                 T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 1

WASHINGTON SEMINAR by Eric Duffy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 2

STUDENT DIVISION WINTER CONFERENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 4

THE OHIO LEGISLATURE:  OUR ROAD BEGINS NOW
by David Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 5

FACTS & FIGURES FOR THE 1991 NFB-OH CONVENTION
by Pat Eschbach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 6

REFLECTIONS ON THE 1991 CONVENTION
by Tracy Masincupp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 7

A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE MOTHER OF A BLIND CHILD
by Kathy Grant-Arthurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 8

RESOLUTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 10

CHAPTER & DIVISION REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 14


                            FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
                                by Barbara Pierce

     By the time this issue of the Buckeye Bulletin gets to you, I'm afraid
that Christmas will have come and gone.  But it will still be the Christmas
season, so it is still in order for us to wish each of you peace and joy during
this blessed season and all good things during the year to come.  
     This newsletter was so long that we have had to postpone publication of a
number of interesting articles until March.  For that same reason this column
of mine will be very brief.  Remember that the deadline for submissions to the
Spring issue is February 15.  By then our January 4 board meeting, our
legislative kickoff, and the Washington Seminar will be history.  We will be
reporting the highlights of these activities in March.  Meanwhile, merry
Christmas and happy New Year!



                               WASHINGTON SEMINAR
                                  by Eric Duffy

     By the time you receive this newsletter, the new year will be very close
at hand.  Of course, this means that many Federationists are already thinking
ahead to February and the 1992 Washington Seminar.  This will be the eighth
that I have attended.  In February of 1985 I vowed never to miss another
seminar as long as I am able to be an effective part of the team.  Though I did
not realize it at the time, this event changed my life forever.
     Aside from local chapter meetings and activities, I had had no other
contact with the Federation.  I had heard a little about national and state
conventions, but I didn't think that they were anything that would do much for
me.  When I got a call asking if I would like to go to Washington, I thought it
would be a nice trip.  Bob Eschbach told me that it would be a good experience
and that I would learn a lot.  Being the skeptic I am, I wondered what I could
possibly learn from this group of blind people. After all, the Federationists I
had met up to that point were considerably older than I, and I doubted that any
of them knew as much about politics and government as I did.  When I was a
junior in high school, I won a contest sponsored by the American Legion, which
entitled me to a free trip to Washington.  I had the top score of all Ohio high
school students participating in the Legion Americanism and Government contest
in 1982, and I was told that I was the only blind person in Ohio ever to win
the contest.  Furthermore, although I wasn't very far along in my education, I
was a political science major, so I didn't think there was a lot I could learn
from this group.  I was glad that Lori was going with us, however, because I
was a little worried about traveling independently.   I was pretty sure that
everyone else without usable vision would have a sighted guide, too.
     I had no way of knowing that I was in for the shock of my life.  Shortly
after arriving at the hotel, I began to feel as though I had been thrown into
an icy swimming pool on the hottest day of summer.  There were hundreds of
blind people traveling with canes and dogs.  Where were all the sighted guides? 
There were a few sighted people around, but they certainly weren't acting as
guides.  Jim Gashel hadn't talked for more than two minutes before I knew that
I could sure learn a lot from him.  He talked about vending issues and the
concerns of sheltered shop workers.  These were not things that I was
particularly interested in.  But wait, he then said something about improving
the rehabilitation system.  This was something that I was definitely interested
in.  For over a year I had been trying to get the Bureau of Services for the
Visually Impaired to change their policy regarding private schools.  Of course,
logic told me that I was not likely to accomplish this without some help.  It
was then that the importance of collective action began to sink in.  I also
knew that I would be much further ahead of the game with a guy like Jim Gashel
on my side.  Maybe there was something to be said for this Federation after
all.
     Then I met Barbara Pierce.  She was bright, articulate, and blind.  She
was the president of the Ohio affiliate and in charge of public relations for
the national organization.  Despite the fact that she seemed to be quite busy,
she was also very much interested in getting to know me.  She seemed genuinely
to care about me as an individual.  This truly baffled me.  I had just met her. 
Why would she care about me?  Well, of course, I soon learned that she cared
about me because she is Barbara Pierce, and because that is just the Federation
way.  I went to bed that night with some very new ideas about blindness but
still feeling a little nervous about getting around D.C.
     The morning came all too quickly.  We were soon making the long trek up
Capitol Hill.  Once again, there were no sighted guides--just hundreds of blind
people with their dogs and canes.  They were traveling with confidence and
speed.  I did not want any one to know that I was uncertain about keeping up
with the group, so I held on to Lori for dear life.  After several meetings
with members of Congress or their staffs, I thought, "Good Heavens, if I stick
around this group long enough, they're going to expect me to do all that
they're doing."  By the end of the day I began to want that expectation for
myself.
     All of this is a long way of saying that the Washington Seminar has far
more to offer than meetings with members of Congress and a chance to talk about
legislative issues.  However, these things are also very important.  The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its amendments expire in the fall of 1992.  It
is the responsibility of Congress to renew the act, and it is the
responsibility of the organized blind of the nation to see that our voice is
heard during the re-authorization process.  We have the knowledge, we have the
strength, and we have the determination to make significant changes in the
Rehabilitation Act during this re-authorization.  However, we must all do our
part to see that this happens.  If you would like to participate in the 1992
Washington Seminar, you should contact David Robinson as soon as possible at
(216) 788-3640.  A van will leave from Columbus very early on Sunday, February
2, and return  during the evening of Wednesday, February 5.  If you are unable
to attend the seminar, it is important that you contact your member of Congress
and let him or her know that members of the National Federation of the Blind
will be visiting the Washington office and that they will be representing you
and the blind of your Congressional district.  Of course, individual and
chapter contributions to offset the cost of the Seminar are always welcome.
     Through the Washington Seminar we are changing what it means to be blind. 
Whether you are a long-time Federationist or a newcomer to the movement, you
should experience at least one Washington Seminar.  It will change your life
forever.

