

The 1992 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind
of Minnesota was held on the weekend of October 23-25 at the
Sunwood Inn in St. Cloud.  Our Central Minnesota Chapter, under the
capable leadership of chapter president Andy Virden, did a truly
remarkable job of hosting the convention.  In Central Minnesota,
the Federation is held in high regard by state and federal
political leaders.  This was demonstrated by the fact that the
convention was privileged to hear from two state senators, one
state representative, one candidate for state senate, and Seventh
District Congressman Collin Peterson.

Our annual bake sale, which has become an annual convention
tradition, broke all records this year and raised more money for
the NFB of Minnesota treasury than ever before.  This, combined
with the plentiful door prizes, the high spirits, and the
enthusiasm of the Federationists present, served to make the 1992
annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota a memorable one indeed.

Our national representative for the convention was none other than
Joanne Wilson, a national board member, president of the NFB of
Louisiana, and director of the well-known Louisiana Center for the
Blind.  Those who heard Ms. Wilson's banquet address Saturday night
will tell you that she is a vivacious, charming, dynamic, and
highly effective speaker.

Activities for the convention began Friday afternoon, October 23,
with a seminar on employment.  Following that was a meeting of the
Minnesota Association of Blind Students (Jennifer Lehman,
president), the Student Chapter of the NFB of Minnesota.

Convention registration and hospitality activities began Friday
evening.  While this was going on, two business meetings occurred. 
The first was a meeting of the National Association to Promote the
Use of Braille in Minnesota, Jan Bailey president.  Following that,
the Resolutions Committee, chaired by Curtis Chong, met and
recommended five resolutions to the convention.

Another event which has become a virtual tradition at annual
conventions of the NFB of Minnesota is the BLIND, Inc. Board of
Directors breakfast meeting, which is open to all.  This year, the
meeting took place early Saturday morning.  Everybody was pleased
to meet with the staff and Board members of Minnesota's newest and
most progressive training center for the blind.

Promptly at 9:00 a.m., Saturday morning, President Joyce Scanlan
gaveled the convention to order, and the official business of the
convention began in earnest.

The Saturday morning program touched upon a wide variety of
subjects.  The convention heard from a financial planner, a police
sergeant, and a number of political figures, including a candidate
for the State Senate, Seventh District Congressman Collin Peterson,
and State Senator Joe Bertram.

President Scanlan read a memo from R. Jane Brown, Commissioner of
the Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training, announcing the
appointment of Richard Davis as the new Assistant Commissioner in
charge of Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB).  President
Scanlan pointed out that this is a development about which all of
us can be pleased.  Mr. Davis took an orientation center in the
state of New Mexico and changed it from a repressive program to one
in which blind people across the country can be proud.  Hopefully,
he can imbue State Services for the Blind with the same kind of
progressive philosophy and leadership that characterizes the New
Mexico Commission for the Blind.

Joanne Wilson, our national representative, brought the convention
up to date regarding matters affecting the blind nationally.  The
Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act passed the Congress on
October 5.  There will not be a National Commission on Blindness,
but there will be one on rehabilitation services.  The new Act
contains many references to freedom of choice, a concept pioneered
by the National Federation of the Blind.  Eligibility requirements
for rehabilitation services are becoming more liberal, making it
extremely simple for recipients of SSI or SSDI who are blind to
receive rehabilitation services.  Ms. Wilson also discussed the
many federal grants that are being received by the Federation.  For
example, we are engaged in a National Braille Literacy project with
the American Printing House for the Blind (APH).  APH, along with
NFB consultants, will be developing training materials to teach
blind adults braille.  Part of the project involves an exploration
of computer braille technology.  Finally, Ms. Wilson reviewed some
cases being handled by the Federation on behalf of individual blind
people.

The Saturday afternoon session began with more discussion of the
reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act.  Bill Niederloh,
Director of SSB's Career and Independent Living Services, gave the
convention his perspective on the matter.  SSB, he said, is in for
some major challenges once the Act is signed into law.  For
example, the Act requires the agency to make eligibility
determinations within sixty days.  Currently, SSB is able to meet
this goal only forty percent of the time.  Mr. Niederloh thought
that SSB would be forced to implement an Order of Selection. 
Historically, this has not been very popular with consumers.  Mr.
Niederloh also explained that we are likely to see some significant
changes in the structure of the Minnesota Council for the Blind
based upon requirements of the Rehabilitation Act.

Educating Blind Children: How Can We Do It Better was the subject
of the next program item.  Participants on the panel included: Jean
Martin, Director, Minnesota Resource Center for the Blind; Jenny
Koch, a student at BLIND, Inc.; Bill Kazee, principal of the
Minnesota State Academy for the Blind; and Joanne Wilson, Director,
Louisiana Center for the Blind.  All panel members stressed the
importance of early skills training for children who are blind. 
Joanne Wilson pointed out the critical importance of developing a
positive philosophy of blindness in the child as early as possible. 
Unfortunately, the education system today is still not as forward-
looking as it ought to be.  Blind children and their parents are
often compelled to fight for badly needed training in braille and
the use of the white cane.

The National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota has worked for
years to improve the availability of public transit for blind
Minnesotans.  It was highly appropriate, therefore, for the
convention to hear next from Tony Kellen, Route Manager, St. Cloud
Transit Commission.  Mr. Kellen discussed the ways in which the
Commission is working to stabilize and improve funding for transit. 
He said that the Commission was well aware of the vital role played
by the Federation in promoting mass transit.

Students from BLIND, Inc. next presented a humorous yet compelling
play to the convention.  Entitled Lifestyles of the Blind and
Hopeless, the play depicted the struggles experienced by many blind
people who are badly in need of positive skills and attitude
training.  It also graphically illustrated the positive results
that can be achieved if only good training is obtained.

As is always the case at Federation conventions, the banquet, held
Saturday evening, was the high point of the convention.  Andy
Virden, Central Minnesota Chapter president, served as Master of
Ceremonies, and Joanne Wilson was the keynote speaker.  Prior to
Ms. Wilson's moving and inspiring address, a number of awards were
presented.  Mike Heilman, winner of the 1992 NFB of Minnesota
scholarship, was presented with a check for a thousand dollars. 
Legislative awards were presented to Representative Lee Greenfield
and Senator Sandy Pappas for their efforts to support our Jury and
Braille bills.  Janet Lee was presented with the Federationist of
the Year award, which consisted of a plaque and a lifetime
membership in the NFB of Minnesota.

Everyone enjoyed the dance and the music which followed the
banquet.  Many partied into the wee hours of Sunday morning.  In
spite of this, or because of it perhaps, folks were present at the
Sunday morning session full of energy and ready to conduct the
business of the day.

We were pleased to begin the session with a visit from State
Senator Joanne Benson, who welcomed us to the St. Cloud area and
urged us to continue informing legislators like her about our
issues and concerns.  Later in the morning, we heard from State
Representative Dave Gruenes.

A number of Federationists represent the NFBM on a variety of
councils and committees.  We heard from these individuals: Jan
Bailey on the Regional Library Advisory Committee, Tim Aune on the
Communication Center Advisory Committee (which has not met for over
a year) and the MTC's Advisory Committee on Transit, Nadine
Jacobson on the Independent Living Committee of the Minnesota
Council for the Blind and the Advisory Committee for the Minnesota
State Academy for the Blind, Janet Lee on the U.S. West Motion and
Vision Impaired Advisory Committee, and Curtis Chong on the
Minnesota Council for the Blind.

Elections of NFBM officers and board members were held with the
following results: Vice President, Curtis Chong; Treasurer, Tom
Scanlan; and Board of Directors, Judy Sanders and Scott LaBarre. 
The offices of president  and secretary plus one board position
were not up for election, these positions being elected during
annual conventions held in odd-numbered years.

Scott LaBarre, who is president of the National Association of
Blind Students and a third year law student at the University of
Minnesota, next discussed the Americans with Disabilities Act with
the convention.  The Act is full of promise, but it can be somewhat
of a problem for blind people who do not have accessibility
problems in the traditional sense.  Fortunately, we were able to
get incorporated into the Act the concept that a disabled person
can "opt out" of any "special accommodations" made on his or her
behalf because of a disability.  The true effectiveness of the ADA
can only be determined over time, he said.

Treasurer Tom Scanlan presented the financial report covering the
period April 1, 1992, through September 30, 1992.  It was moved,
seconded, and unanimously passed to approve the report.