                       STUDENT DIVISION WINTER CONFERENCE
                                by Scott LaBarre

     EDITOR'S NOTE:  This notice appears in the December Braille Monitor. All
students should think seriously about attending this event.  
     The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) will conduct its third
annual national conference for blind students on January 31 and February 1,
1992, in Washington, D.C. We will kick off the conference with a fun-filled
reception on Friday evening at 8:00 p.m., location in the headquarters hotel to
be announced. On Saturday, the first, there will be both morning and afternoon
sessions, in which we will discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from the
how-to's of being a successful blind student to the current issues which
confront blind students. On Saturday evening we'll cap the conference with a
festive banquet, featuring a keynote address from a prominent leader in the
blindness field. In past years the student conference has been a high-spirited,
educational, and inspirational event.
     At the conclusion of the conference the National Federation of the Blind
will conduct our annual Washington Seminar from Sunday, February 2, to
Wednesday, February 5. Students are strongly encouraged to remain in Washington
for the rest of the seminar. It is our opportunity to inform our nation's
legislative leaders about issues which are of the greatest importance to the
blind of America.
     The NABS conference and the Washington Seminar will be held at the Holiday
Inn Capitol, 550 C Street SW, Washington, D.C. Room rates are $69 for singles,
$74 for doubles, $79 for triples, and $84 for quads. The cost of registration,
including a banquet ticket, is $20. To make your reservations, please contact
Diane McGeorge at the Colorado Center for the Blind, 2232 South Broadway,
Denver, Colorado 80210, (303) 778-1130. Hotel reservations must be made by
January 1. 
     For any other questions regarding the conference, please contact Scott
LaBarre, 2809 Fremont Avenue South, Apartment 214, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55408, (612) 874-8327.
     Don't miss this exciting chance to change what it means to be blind. Come
join us in Washington.


                   THE OHIO LEGISLATURE:  OUR ROAD BEGINS NOW
            by David Robinson, Chairman, State Legislative Committee

     As many of you know by now, the NFB of Ohio experienced some success in
the Legislature last year with the passage of H.B. 143 by Representative Ray
Miller.  This piece of legislation, now enacted into law, requires that any
classroom teacher hired by the Ohio State School for the Blind be competent in
the use of Braille.  Of course, like most legislation, it did not do all that
we had hoped, but it is a beginning, and now we are ready to take our next
step.
     One of the benefits of H.B. 143 was that it drew attention to the need for
Braille instruction of blind children in Ohio.  Professional educators, as well
as the Legislature, are more aware today of Braille and its importance to blind
people.  Therefore the Legislative Committee of the NFB-O decided to nurture
this awareness by introducing new legislation that would increase the
requirements for Braille instruction in Ohio.  
     A bill has been drafted, and we hope to introduce it into the Legislature
very soon.  In fact, we hope to kick off our campaign for its passage in early
January, but more about that later.  The bill will include the critical points
from our national model Braille bill, as well as parts of legislation from
Braille bills already passed in other states.  Among these points are:  1.
Competency will be determined by standards set by the National Library Service
of the Library of Congress.  2. Braille will be considered as the primary mode
of reading and writing for blind and visually impaired children.  3. Publishers
of text materials purchased by schools in the State of Ohio will be required to
make the text available on computer disk so that it can be printed in Braille
if needed.
     To help us with our education of the Legislature, as well as the general
public, we will be obtaining a proclamation from the Governor and a resolution
from the Legislature declaring the week of January 4, 1992 as Braille Literacy
Week in Ohio in honor of Louis Braille (see Resolution 91-04).  We hope to hold
a press conference and visit with some legislators.  This is another big step
in bringing literacy back to our blind brothers and sisters.  We would like to
see as many of you as possible in Columbus next month.
     Don't forget about our national legislation and our early February
Washington Seminar.  It will be a great one again this year.  If you haven't
gone before, you should try to get there.  It is an activity that really
demonstrates the unity of the National Federation of the Blind and the effect
we can have on legislation.



                 FACTS AND FIGURES FOR THE 1991 NFB-O CONVENTION
                                 by Pat Eschbach

     The forty-fifth annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind
of Ohio was held November 8 to 10, 1991, at the Sheraton Hotel in Springdale
near Cincinnati.  We had 160 registered for the convention, and 142 attended
the banquet on Saturday evening.
     The following is a list of affiliates according to attendance:
     Cleveland - 28           Stark County - 10
     Cincinnati - 22               Youngstown - 10
     Miami Valley - 16        Lorain - 7
     Springfield - 16              Members at Large - 6
     Tri-County - 11               Parents of Blind Children - 4
     Capital - 11             Toledo - 4
     Four people attended from other states: California, Maryland, and
Minnesota.  Family members of the scholarship winners and guest speakers were
in attendance as well as people representing agencies and the Library for the
Blind.
     Some of the attendance figures are as follows:
     Fri. p.m. Parents of Blind Children Seminar  30-35
     Fri. p.m. Board Meeting                      48
     Sat. noon Parents Division Meeting           14
     Sat. noon Student Division Meeting           10
     Sun. a.m. Presidents Meeting                 15
     The names of those who had died since our last convention were read at the
Memorial Service: Springfield, Dorothy Norman, Florence Trivett, Cecil Hites,
Vic Duane, Paul Butler, Chester Butler, Jeanie Clevenger, Betty Phipps, Blance
Meenach, Beatrice Bradford, and Ethel Macullum; Miami Valley, Kathie Burrier;
Toledo, Earl Johnson; Stark County, Harry Brown (father of Mary Pool); and
Capital Chapter, Addie Parks.
     In all the conventions I have attended this was the first time I can
remember that people were having such a good time visiting before the doors
opened for the banquet that they had to be invited to come in; no storming the
doors this year!
     We gave and pledged a total of $2,755 for the NFB of Ohio during the
banquet.  Many enjoyed the dance.  (No count--they were moving too fast.)


                       REFLECTIONS ON THE 1991 CONVENTION
                               by Tracy Masincupp

     Editor's note: Tracy Masincupp is the Vice President of the Capital
Chapter and an active member of the Ohio Student Division.  She was one of our
two state scholarship winners this year, and we asked her to write down for us
her impressions of the convention.  Here is what she wrote:
     I attended the 1991 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio in Springdale, Ohio, November 8 through 10.  It was both enjoyable and
thought-provoking.  I thought that I might share my views as a scholarship
winner with you.
     First of all, I was the winner of one of two scholarships valued at $500. 
As one of the two scholarship winners, I was invited to attend the convention
with all expenses paid.  I was told that I would be presented with my
scholarship at the banquet on Saturday evening--my nervousness was a small
price to pay for a $500 scholarship.
     Anyway, Saturday was the most interesting part of the convention to me. 
One of the speakers on Saturday morning was Shirley Hammond of the Stark County
Chapter.  She told of her experiences when she decided to return to school and
her BSVI counselor and his supervisor repeatedly put obstacles in her way. 
Each time she overcame a problem, they devised a new one for her.  First she
was told she could not have the training she requested because they did not
believe she was academically suited to attend college.  She consistently proved
them wrong,but they always found more reasons and ways to make things
difficult.  Ultimately she got through school, overcoming all of the adversity
that BSVI and people in general could dish out.  It was a real story of triumph
and success on her part.  I greatly admire people such as Shirley, who get
right around the obstacles placed before them.
     In the afternoon we heard from many people in the field of rehabilitation. 
Among these were the directors of three of the adult rehabilitation centers in
Ohio.  They told us what they are currently doing and something about the
clients they serve.  Two of these emphasized that the majority of the people
they serve are either very young children or very elderly adults.  In addition
to these Joyce Scanlan was there to tell us about Blindness: Learning in New
Dimensions in Minnesota.  This is an adult rehab center established and
conducted by the Federation, which serves people by immersing them twenty-four
hours a day in dealing with blindness and the necessary skills for coping.  We
also heard from David Cohen, a student at that center, who went there from
Dayton, Ohio.  The important difference seems to be that the center in
Minnesota sees to it that you constantly apply what you learn and does not
allow you to leave behind what you learn in class.  It was all very
interesting.
     The other really important part of the convention for me was the meeting
of the Student Division of the NFB of Ohio.  The officers elected were Deborah
Byrne, President; Pam Dubel, Vice President; Tracy Masincupp, Secretary; and
Kay Klamer, Treasurer.  We discussed having three seminars during the upcoming
year in order to educate parents, students, and even teachers about what is
available to blind students and to develop a sort of network for blind college
students.  We very much look forward to the coming year and hope to meet many
students and interested people who were not able to be with us at the
convention.
     As I have said, the convention went very well, and it was interesting and
a lot of fun.  I hope to be there next year and to see many of you there as
well.