In concluding the convention, President Joyce Scanlan pointed out
that the future for the blind of Minnesota is bright with promise
and fraught with responsibility.  Even though State Services for
the Blind has a new assistant commissioner whom we favor, this does
not absolve us of the responsibility of working as hard as we can
to ensure that blind Minnesotans receive the services they need to
become equal partners and participants in society.
 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE 1992 NFB OF MINNESOTA
ANNUAL CONVENTION

Five resolutions were unanimously adopted at the 1992 annual
convention of the NFB of Minnesota.  For your information, each
resolution is reprinted in full.  Here is a brief summary along
with some clarifying data:

1.   Resolution A-92-01 strongly encourages Minnesota State
     Services for the Blind (SSB) to raise the hourly wage it
     authorizes for the payment of readers to a wage equal to that
     paid by the University of Minnesota's work study program. 
     Currently, blind students are authorized to pay sighted
     readers the minimum wage.  Yet, work study programs at many
     colleges pay students an hourly wage that is significantly
     higher, making it more difficult for blind students to attract
     readers.

2.   Resolution A-92-02 strongly encourages Minnesota State
     Services for the Blind to support the philosophy of the
     recently amended Rehabilitation Act by implementing without
     delay its freedom of choice provisions.  This resolution seeks
     to ensure that SSB counselors allow their clients to make an
     informed choice as to where they will receive adjustment to
     blindness and other training.  Far too many SSB counselors
     guide their clients toward the more repressive and
     paternalistic training options, thereby denying them the
     potential to achieve maximum independence.

3.   Resolution A-92-03 calls upon Minnesota State Services for the
     Blind (SSB) to allocate all of the federal funds, recently
     returned by the Division of Rehabilitation Services, to the
     provision of direct case services.  The resolution also
     condemns SSB for proposing to spend part of the returned funds
     on computer equipment which it led consumers to believe would
     be financed solely from private sources.

4.   Resolution A-92-04 places the National Federation of the Blind
     of Minnesota squarely in opposition to any attempt to
     reinstate the Second Injury clause in Minnesota Workers'
     Compensation law.  The Second Injury clause, which was removed
     from the Workers' Compensation law by the 1992 Minnesota
     Legislature, has not been helpful to Minnesotans who are
     blind.  Instead, the clause has worked against blind people by
     creating a virtual registry of persons with a disability and
     by allowing employers to circumvent Minnesota
     anti-discrimination law by learning about a person's
     disability during the application process.

5.   Resolution A-92-05 reaffirms the long-standing opposition of
     the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota to the
     harmful and misguided practice of blindfolding sighted people
     as a means to educate them about the supposed reality of
     blindness.  Further, the resolution censures the Minnesota
     State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) for approving an
     educational event which demeaned blind people and made a
     mockery of the spirit and intent of White Cane Safety Day. 
     Finally, the resolution calls upon the MSAB to work with the
     Federation to develop an effective training program aimed at
     fostering positive attitudes toward blindness among new and
     existing employees of the Academy.  The resolution was sparked
     by a news story and an editorial which both appeared in the
     October 15 edition of the Faribault Daily News.  The title of
     the article says it all: "Woman Learns How 'Helpless,
     Terrifying' it can be to be Blind."  That is not what we in
     the National Federation of the Blind want the public to learn
     about blindness.  What truly appalls us is the Academy's
     approval of the event which led to the article--that is,
     blindfolding and guiding a sighted businesswoman and
     confirming her impression of blindness as a terrifying,
     helpless experience.  As a principal governmental agency for
     the blind in the Faribault community, the Academy should be
     working to achieve a more positive impression of blindness and
     blind people in the minds of community leaders.  As the
     article demonstrates, all of the Academy's efforts seem to be
     intended to achieve the opposite effect.

                       Resolution A-92-01

WHEREAS, readers are a necessary component in the post secondary
education of blind students; and 

WHEREAS, Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) provides the
funding necessary for students to hire their readers; and

WHEREAS, the hourly wage authorized by SSB for paying readers is
far below that paid to students who perform work study jobs; and

WHEREAS, these meager wages make it difficult for blind students to
recruit enough qualified readers; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, in convention assembled this 24th day of October, 1992,
in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization
strongly encourage Minnesota State Services for the Blind to raise
the hourly wage it authorizes for the payment of readers to a wage
equal to that paid by the University of Minnesota's work study
program.

Resolution unanimously adopted.

                       Resolution A-92-02

WHEREAS, Congress recently reauthorized the Rehabilitation Act of
1973; and

WHEREAS, that legislation provides blind consumers of vocational
rehabilitation services with the freedom to choose the training
which is most appropriate for them; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota has a number of different options available to
blind consumers for adjustment to blindness training; and

WHEREAS, officials and counselors of Minnesota State Services for
the Blind have in the past largely failed to demonstrate a
commitment to freedom of choice and the provision of first-class
rehabilitation training services; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, in convention assembled this 24th day of October, 1992,
in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization
strongly encourage Minnesota State Services for the Blind to
support the philosophy of the recently amended Rehabilitation Act
by implementing without delay its freedom of choice provisions.

Resolution unanimously adopted.

                       Resolution A-92-03

WHEREAS, the Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services has
returned a sizable amount of federal rehabilitation funds; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) is working to 
obtain this federal money by providing its own matching funds; and

WHEREAS, SSB officials have indicated their intention to use these
funds to purchase computer equipment for the agency's Resource
Center for Assistive Technology as well as to acquire furniture and
supplies for other parts of the agency; and

WHEREAS, at the time the Resource Center was established, SSB
promised that government funds would not be used to acquire
necessary computer equipment; and

WHEREAS, funds are badly needed to upgrade the quantity and quality
of rehabilitation case services provided to blind Minnesotans; NOW,
THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, in convention assembled this 24th day of October, 1992,
in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization call
upon Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) to allocate all
of the returned federal funds to the provision of direct case
services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization condemn SSB for
proposing to spend government funds on equipment which it led
consumers to believe would be financed solely from private sources.

Resolution unanimously adopted.

                       Resolution A-92-04

WHEREAS, for many years, Minnesota's Workers' Compensation law
contained a Second Injury clause; and

WHEREAS, this provision of the law was often used to force many
disabled individuals, including the blind, to register with the
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; and

WHEREAS, employers often used this virtual registry of persons with
disabilities as a means to circumvent Minnesota anti-discrimination
laws prohibiting employers from asking job applicants whether or
not they have a disability; and

WHEREAS, during its 1992 session, the Minnesota Legislature struck
the Second Injury clause from the Workers' Compensation law; and

WHEREAS, efforts have been made to restore the Second Injury
provisions in Minnesota's Workers' Compensation law; NOW,
THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, in convention assembled this 25th day of October, 1992,
in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization oppose
any attempt to put a Second Injury provision back into Minnesota
Workers' Compensation law.

Resolution unanimously adopted.

                       Resolution A-92-05

WHEREAS, for nearly thirty years, White Cane Safety Day, October
15, has served as a vehicle for educating the public about the
ability of blind people to travel independently and participate in
the community as fully productive and equal partners in society;
and

WHEREAS, on October 13, Ray Stewardson, an orientation and mobility
specialist at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB), led
a blindfolded Faribault businesswoman on a tour of the Academy as
part of a local White Cane Day observance; and

WHEREAS, this event resulted in an extremely negative news story
and editorial in the October 15 edition of the Faribault Daily News
which exploited public misconceptions about blindness as a
helpless, dangerous, and terrifying experience; and

WHEREAS, on a number of occasions over the years, officials and
employees of MSAB have made statements or participated in events
which have been harmful to the progress of the blind; NOW,
THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, in convention assembled this 25th day of October, 1992,
in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization
reaffirm its opposition to the misguided practice of blindfolding
sighted people as a method of educating them about the supposed
reality of blindness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization censure the
Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) for approving an
educational event which demeaned blind people and made a mockery of
the spirit and intent of White Cane Safety Day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization call upon MSAB to
work with the Federation to develop an effective training program
aimed at fostering positive attitudes toward blindness among new
and existing employees of the Academy.

Resolution unanimously adopted.


 GET READY FOR THE 1993 MOVE-A-THON
                         by Peggy Chong

It is time to start preparing for the 1993 MOVE-A-THON.  Start out
with stretches and simple exercises.  Then with a small walk,
gradually working up to the 10 kilometers of our 13th annual
MOVE-A-THON route.

Once again, the MOVE-A-THON will be held in Minneapolis around Lake
Calhoun and Lake Harriet on Saturday, September 25.  We will start
bright and early at 9:00 a.m.  Remember to dress for the weather.

Brochures will be available at the July chapter meetings.  Pick up
several brochures for yourself, and grab a few for your friends and
family.  Then go out into your community and collect pledges and
contributions for the Federation.  Walking around these beautiful
lakes with friends is a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday
morning, and you'll be raising money for the Federation at the same
time.  Even if you yourself cannot come to Minneapolis for the
MOVE-A-THON, you can still help to raise money for another member
of your chapter who will be coming.  Make it a contest within your
chapter to see who can raise the most money in a given period of
time.

Last year we raised over $5,000 from this event.  Members from all
across the state made our last event a huge success.  Let's shoot
for an even better MOVE-A-THON this year.

I'll see you here in Minneapolis on September 25.