                A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE MOTHER OF A BLIND CHILD
                             by Kathy Grant-Arthurs

     Editor's Note:  This year the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio was
able to assist several parents of blind children to attend our state
convention, and several others were able to join us for the first time as well. 
Our seminar for the parents of blind children has attracted such parents
before, but they have not been able to stay for the entire convention.  This
year, for the first time, we were delighted to face the problem of arranging
for child care throughout the entire convention.  These are the problems
convention organizers like to have.  
     One of the parents who came was Kathy Arthurs.  She brought her almost
two-year-old daughter Kaylee with her.  Kaylee uses hearing aids as well as the
tiniest white cane that we had in our cane bank.  (You can see a picture of
Kathy and Kaylee, cane in hand, in the October issue of the Braille Monitor.) 
Kathy wrote a note to the members of the NFB of Ohio when she got home.  It
reminds us how important our work is and how much parents of blind children
need to hear our message and benefit from our support.  Here is her letter:  
New Philadelphia, Ohio
November 11, 1991

Dear members of the National Federation of the Blind:
     I'm writing this letter to thank your wonderful organization for sharing
this past weekend with my daughter and me at your Cincinnati convention.  As a
mother of a blind two-year-old, I found your philosophy about being blind
refreshing and your support for our child helpful.  It means a lot in our
hearts to experience such understanding and true camaraderie from our peers. 
I'm so much looking forward to future conventions.
     I'm grateful to the Federation members themselves.  Any questions I had
about blindness (guide dogs, cane travel, and the system in general) were
willingly answered by people who shared their experiences with me and give me
their opinions. The speakers were very informative and just as willing to
answer my many questions. Some even gave me their phone numbers and addresses
for future reference, and I felt at home and at peace knowing that they
understood my position as a parent of a blind child.  I thought it most
wonderful that you had a question time after the speakers.  This gave the
audience a chance to be heard while the seminar speaker was still fresh in
their minds.
     I also want to mention that, besides business and seminars, the convention
also was mixed with just the right amount of entertainment.  The dinner dance
Saturday night really was great fun, and I was deeply grateful to you for
having competent babysitters for our children during social hours as well as
convention sessions.  The babysitters enjoyed our kids, and I was totally at
ease having them in charge.  I heard the other parents also express their
gratitude.
     In the future I hope to see more parents at these conventions.  It's a
truly enlightening experience, and I assure you that I will encourage every
parent of a blind child I meet to come and take a part in this wonderful
organization.  Anything I can give in return to encourage more parents to
participate, I will be most willing to do.  I will be happy to talk to any
parent who may need to talk with another parent about our children.  I would be
so happy to network with them.
     Thanks again for your support, cooperation, and, most of all, your
understanding for a parent of a blind child.  This means so very much to my
family.  The National Federation of the Blind is truly a breath of fresh air. 
I am proud to be a new member and call myself a Federationist.