 SOME EDUCATION ABOUT STEVIE WONDER

     Editor's note:  Just about everyone knows about Stevie
     Wonder, a talented African American musician who happens
     to be blind.  Wonder has recorded songs that have quite
     literally become standards in most musical repertoires. 
     Tunes such as You are the Sunshine of my Life and For
     Once in my Life can be recognized by just about anyone
     who listens to the radio.  You even hear these tunes on
     so-called "easy listening" stations.

     Tina Chong, the daughter of NFBM vice president Curtis
     Chong, attends De La Salle High School.  Recently, her
     English class had to read some stories about the
     accomplishments of some famous African Americans, among
     them Stevie Wonder.  Tina, who has been raised with a
     solid grounding in Federationism, brought this story to
     the attention of her parents, Curtis and Peggy.  In an
     effort to provide Tina's class with more accurate and
     positive information about blindness than was contained
     in the story, Curtis Chong wrote a critique which was
     well received, both by Tina's English teacher and the
     class.

     Here is the story about Stevie Wonder, as it appeared in
     a book entitled Listen Children: an Anthology of black
     Literature, edited by Dorothy S. Strickland.  The story,
     subtitled "Growing Up in a World of Darkness" is an
     excerpt from a book entitled "The Story of Stevie
     Wonder," by James Haskins.  The subtitle alone is
     sufficient cause for one to be concerned about the
     story's treatment of blindness.

"See, about sound...," Stevie Wonder says, "there's one thing you
gotta remember about sound--sound happens all the time, ALL the
time.  If you put your hands right up to your ears, if you close
your eyes and move your hands back and forth, you can hear the
sound getting closer and farther away....Sound bounces off
everything, there's always something happening."

Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Morris on May 13, 1950, in
Saginaw, Michigan.  He was the third boy in a family that would
eventually include five boys and one girl.  All except Stevie were
born without handicaps.  He was born prematurely, and his early
birth led to his total blindness.

"I guess that I first became aware that I was blind," Stevie
recalls "--and I just vaguely remember this--when I'd be wallowing
around in the grass back of the house, and I'd get myself and my
clothes soiled.  My mother would get on me about that.  She
explained that I couldn't move about so much, that I'd have to try
and stay in one place.

"When I was young," he says, "my mother taught me never to feel
sorry for myself, because handicaps are really things to be used,
another way to benefit yourself and others in the long run."  This
was the best possible advice Stevie's mother could have given.  He
learned to regard his blindness in more than one way.  It could be
a hindrance, but it could also be a special gift.  He was able to
accept this idea, sometimes better than his mother could.

"I know it used to worry my mother," Stevie recalls, "and I know
she prayed for me to have sight someday, and so finally I just told
her that I was happy being blind, and I thought it was a gift from
God, and I think she felt better after that."

Stevie was a lucky child in many ways.  He was lucky to have two
brothers close enough to him in age not to understand at first
about his blindness and to expect him to do many of the things they
did.  He was also lucky to have a mother and a father, and
occasionally an uncle, who understood how important sound was to
him, and how important it was for him to learn to identify things
he could not see by their sound.  He recalls:

"I remember people dropping money on the table and saying, "What's
that, Steve?"  That's a dime--buh-duh-duh-da; that's a
quarter--buh-duh-duh-duh-da; that's a nickel.  I could almost
always get it right except a penny and a nickel confused me.

"I don't really feel my hearing is any better than yours," Stevie
says now; "we all have the same abilities, you know.  The only
difference is how much you use it."  Encouraged by his family,
Stevie used his hearing more and more as he grew older.  He learned
how to tell birds apart by their call, and to tell trees apart by
the sound their leaves made as they rustled in the wind.  He
learned to tell when people were tired or annoyed or pleased by
listening to the tone of their voices.  His world of sound grew
larger, and the most frightening experience for him was silence. 
He depended so on sound that silence, for him, was like total
darkness for deaf children.  It is hard for sighted and hearing
people to understand this.  Perhaps the best way to understand is
to imagine being shut up in a dark, soundproof box.  People need to
feel that they are part of the world around them.  It is hard
enough to do so when one cannot see, or when one cannot hear; but
it is doubly hard for a blind person in a silent room or a deaf
person in total darkness.

He also spent a lot of time beating on things, to make sounds and
to make music.  Although his mother was a gospel singer, the family
was not especially musical.  But Stevie had shown musical interest
and ability very young.  By the time he was two years old his
favorite toys were two spoons, with which he would beat
rhythmically on pans and tabletops and anything else his mother
would let him beat on.  When she began to worry about her
furniture, she bought him cardboard drums from the dime store. 
None of them lasted very long.  "I'd beat 'em to death," Stevie
says with a chuckle.  But there would always be a new drum, and
there were other toy instruments as well.

"One day someone gave me a harmonica to put on my key chain, a
little four-hole harmonica," Stevie recalls.  He managed to get a
remarkable range of sounds from that toy instrument.

"Then one day my mother took me to a picnic and someone sat me
behind my first set of drums.  They put my foot on the pedal and I
played.  They give me a quarter.  I liked the sound of quarters."

At a very early age, too, Stevie began to sing.  All voices were
very important to him, for they brought him closer to the world
around him, a world he could not see.  As he grew older, his own
voice became particularly important to him, especially at night
when the rest of the house was silent.  He learned the endless
possibilities of the human voice by experimenting with his own, and
by mimicking others.

Music itself, not necessarily made by him, became very important to
him.  He loved to listen to the radio; his earliest memory is of
hearing Johnny Ace singing "Pledging My Love" on the radio. 
Shortly before he entered school he was given a small transistor
radio for his very own.  From then on, that radio was his constant
companion.  He even slept with it under his pillow at night.  It
played softly, providing sounds for him in an otherwise silent
apartment.  When he started school, he insisted on taking it to
school with him.

Stevie was enrolled in special classes for the blind in the Detroit
public school system.  A special bus picked him up every morning
and brought him back every afternoon.  Stevie wished he could walk
to school as his brothers did, and go to their neighborhood school. 
But he was learning to adjust to the fact that he must lead a
different life, and in his special classes he was taught many
things that would help him live as normal a life as possible.

Sighted children attended the same school, and they often whispered
about "the blind kids" as they passed by.  Adults did the same
thing.  Somehow, normal people have the idea that blind people
cannot hear them.  It was hard to deal in an honest way with
sighted people or even with his partially sighted classmates.

Being blind is to be exposed to constant frustrations.  Dropping
something, especially something small, means having to grope about
with little chance of finding it.  Some blind children won't even
bother looking for an object they have dropped because they are
embarrassed to be seen groping about for it.

Stevie had an additional problem in getting along with other
children.  Not only was he blind; he was also black.  At first it
might seem that the idea of skin color should not be very important
to a child who has never seen color.  But blackness is not just
skin color; it is a culture, a way of looking at things.  People
divide themselves into "Us" and "Them" because of skin color, but
that is not the only division.  We also divide ourselves because of
religion, education, economic class.  If everyone in the entire
world were blind, people would still divide themselves into "Us"
and "Them"; it just would not be on the basis of appearance.

At home, Stevie heard his brothers and their friends talk about the
white kids they knew.  Before long, even though Stevie could not
himself see color, he was very aware of skin color, and in addition
to being self-conscious because of his blindness he was a little
bit ashamed of being black.

"I remember when I was little," says Stevie, "I used to listen to
this black radio station in Detroit on my way to school.  Like I
was the only black kid on the bus, and I would always turn the
radio down, because I felt ashamed to let them hear me listening to
B.B. King.  But I LOVED B.B. King.  Yet I felt ashamed because I
was DIFFERENT enough to want to hear him and because I had never
heard him anywhere else."

Stevie was not about to stop listening to B.B. King; he simply
played his radio softly in places where he felt uncomfortable. 
That radio meant more to him than just about anything else in the
world.  

"I spent a lot of time listening to the radio," Stevie recalls,
"and I was able to relate to the different instruments and know
what they were.  I began to know them by name.  I used to listen to
this program on station WCHB called "Sundown."  The disc jockey was
named Larry Dixon and he always played a lot of old songs.  There
was one thing he played, it was his theme song...da da duh duh
dommm da duh...da da da da dommm dommm da da duh...Oh, it's really
a bad tune, really a beautiful song--can't think of the name right
now, but I could never forget that tune."

He would sing the words of the songs quietly to himself.  He would
hum the tunes.  He would tap out the beats on his toy drums and try
to play the melodies on his four-note harmonica.  It frustrated him
not to have real, grown-up instruments to play on, and it was hard
for him to accept the fact that his mother just did not have enough
money to buy real instruments for him.  But luck soon proved to be
with Stevie.  Within the space of about a year and a half, he
managed to acquire not one but three real instruments.

Every year the Detroit Lions Club gave a Christmas party for blind
children, and at Christmas time during his first-grade year at
school Stevie went to one.  Each child received a gift, and someone
must have told the Detroit Lions Club about Stevie's interest in
music, for his gift--he could hardly believe it--was a set of real
drums!  Stevie sat right down and began to pound on them right then
and there.

Later a neighborhood barber gave Stevie a harmonica--a real one. 
He practiced and practiced until he had mastered that.

Then, when he was seven, Stevie became the proud owner of a real
piano.  A neighbor was moving out of the housing project, and she
really did not want to take her piano.  Knowing how much Stevie
loved music, she decided to give it to him.  Stevie remembers, "I
kept asking, "When they gonna bring the piano over, Mamma?" I never
realized how important that was going to be to me."  When the piano
finally arrived, it was like all the birthdays Stevie could
remember all rolled into one.  He ran his hands along the smooth
wooden top, down the sides and around the back, down the slim legs,
around to the cold metal of the pedals, and back up to the keys,
some flat, some raised.  He asked his mother to open the top of the
piano, so he could feel the strings inside.  He asked her what
color they were.  They were kind of gold, and the small wooden
blocks between them were light brown.  What color was the piano? 
A dark brown.  From that moment on, dark brown, although he had
never seen it and would never see it, meant something nice to
Stevie.  And since, he had been told, his skin was a sort of dark
brown, too, he began to feel much better about his skin color.

By the time he was nine or ten Stevie was a very popular member of
the neighborhood.  He was certainly the most gifted musically, and
he spent many Saturdays and after-school hours on the front porches
of neighbors' houses on Horton Street.  By this time Stevie had a
set of bongo drums, which he had mastered as he had every other
instrument to which he had been exposed.  Often he would play his
bongos; sometimes it would be the harmonica.  Everyone would join
in the singing, but Stevie's clear, strong voice always took the
lead.  Without exception the music was rhythm and blues, the kind
the people listened to on WCHB.

One of his favorite singing partners was a boy about his age named
John Glover.  John Glover had a grown-up cousin named Ronnie White,
who lived in another part of the city.  Ronnie White was a member
of the singing group the Miracles, which had enjoyed great success
recording with a company named Hitsville USA.  Of course, John
Glover was very proud to have a cousin like Ronnie White, and he
often boasted about him.  John Glover was also proud to have a
friend like Stevie.  "You oughta hear my friend Stevie," he kept
telling his cousin.  But naturally White was busy, and he didn't
really believe this kid Stevie was anything special.  Then, one day
in 1960, he happened to drop by to visit his relatives on Horton
Street, and Stevie just happened to be having one of his
front-porch sessions at the time.  White did not have to listen
very long to realize that his little cousin was right.  This kid
was something!

White arranged with the president of Hitsville USA, Berry Gordy, to
take Stevie to the company's recording studio and to give him an
audition, and one exciting afternoon Stevie was taken to the place
that would be like a second home to him for the next ten years.

Stevie will never forget that afternoon.  White took him around the
studio, helping him to the different instruments and sound
equipment, letting him touch them.  It seemed to Stevie that every
wonderful instrument in the world was right there in that sound
studio, and he never wanted to leave it.  Then he was introduced to
Berry Gordy.  Gordy listened to him sing, and play the harmonica
and drums, and hired him on the spot, which says a lot for Gordy. 
Few, if any, other record-company owners would have taken such a
chance back in 1960.  But then, few, if any, other record companies
had or would have the history of Gordy's.  No other black-owned
label would prevail as his would, and perhaps this was because once
they were established, those other labels were too busy holding on
to their position to take any risk or to try anything new.

Anyway, signing an artist brought in by a performer already with
the company has become a common, and famous, practice of Gordy's. 
The Supremes were discovered by the Temptations.  Diana Ross
discovered the Jackson Five.  

Of course, Stevie's mother actually signed Stevie's contract with
Hitsville, for he was underage.  There was little talk of money or
other conditions.  Stevie's family was so excited, so grateful for
this opportunity for him, that they would have agreed to anything!

                            CRITIQUE
                         by Curtis Chong

This is my critique of "Growing Up in a World of Darkness," which
was extracted from "The Story of Stevie Wonder," by James Haskins. 
Please note that the comments made here represent my initial
reaction to the story and are not the result of a thorough
analysis.

Let me begin by stating unequivocally that I believe Stevie Wonder
to be a talented musician.  It happens that he is blind, and he is
also black.  Neither one of these characteristics is, in my view,
anything to get all that excited about.  Unfortunately, because our
society, today, tends to isolate blacks and blind people alike from
the mainstream, a person is necessarily part of a minority group if
he or she happens to be either blind or black.  Clearly, Stevie
Wonder belongs to both minorities.

It should also be observed at this point that Stevie Wonder is not
held in high regard by other members of the blind
community--particularly those members of the community like myself
who have worked for years to elevate the public's perception of
persons who are blind.  Stevie Wonder may be a talented musician
and is, consequently, fairly well off.  Yet, he has never deigned
to help his blind brothers and sisters, either through positive and
informative public service announcements or through financial
contributions to civil rights organizations of the blind such as
the National Federation of the Blind.  To his credit, Wonder has
contributed to causes promoting efforts of the black minority to
achieve equal status in society.

Now to the story.  In my judgement, the author made far too much of
Stevie Wonder's blindness, and he did it in a way which confirms
the stereotypical notion, held by far too many members of the
general public, that the blind are naturally musical.  I understand
that this story is part of a collection of literature designed to
extol the accomplishments of persons who are black.  Yet, in the
story about Stevie Wonder, a relatively small section was devoted
to any discussion of the problems he might have experienced because
he was black.

The author mentions that Wonder's brothers, not understanding at
first that he was blind, treated him like any other member of the
family.  My initial pleasure upon reading this statement quickly
dissipated as I read on.  Why?  Because the facts set forth in the
story about Wonder's childhood clearly indicate that he was not
treated as a normal child.  We are told that he banged on anything
he could use as a drum and that he often experimented with his
voice.  We are told that he was given a tiny transistor radio and
that he listened to the radio almost all of the time.  Is this
something that a supposedly "normal" child would do?  We are told
that Wonder listened to his radio often on the school bus.  Did he
then not play with other children in his age group?

In fact, the author clearly does not consider Wonder (or blind
people, for that matter) to be a "normal child" as witnessed by the
statement, "Somehow normal people have the idea that blind people
cannot hear them."  Although it is indeed true that many sighted
people seem to think that blind people are deaf as well as blind,
I am offended by the author's use of the word "normal" in this
context.  Blind people are indeed "normal."  The problems of
exclusion and discrimination that we often experience in society
are based on assumptions which classify the blind as somehow
different or "abnormal."  In other words, either a blind person is
expected to be totally helpless and dependent upon others for even
the most basic personal needs or the blind person is expected to be
a superior human being endowed with an exceptional talent.  In
point of fact, blind people are just like everybody else--neither
exceptionally blessed nor exceptionally cursed.  It is only
misunderstanding and negative stereotypes that have resulted in a
70% unemployment rate among blind Americans of working age.

But I ramble. My over-all reaction to the story (at least with
respect to its treatment of blindness) is mixed.  The author does
seem to recognize the importance of raising a blind child in a
"normal" manner, expecting that child to do the same things as
every other child.  And, in a limited way, the author does
recognize that people who are sighted do hold misconceptions about
the abilities of persons who are blind.  Witness the reference
(albeit inappropriately stated) to the assumption, made by "normal"
people, that blind people can't hear.  The author can't help that
Wonder lived as he did and that, perhaps, his childhood may not
have been as normal as someone else's.  Those are simply the facts
as the author sees them.  My two criticisms are that (1) the author
spent too much time talking about Stevie Wonder's blindness and (2)
the author failed to do a bit of education about the true nature of
blindness and blind people.


 IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR
                         by Judy Sanders

Contrary to what some people may have thought, the State
Legislature did think about other things besides telephone bills. 
We know this because the members of the National Federation of the
Blind made their presence known at the State Capitol.  We met with
many legislators to share our 1993 legislative agenda.

Where were you on February 23, 1993?  You may have been at the
State Capitol with other Federationists to kick things off.  If you
were there, here's what you helped to do.

You helped educate new and old legislators about the ability of
blind persons to travel independently from one place to another;
you reinforced the fact that blind people should be and are
literate through the use of braille; and you taught new and old
legislators alike that the National Federation of the Blind is
truly the voice of blind persons in this state.

Here is the fact sheet that was distributed on that day.

                     LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM

To:  The Members of the Minnesota State Legislature

From:     The Members of the National Federation of the Blind
of   Minnesota (NFBM)

Re:  Legislative Agenda for 1993

Date:     February 23, 1993

The following information is provided by the members of the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota (NFBM), the state's
largest membership organization of blind and interested sighted
people.  We have made a firm commitment to bring about needed
social changes which will make blind citizens equal participants in
the community with the sighted.  NFBM is the vehicle through which
we can convey to you our major concerns about what must be done to
improve the quality of life for our blind population.  Through
local chapter meetings and state and national conventions, NFB sets
our policies.  We are an organization of blind people speaking for
ourselves.

NFBM members want to share with you our 1993 legislative agenda. 
We ask that you consider the following information and act
accordingly:

MASS TRANSIT IS FOR EVERYONE


Whether in Hibbing, St. Cloud, Mankato, or Minneapolis, people need
to get from place to place, and it cannot be disputed that there
are too many cars on our highways.  Throughout the state, blind
citizens work cooperatively with local public transit officials to
bring improvements in the service delivery system that are
favorable to everyone.  As an example of what can be accomplished,
we focus on our efforts with the Metropolitan Transit Commission
(MTC).  We ask that you remember that this is only one example.  We
emphasize the importance of full funding for mass transit
throughout the state.

Over the past couple of years, the National Federation of the Blind
of Minnesota has developed a close working relationship with
officials at the MTC.  The MTC has made a sincere effort to respond
to our concerns.  For instance, MTC has initiated programs to
encourage drivers to call out transfer points; they have improved 
access to information on their automated schedule available by
phone; and they appointed a blind person to their advisory group. 
These improvements are helpful to all potential customers.

Good bus service benefits everyone.  It relieves traffic congestion
on the roads and helps our environment.  Bus service allows
commuters to get to work more cheaply than when using private
automobiles, and allows passengers to make efficient use of their
commuting time to do paperwork or read as they ride to work.

Good bus service is more likely if more people use the bus, and
more people will use the bus if service is better.  Legislators
must take the lead to break this "CATCH-22" situation.

LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION:  Forty-three counties in Minnesota do not
have county-wide mass transit.  Any legislative remedy should
provide for development of mass transit services in these counties. 
We ask that you support S.F. 187 and H.F. 324 which have been
introduced by Senator Sandy Pappas and Representative Edwina Garcia
to extend the 6-1/2 percent sales tax to the purchase of gasoline
and dedicate that money to mass transit.  We also ask that you
support the over sixteen million dollars requested by Governor
Carlson for funding of mass transit throughout the state.  

MN STATE ACADEMY FOR THE BLIND

The Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, located in Faribault, is
a residential school for blind children and young adults.  It
serves students until age 21 and averages about 60 students.  Along
with the usual academic subjects offered at any school, the Academy
teaches blind children to travel independently with a long white
cane.  When properly taught, this means encouraging students to
walk about the campus with confidence and competence.

The school's neighbor is the Faribault Regional Treatment Center
and it has been proposed that this center be closed.  Adjacent to
the treatment center is a medium-security state prison that could
make use of additional space.  It is natural that the prison should
gravitate toward the treatment facility and make use of its empty
buildings.

If this expansion occurs, the prison will border the school unless
the Minnesota Legislature specifically prohibits it or the
Minnesota Department of Corrections makes an effort to keep it from
happening.

Parents of blind children currently enrolled at the Academy tell us
that they are not pleased to know that the school's neighbor will
be a medium-security prison.  They do not consider this a healthy
environment for children.  Parents of other blind children tell us
that they would think twice about sending their children to the
Academy because of the prison.

Recent graduates of schools for the blind say that they would worry
about the image of the school.  They point out that it is unlikely
that any other school would be located next to a prison.

LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION:  We seek legislation that would designate the
distance that must be left between the prison and the school. 
There should be a definite plan to insure that there would be no
view of the prison from any window of the Academy.  Trees should be
planted to create a barrier between the two facilities.  An effort
should be made to give parents maximum assurances that their
children will be safe while living next door to the prison.  

NEED FOR LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT

It has come to our attention that M.S. Section 120.17, Subdivision
2, the Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and Education Act of 1992,
has not been fully implemented because of a possible conflict with
an existing administrative rule.  In 1987, the Minnesota State
Legislature passed its original braille literacy bill. 
Unfortunately, the rule which the Minnesota Department of Education
promulgated under the first act was contrary to the intent of the
original law.  It allowed teachers of blind children to avoid
teaching braille even if it was demonstrated that the blind
student's reading and writing levels were below grade level.

As a result, last year, the Minnesota State Legislature amended the
Literacy Act to ensure that blind children who needed it would
receive instruction in braille.  The 1992 Act, however, did not
authorize a rule to be written.  Consequently, the already existing
rule may in fact circumvent the clear intent of the Legislature and
perpetuate the illiteracy of blind children in Minnesota.  

LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION:  We are requesting that the Minnesota State
Legislature conduct a review to ensure that its intent is being
carried out.  We recommend, at a minimum, that the following
questions be asked of the Minnesota Department of Education:

1)   How many legally blind Minnesota students are braille readers? 
     

2)   How many are learning braille?

3)   How many students read braille and print with braille as the
     primary reading mode?

4)   How many students read print and do not use braille?

5)   Which of these students is reading at grade level?

If the Legislature's mandate is not followed, the barriers to
education which so many blind persons have faced will only continue
and most likely grow worse.  If the spirit of last year's law can
be translated into reality, blind children in Minnesota will be
another step closer to receiving the training they need to one day
become competent and fully literate adults.

Legislators hear from many different people with various opinions
on a wide variety of subjects.  Whenever you are asked to deal with
an issue specifically related to blindness, it is our sincere hope
that you will contact the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota.  Our membership consists of a cross-section of the blind
population, and we have the expertise to evaluate wisely any issue
affecting the blind that may come before you.

We are proud to join you in developing an approach to addressing
the needs of blind Minnesotans that acknowledges our right to
equality.  We appreciate the respect you have shown us in the past. 
With your support, Minnesota can lead the nation in ensuring that
blind individuals become first-class, taxpaying citizens.

For further information, contact: Joyce Scanlan, President, at
332-5414.




Now that the legislative session is over, what were our
accomplishments and what do we still have left to do?

The Governor and the Legislature agreed that mass transit needed to
be funded.  However, they did not agree on how to do it.

In addition to the Pappas/Garcia bill, there were various proposals
to tax gasoline and dedicate the funds to mass transit.  There was
debate about the constitutionality of using a gas tax on anything
other than highway construction and repairs.  Furthermore, the
governor opposed any increase in the gas tax.  The Pappas/Garcia
proposal was meant to avoid the constitutional issue.  All of these
complications killed all bills to raise revenue for transit.

In the end, MTC got an increase of six million dollars added to its
budget, and MNDOT received an additional three million dollars for
rural mass transit.

During our "Day At The Capitol" we met with Representative Peter
Rodosovich, whose legislative district houses the Minnesota State
Academy for the Blind.  He shared our concern about the prison and
did not know of any plans to expand the correctional facility. 
Although we cannot assume our work is done on this issue, it is
helpful that we raised an early alert to the potential problem.  It
is also encouraging that the Department of Corrections is aware of
the possible problem and seems cooperative.

Senator Larry Pogemiller introduced a bill that would have repealed
many antiquated rules in the Department of Education.  When we met
with him we said that we found this bill a perfect means for
repealing the Braille Literacy Rule.  Senator Pogemiller wanted to
know how we felt about the rest of his bill.  We responded with the
following letter:

March 15, 1993

Dear Senator Pogemiller:

In your recent meeting with members of the National Federation of
the Blind of Minnesota, you asked that we review and comment on the
proposed repeal of special education rules.  After reviewing your
material, we would make the following comments.

We express wholehearted agreement on the repeal of three rules. 
They are:

3530.1500: dealing with grants to the Department of Human Services
and the Department of Corrections for the provision of library
services to the blind and physically handicapped.  The Minnesota
Department of Human Services no longer provides such services. 
These services, as provided by Minnesota State Services for the
Blind (SSB), were moved to the Department of Jobs and Training. 
SSB has no trouble in applying for grants without a rule because of
federal regulations.

8700.5503: This rule states qualifications for being licensed to
teach blind and visually handicapped children.  There is no
evidence to show that this rule has given children a better caliber
teacher.  In fact, this rule may limit some creative options for
filling a shortage of teachers in rural areas.  We understand that
this rule sets criteria for teachers of blind children and we do
not mean to imply that teachers should not know how to use the
alternative skills of blindness; but it might be interesting to see
how local school districts can meet the needs of their blind
students.  If we find that their needs are not being met, then we
may return asking for a better solution.

3525.2850:  This rule was written after the passage of the Braille
Literacy Act of 1987.  As we discussed, this law was amended in
1992 and the Rule is obsolete.  In fact, we have found it a
hindrance because it has been used as a means of circumventing the
new law.

You have listed many other rules that could be repealed.  Since
none of them pertain directly to blind children, we are not taking
a position on how to handle them.  We are sure that you can get
advice from appropriate consumer groups.

Please let us know if we can be of further help to you.  You may
call at any time.

Sincerely, Joyce Scanlan, President

As a result of our visit to the Legislature, many inquiries were
made of the Department of Education.  They have decided to repeal
the Braille Literacy Rule without waiting for Senator Pogemiller's
bill.  They acknowledge that the new law is stronger and are even
beginning to see the need for it.  

The rule regarding the licensing of teachers for the blind and
visually handicapped was also repealed effective August 1, 1996.

Along with offering testimony in support of Minnesota State
Services for the Blind's budget request, we  supported a bill to
expand the Minnesota Council for the Blind to comply with the
reauthorized Rehabilitation Act of 1992.  In accordance with these
requirements, the Minnesota Council for the Blind will become the
State Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Blind, and its
membership will grow from nine to fifteen.

One other matter came to our attention in the middle of the
session.  It pertains to proper identification when purchasing
liquor in nightclubs. The young lady involved figured out that it
was the National Federation of the Blind who could best solve her
problem (See article elsewhere in this issue).

All in all, it was a busy year at the Minnesota Legislature.  The
influence of the NFB of Minnesota was certainly felt.  There will
be more funding for mass transit, legislators and public officials
are alerted to a possible problem between the State Department of
Corrections and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, there
will be a new and improved State Rehabilitation Advisory Council
for the Blind, blind people can use their legal identification in
lounges, and the Braille Law will finally be enforced by the
Minnesota Department of Education. 

 NEWS FROM OUR CHAPTERS

     Editor's note:  The National Federation of the Blind of
     Minnesota is truly a statewide organization, with local
     chapters in communities as far flung as Mankato,
     Rochester, the Twin Cities, and St. Cloud.  As each
     chapter continues the work of the National Federation of
     the Blind at the local level and labors to elevate public
     perceptions and information about the blind, it is
     helpful to learn about the projects and activities
     conducted by other chapters around the state.  As all of
     us work to increase our chapter membership and raise the
     level of chapter activities, it helps to know that each
     local chapter is not standing out there, all by itself,
     with no one to turn to for help and encouragement. 
     Through the activities of the NFB of Minnesota, both at
     the state and local level, we can and often do learn from
     each other.

                      Mankato Chapter News
                        by Lola Schartel
                  Secretary, Riverbend Chapter


Under the capable leadership of our chapter president, Chris
Cuppett, the attendance at chapter meetings has grown, and our
treasury continues to remain healthy.  One fundraising project
being conducted by the chapter is the sale of the elegant and
artistic calendars being distributed by the Federation's national
office.  The chapter expects to sell 400 calendars at a profit of
$4 each.

Members of the Riverbend chapter were excited and pleased to host
the NFB of Minnesota semiannual convention on May 1.  Our members
went out and solicited quite a few door prizes for the convention. 
We were glad to meet with our fellow Federationists from around the
state.

Chapter members were pleased with the appointment of Tom Mertesdorf
to the Board of Directors of BLIND, Inc.  Tom Mertesdorf attended
the program at BLIND, Inc.; and because of the training he received
there, he was able to return to his job at the Telex Corporation. 
It is hoped that many more blind people in the area will be able to
take advantage of the training opportunities at BLIND.

Chapter members continue to speak before schools and other
community groups about blindness.  Chapter member Bernice Edwards
had an opportunity to address all of the students at Grace
Christian School.  President Chris Cuppett spoke to about 200 Girl
Scouts and participated in six workshops for girls in the fourth to
sixth grades.

                 News from the Rochester Chapter
               by Jan Bailey, Secretary-Treasurer

More than a few of our members are senior citizens.  More
important, these people had an opportunity to receive training from
the classroom program being conducted in southern Minnesota as a
part of what used to be called the SSB Elderoptions program.  This
has enabled them to share information with each other about the
newest and greatest alternative technique one or the other of them
might have discovered from the time of the last chapter meeting.

Our president, Joe DeBeer, joined the National Federation of the
Blind long before many of us were born.  He is living proof that
just because a person is over sixty-five doesn't mean that life is
done with.

We were glad to participate in the Day at the Capitol in February. 
It was a good opportunity for many of us to get a first hand look
at the legislative process and also for us to influence the process
directly.

We are planning to have some discussions with Marilyn Alcott from
the Friends of the Communication Center about ways in which blind
people can read the local Rochester newspaper.  One option would
involve reading the paper over a local transmitter of the Radio
Talking book.  Another would be to set up a dial-in news type of
system similar to that in the Metro area.

Our membership continues to increase, and we just completed a
successful fundraiser selling potato and corn  chips.  Although the
1993 Move-A-Thon will not be in Rochester as it has in years past,
it is our intention to play an active part in this important
fundraising project.

                   News from Central Minnesota
                    by Andy Virden, President
                    Central Minnesota Chapter

The Central Minnesota chapter is doing quite well.  We were proud
to host the annual state convention last fall.  Combine this with
a good fund raiser, a few new members, and a good Christmas party,
and you will see why I feel good about the chapter's progress to
date.  We still have a few things to do, however.  Federationists
never rest upon their laurels.

Like our colleagues in the Metro Chapter, we have been involved in
efforts to improve public transportation.  As you may recall, there
was a speaker at the annual convention from our transit commission,
one Tony Kellen.  Our new transit station is turning out to be
quite useful to a lot of people.  Bus riders, including the blind,
can have most of their transit needs satisfied in one location,
free from troublesome weather conditions.  Not only can we catch
city buses and transfer between buses at the station, but we can
buy tokens, passes, and get general information, too.  Even
Greyhound buses load and unload at the transit station.  You can
buy Greyhound tickets.  Local people, who know the local bus
system, can get off and on the Greyhound and take the local bus
home.  This can save a lot of cab fare.

Our local chapter came out in support of a modest price increase
for the local bus system.  Chapter members felt the fare increase
would help to maintain current levels of bus service.  Bus fares in
St. Cloud are still less than bus fares in most cities across the
country.  Riding the bus in St. Cloud is still cheaper than a bar
of candy.  

The Central Minnesota Chapter is participating in another Transit
Commission project in its continuing effort to improve bus service
in the St. Cloud area.  The local Transit Commission has hired a
private firm to survey current and future needs of local bus
riders.  Many different groups of riders were interviewed, about
ten people to a group.  Bob Albrecht and Andy Virden were among the
people surveyed.  We expressed our desire to have all buses running
until ten or eleven at night and our desire to have some Sunday bus
service.

The Central Minnesota Chapter was happy to be a part of our Day at
the Capitol.  We were exceptionally pleased to have as one of our
issues the promotion of public transit for all of Minnesota.

Another item about bus service in the St. Cloud area is worth
mentioning here.  The St. Cloud Area Transit Commission serves only
the cities of St. Cloud, Waite Park, and Sauk Rapids.  There are
some blind people who would like the Commission to add bus service
for Sartel.  The lack of bus service for this township has
discouraged some blind people from moving there.

If you intend to move to the St. Cloud area and are interested in
bus service, Andy Virden and the other members of the Central
Minnesota Chapter can provide you with the latest and most up to
date information about bus service available in that area.

                 News from Our Student Division
                  by Jennifer Lehman, President
         Minnesota Association of Blind Students (MABS)

The Minnesota Association of Blind Students (affectionately known
as MABS) has accomplished much since August of 1992.  One of our
major accomplishments has been to raise the wages authorized by
State Services for the Blind (SSB) for the payment of readers for
blind students.  We understood that the policy was to pay readers
$4.25 an hour, a rate which is hardly competitive in today's labor
market.  A letter was sent to Mr. Richard Davis, Assistant
Commissioner of SSB, explaining our position on this matter.  Mr.
Davis found that there was no rule governing the amount of money
authorized to pay readers.  It had simply been standard operating
procedure for counselors to provide only the minimum wage of $4.25
an hour.  Through our efforts and with Mr. Davis' help, the wage
authorized for readers is now $5.25 an hour, with higher wages
negotiable if there is difficulty in obtaining readers at this
rate.

Our fundraising efforts have been very successful.  Through such
events as Tupperware parties, a fifty-fifty raffle at state
convention, and selling chocolate Santas, we were able to raise
enough money to contribute to the expenses of four of our members
who went to the Washington Seminar.  We are planning other
fundraisers, which we hope will be equally successful.
     
We have also accomplished a great deal in the area of public
education.  At our meetings, we have heard from individuals from
Offices for Students with Disabilities.  The person from Augsburg
arranged a meeting between us and her staff so that we could
discuss our points more fully.  We hope to meet with similar
positive responses from such educational institutions as the
University of Minnesota and Normandale Community College.  Offices
for students with disabilities can be of tremendous harm to blind
students, particularly those students who have not received proper
training in the alternative techniques of blindness such as is
provided by BLIND, Inc. It is our goal to show these offices how
they can provide services to blind students, encourage
independence, and promote a positive philosophy of blindness.

                   News from the Metro Chapter
             by Peggy Chong, Metro Chapter President

Our Metro Chapter continues to keep busy.  Each meeting is filled
with interesting topics and information that our members wish to
know.

At our February meeting, we had a panel discussion entitled
"Discrimination, Alive and Well."  This was presented by three
chapter members who have experienced discrimination on the basis of
their blindness.  Mike Heilman told us of how the dorm where he is
staying put a sticker on his door to alert fire officials that a
disabled person (him) lived in the dorm and required special
assistance.  No one bothered to asked Mike if he wanted that
sticker on his door or if he needed help in an emergency.  In true
Federation fashion, Mike took quick steps and solved the problem
right away.  Today, there is no sticker on Mike's door.

Linda Oliva, our chapter secretary, and Tim Aune talked about
problems each of them was experiencing with discrimination on the
job.  Each of them took a different approach to solve their
respective problem, and it was interesting for the members to hear
about the results achieved.  Contrary to what most people believe,
it would seem that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which
is supposed to protect the rights of disabled individuals, often
creates more discrimination problems for the blind.

The Federation's legislative agenda, both here in Minnesota and in
our nation's capital, has been discussed at several meetings.  At
our February meeting, two of the 17 Minnesota Federationists who
attended the Washington seminar reported to us about the issues
they worked on in Washington.  We heard one story involving a few
members of the group who, upon their return to Minnesota, literally
ran into none other than Governor Arne Carlson at the airport.  Our
folks availed themselves of the opportunity to inform the governor
about the reasons why they had gone to Washington in the first
place.  The governor was kind enough to help some of them with
their luggage.

At our March meeting, we learned about a new issue that had not
come up during our Day at the Capitol in February.  It seems that
if you wish to drink at a bar in Minnesota and you are from another
state, your non-driver's ID is not considered a valid form of
identification.  The NFBM Legislative Committee moved quickly to
research and introduce proper legislation to correct this
situation.

Dick Davis, the new Assistant Commissioner for State Services for
the Blind (SSB) has been attending our chapter meeting each month. 
Federationists are not shy about discussing matters of individual
concern with the assistant commissioner, who has shown himself to
be extremely responsive and committed to having SSB provide the
highest quality of individual service to the blind clients it
serves.

We continue to read press clippings relating to blindness at our
meetings.  Many of them lead to interesting philosophical
discussions which members, old and new, have found to be of
tremendous value.

There is always a fundraiser going on in the Metro Chapter.  In
addition to the Fifty-Fifty raffle which has brought in more than
a little money over the years, the chapter does extremely well at
candy sales, and our Word Scramble fundraiser has become a
tradition at national conventions of the Federation.

Every three months or so, the Metro Chapter puts out a little
newsletter that we send to as many blind people as we can find in
the Metro area.  It helps them  to know what the National
Federation of the Blind is doing and encourages them to join and to
be a part of everything that is happening on behalf of blind
people.

Transportation is always a big item in our chapter.  Over the
years, we have formed a close working relationship with the
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), particularly with Mike
Christenson, formerly the MTC's chief administrator.  When Mr.
Christenson left the MTC, he took time from his busy schedule to
send us the following letter:

Metropolitan Transit Commission
March 3, 1993

Dear Peggy:

Effective March 9th, I will leave my position at the MTC for an
exciting new job heading the Medica Foundation.  Thank you, Peggy,
for your support of both transit and my work over the last two
years.  The Federation has been an active and understanding partner
in improving transit.

Please extend my gratitude to all those who have given freely of
their time and effort to help us on the streets and at the
legislature.

On the legislative front, our chief lobbyist, Tom Weaver, has moved
over to the Governor's office.  Tom Johnson will be the MTC's chief
lobbyist for the remainder of the session.  I'll have Tom call you
for further direction for the important activities ahead.

Again, a very personal thanks to you and your colleagues at the
Federation.  

Sincerely,

Michael D. Christenson, Chief Administrator

As you can see, the Metro Chapter is a busy chapter.  We welcome
folks from other chapters around the state and even from outside of
Minnesota.  If you are ever in the Metro area on the third Saturday
of the month, please plan to attend the Metro Chapter meeting.  Our
meetings start promptly at 2:00 p.m., and they are held at the
Hennepin County Government Center.


 YOUR ID PLEASE
                         by Judy Sanders

She came from Wisconsin for some Minnesota hospitality.  She found
the atmosphere unwelcome to a young, blind customer from out of
state.

Janell was a student at the University of Wisconsin, Stout.  She
and her friends decided to experience the joys of the night life at
the Mall of America.  Their youthful appearance required that they
show identification.  All ID's were accepted, except Janell's.  She
offered her non-driver's identification issued by the state of
Wisconsin and was told it was an unacceptable form of ID in
Minnesota.  She was angry and embarrassed to discover that her
friends would either have to leave her outside or forego an
evening's entertainment with her.

Most of the entertainment establishments at the Mall of America are
managed by one company.  Janell and her friends quickly discovered
that most of the entertainment establishments would not recognize
her non-driver's identification.  Her friends stuck with her, and
they finally found one establishment that would accept her ID.

Janell is not a blind person to take such matters lightly.  She
began doing her own checking and found out that, according to the
manager of one of the lounges, there is a law in Minnesota which
prohibits bartenders from accepting non-driver identifications from
other states to validate age.  Janell could not tackle this problem
alone so she called the National Federation of the Blind.

We had never run up against a situation quite like this one.  Our
first reaction was to blame the bar management for being ignorant. 
However, further research showed that Minnesota did indeed have a
law that designates acceptable forms of identification.  Acceptable
forms of identification include: drivers licenses from any state,
passports, and non-driver ID's issued by the Minnesota Department
of Motor Vehicles.  Therefore, the one establishment that did allow
Janell to enter was technically in violation of the law.

The only solution to this problem seemed to be with the Minnesota
Legislature.  We found two willing authors in Representative Joel
Jacobs and Senator Jane Krentz.  They agreed to introduce a bill
which would add non-driver ID's from other states to the list of
recognized means for age verification for purposes of buying
liquor.  Eventually, our bill was added to a larger bill that set
forth regulations for the liquor industry.

Amazingly, our amendment became controversial when a lobbyist for
the liquor industry expressed opposition to the idea claiming that
non-driver's identifications were too easily falsified.  He told
Senator Sam Solon, chairman of the committee hearing the bill, that
the Minnesota Department of Public Safety was opposed to the idea. 
Senator Solon responded that anyone who expressed opposition would
have to do so for themselves.  That ended the controversy.  The
bill then passed without difficulty.

Thanks to the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota, young blind people from other states can now use their
valid non-driver's identification cards to verify their age.  It is
a small victory to be sure but one of the growing number of reasons
why it is a good thing to have the National Federation of the Blind
in your corner.


 FEDERATIONIST RECOGNIZED

During Minnesota Volunteer Recognition Week in April, Curtis Chong,
NFB of Minnesota vice president, was recognized by the Department
of Jobs and Training (DJT) for his volunteer commitment to blind
people in the state of Minnesota.  He was one of twelve outstanding
volunteers honored by DJT and Governor Arne Carlson at a ceremony
of recognition and appreciation.  The following was printed as part
of an article in the April 1993 volume of Connecting, the
newsletter of the Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training:

     Curtis Chong is chair of the Minnesota Council for the
     Blind and has served two terms in that position.  As
     such, he has spent a considerable amount of time working
     for the benefit of blind persons in Minnesota.  He also
     works on the Council's various committees and task
     forces.  He has worked for the SSB (State Services for
     the Blind) Resource Center and the Employment Committee
     and has been a participant in the formulation of SSB's
     administrative rule and updates.  Chong also has offered
     assistance and advice on high level technology for the
     blind and has been instrumental in developing the
     qualifications for orientation and mobility, as well as
     for Braille instructors.


 BULLETIN BRIEFS

Responses from our Day at the Capitol

One of the issues we were vigorously promoting during our Day at
the Capitol had to do with braille and the obvious reluctance of
the Department of Education to implement the Blind Persons'
Literacy Rights and Education Act of 1992.  We thought that you
would like to see two letters written to the Department of
Education on our behalf by Senators Don Samuelson and Sandra
Pappas.  Here they are:Senator Don Samuelson
124D State Capitol
St. Paul, MN  55155
February 24, 1993

Commissioner Gene Mammenga
Department of Education
550 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN  55101

Dear Commissioner Mammenga:

In 1987, the Minnesota State Legislature passed the original
braille literacy bill.  Unfortunately, the rule which the Minnesota
Department of Education promulgated under the first act was
contrary to the intent of the original law.  It allowed teachers of
blind children to avoid teaching braille even if it was
demonstrated that the blind student's reading and writing levels
were below grade level.

As a result of this the Minnesota Legislature amended the Literacy
Act last year to ensure that blind children who needed braille
instruction would receive it.  However, a new rule was not written
so consequently the existing rule may in fact be circumventing the
clear intent of the Legislature.

Would you please respond to the following questions:

(1)  How many legally blind Minnesota students are braille readers?

(2)  How many are learning braille?

(3)  How many students read braille and print with braille as their
     primary reading mode?

(4)  How many students read print and do not use braille?

(5)  Which of these students are reading at grade level?

Would you please let me know what can be done to see that the
intent of the Legislature in instructing blind children in braille
is followed.

Sincerely,

Don Samuelson
State Senator



Sandra L. Pappas
Senate District 65
State of Minnesota Senate
G-24 Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota  55155
March 19, 1993

Commissioner Gene Mammenga
Minnesota Department of Education
712 Capitol Square Building
550 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, MN  55101

Dear Commissioner Mammenga,

It has been brought to my attention by members of the blind
community that the Department of Education may not be fully
implementing the Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and Education Act
of 1992.  I am told that the Department is operating under an
administrative rule which contravenes the spirit of the Act.  It
has been said that the administrative rule promotes illiteracy
among blind children by allowing teachers of the blind to avoid
teaching braille even though the reading and writing levels of the
child in question may be below grade level.

At a minimum, I would appreciate a written response to the
following questions:

1.   What specific action steps are being taken by the Department
     to comply with the Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and
     Education Act of 1992?

2.   In compliance with braille literacy legislation passed in
     1987, the Department adopted administrative rules which set
     forth conditions under which blind children would be taught
     braille.  Please indicate whether or not these administrative
     rules are still in force within the Department.

3.   Among the vision teachers who provide instruction in braille,
     how many are competent and proficient at reading and writing
     braille?

4.   How many legally blind students served by the Department read
     print and do not use braille?  Of these students, how many
     read at or above grade level?

5.   How many legally blind students served by the Department read
     both braille and print, with braille as the primary reading
     mode?  Of these students, how many read at or above grade
     level?

6.   How many legally blind students served by the Department use
     braille and not print?  Of these students, how many read at or
     above grade level?

I thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter
and look forward to your response.

Sincerely, 
(signed) 
Sandra L. Pappas
State Senator


Triathlon Opportunity

     Editor's note:  We have been asked by Steve Porter, a
     person who says he is "visually challenged," to print the
     following announcement.


I still remember when I completed my first triathlon.  As I ran
across the finish line, even though I was very tired, the
accomplishment felt great.  Now that I am planning this year's
racing season, I am hoping to extend this opportunity to someone
else.  Being visually challenged myself, I know how important and
invigorating it can be to complete something new.  I am looking for
a visually challenged partner to complete a triathlon with me,
someone who would like to learn and may not otherwise be able to
try a triathlon.  

My idea is quite simple.  Complete the swimming portion swimming
between myself and another one of my lifeguard friends.  (I am Red
Cross certified in First Aid, C.P.R., Lifeguard Training, and am a
certified Water Safety Instructor.)  The biking leg of the race can
be done on a tandem bike.  And finally, to cross the finish line
running right next to me.  Training is also important and can be
worked out.  I am currently taking a university course specifically
on "Triathlon Training."  If you have any further questions, are
interested in the challenge, or have a tandem bike that you are
willing to lend, please respond to Steve Porter, 781 Newell Dr.,
Apple Valley, MN  55124. 

Volunteer Braille Services: a Service we Should All Know About

     Editor's note:  Peggy Chong, president of our Metro
     Chapter, had an opportunity to visit Volunteer Braille
     Services in April to help them celebrate their 25th
     anniversary.  This important braille organization is not
     well known by a lot of blind people.  Here's what Peggy
     has to say about her visit:

On Thursday, April 22, five Federationists took the bus out to
Robinsdale to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of Volunteer
Braille Services (VBS).  Many other people also came out to wish
VBS well.  As Federationists, we took this opportunity to educate
many of the people there about the Federation and about blindness. 
We found them very eager to listen and learn.

Volunteer Braille Services, after 25 years, is still not as well
known to the blind community as it should be.  VBS does all kinds
of braille transcribing for individuals and organizations.  No
matter the reason, VBS will braille anything from books to single
sheets of paper.  If the material is for an educational purpose of
any kind, there is no cost.  If a person wishes material copied for
a Bible class or community education class, that is also done free
of charge.  Otherwise, the cost is seven cents a page plus $3.50
for binding.  This is not a bad deal.

One of VBS' new and exciting projects is its twin vision lending
library called "Very Bumpy Stories."  There are already several
hundred titles in the list of twin vision books available for blind
parents, blind children, or anyone who has an interest and joins
the club.  Titles include Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham and the
Berenstein Bears series.  There are now over 80 braille book titles
for older children as well.  Not only can this all be done through
the mail, but the exciting thing is that finally blind kids can go
to a library and browse through the books available, sit and read
and check out the books of their choice right there.  Jean Zolik
says that some of the vision teachers in the Twin Cities have
brought their students over to look at the books.  There is a small
charge to join the book club.

It is refreshing to see so many people excited about braille and
literacy for blind kids.  The folks at VBS are dedicated volunteers
who have passed a braille transcribing class.  They do quality work
and try to get it done as soon as possible.

If you would like to find out more about Volunteer Braille
Services, talk with Jean Zolik.  You can call (612) 521-0732 or
write Volunteer Braille Services, 3730 Toledo Avenue North,
Robinsdale, MN  55422.

A Word About Capable Partners

     Editor's note:  Mike Hanson, who is blind, has asked us
     to print the following information.

Capable Partners is an organization which offers outdoor activities
for disabled and non-disabled outdoor sportsmen and women.  Since
its founding by Jim Hale in the 1980s, Capable Partners has offered
hunting and fishing outings for disabled and non-disabled hunters
and fishers.  These outings are within easy traveling distance of
the Twin Cities.

Since joining Capable Partners in December, 1991, I have fished and
hunted turkeys, pheasants, and geese successfully with them.

I have been blind since birth.  I have hunted and fished with my
family most of my life.  

I have also fished with friends.  I found it hard to convince them
that I could hunt safely.  I have gotten comments ranging from
disbelief to concerns about the danger the person making the
comments thinks my blindness creates for fellow hunters. 

When I said I liked to hunt, Capable Partners encouraged me to hunt
with them.  They didn't overreact to the safety concerns presented
by my blindness.  They have provided people to make sure I am
shooting in a safe direction and to help me aim more accurately
than I can by using sound alone.  Capable Partners doesn't assume
that limitations are present when they aren't.  

As a person who has fished everywhere from Wisconsin to western
Montana and hunted deer, geese, pheasants, squirrels, and turkeys,
I can say that Capable Partners does the real thing when it comes
to hunting and fishing. 

Capable Partners is also very safety-conscious.  There has never
been an injury in the history of the organization.

If you are an outdoor sportsperson who is looking for a chance to
hunt and fish with people who know how it's done and how to have a
good time doing it, Capable Partners can offer you just such an
opportunity.  

In addition to hunting and fishing, there are many opportunities
within the organization to volunteer for everything from fund
raising and sharing information about Capable Partners with others
to planning activities.  

Capable Partners is run entirely by volunteers.  Money raised goes
to pay for activities.  

Membership dues are $10 per year.  You can't find a better value
for the money.  

Capable Partners is a nonprofit organization.  Membership dues and
donations are tax deductible.

If you would like more information about Capable Partners, feel
free to call me at (612) 475-9081. 

Congratulations to Scholarship Winners

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate two
scholarship winners from Minnesota.

Linda Oliva, who is the competent secretary of our Metro Chapter,
won the 1993 NFB of Minnesota scholarship.  Linda was awarded a
grant of $1,000 plus a trip to the National Federation of the Blind
convention in Dallas, Texas.

Jennifer Lehman, who serves as president of the Minnesota
Association of Blind Students (MABS) and who was recently elected
secretary of the National Association of Blind Students, was
awarded a ten-thousand-dollar scholarship at the Federation's
national convention in Dallas.

Congratulations to Linda and Jennifer.  Both of you exemplify
success.  In the true spirit of Federationism, there is no doubt
that you will achieve whatever goals you set for yourselves.Annual Convention Coming Soon

The 1993 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind
of Minnesota will be held during the weekend of October 29-31 at
the Park Inn International, Minneapolis.    Room rates for the
convention are $55 per night.

The members of the Metro Chapter are looking forward to welcoming
Federationists from greater Minnesota to the convention.  In
addition to the usual program items (including resolutions and
elections), we will be having our traditional convention bake sale. 
So, bring your large appetite for those scrumptious baked goods.

Persons interested in having resolutions considered by the
convention should get in touch with Curtis Chong, Resolutions
Committee chairman.  It is important that resolutions be presented
to the committee chairman in writing before the meeting of the
Resolutions Committee, which is scheduled to begin some time Friday
evening, October 29.  Curtis can be reached by telephone at (612)
521-3202.

Look for the formal convention announcement to be delivered to your
mailbox.  It will provide additional information that you will
need.  Annual conventions of the NFB of Minnesota are chock full of
excitement, enthusiasm, fun, reflection, and serious business. 
Come and join your fellow Federationists as we shape our own
destiny.