Cordially,
Kathy Arthurs


                                RESOLUTION 91-02
                     RSC Acceptance of Accreditation by NAC

     WHEREAS, high quality in the services provided to blind people  is and has
always been of crucial importance; and 
     WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has consistently called on
rehabilitation agencies to develop and maintain high standards of program and
fiscal accountability, which contribute to effective services; and
     WHEREAS, the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind
and Visually Handicapped (NAC) has for twenty-five years purported to be the
only body in the field of work with the blind that could assure quality service
through accreditation but, significantly, has never been able to convince the
rehabilitation establishment of the plausibility of this contention--never more
than twenty percent of these agencies have at one time seen fit to seek NAC
accreditation; and
     WHEREAS, recent events demonstrate that whatever pretense NAC may once
have had to respectability and viability it has now lost through financial
instability and lack of credibility; and
     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) is updating its
policy on accreditation requirements for the agencies with which it contracts
and proposes to include the National Accreditation Council on its list of
acceptable accrediting bodies for such entities; and
     WHEREAS, some agencies serving the blind in Ohio have maintained their NAC
accreditation partly in fear of losing RSC business, but others have
disaffiliated themselves from NAC and sought alternate accreditation while
continuing to work amicably with the RSC; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in
convention assembled this tenth day of November, 1991, in the City of
Springdale, Ohio, that this organization communicate in the strongest terms to
Robert Rabe, Administrator of the Rehabilitation Services Commission, its
objections to RSC's continued inclusion of NAC among the acceptable accrediting
bodies listed in the proposed RSC policy; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we offer our assistance and cooperation to the
RSC in efforts it may make in establishing meaningful standards and
accreditation that will result in quality services for Ohio's blind citizens;
and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend for their foresight those agencies
that never sought or have now abandoned NAC accreditation and urge those
agencies still accredited by NAC to disaffiliate themselves from this malignant
and nearly moribund organization.

                                RESOLUTION 91-03
                           The Right of Client Choice

     WHEREAS, the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) of the
Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) has the responsibility to provide
blind citizens of Ohio with rehabilitative services, which are intended to lead
to their successful employment; and
     WHEREAS, the Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP) requires
that the plan for services must be mutually agreed between  the counselor and
the client; and
     WHEREAS, RSC policy stipulates that training in the use of alternative
skills such as Braille, orientation and mobility, techniques of daily living,
etc., must be conducted by an Ohio agency; and
     WHEREAS, by and large these agencies failed to provide appropriate client-
centered training, while there are training centers outside Ohio that have
established a record of achievement in rehabilitation unequaled by Ohio
agencies; and   
     WHEREAS, the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration,
the Social Security Administration, leading members of Congress, and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services have all gone on record in support of
client choice in rehabilitation; and
     WHEREAS, the "buy Ohio" policy of the RSC limits the right of client
choice, requiring clients to sign so-called mutually agreed IWRP's which, in
fact, are not in their best interests, are contrary to their wishes,  and do
not meet their needs; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in
convention assembled this tenth day of November, 1991, in the City of
Springdale, Ohio, that this organization take all appropriate action to work
with the Rehabilitation Services Commission to change its policy of limited
choice; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we assist with information and advocacy those
BSVI clients who would like to acquire their rehabilitation training outside of
Ohio to do so by insisting that the IWRP truly become a mutually agreed
document  taking into account the needs and interests of the client as well as
those of the agency.

                                RESOLUTION 91-04
                  Declaration of Braille Literacy Week in Ohio

     WHEREAS, in recent years the instruction and use of Braille have fallen to
an appallingly low level; and
     WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is striving to
reverse this trend; and
     WHEREAS, it is essential that society recognize Braille as the key to
literacy for blind people; and
     WHEREAS, the inventor of the Braille Code, Louis Braille, was born on
January 4, 1809; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in
convention assembled this tenth day of November, 1991, in the City of
Springdale, Ohio, that this organization request Governor Voinovich to proclaim
the week of January 4, 1992, as Braille Literacy Week in Ohio and that he urge
Ohioans to recognize and affirm the vital importance of Braille to blind people
in their daily lives, their education, and their employment.  

                                RESOLUTION 91-05
                        Sighted Person of the Year Award

     WHEREAS, Ruth Garwood has graced the conventions of the National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio for more than thirty years, attending  her
first state convention in 1958 and missing none until ill health prevented her
attendance this year; and 
     WHEREAS, Ruth and her brother Ivan have always demonstrated devoted
service to blind people and commitment to solving their problems, both in their
actions and through the integrity of their lives; and
     WHEREAS, Ruth Garwood was recognized for her years of service in the
movement by receiving the Sighted Person of the Year Award; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in
convention assembled this tenth day of November, 1991, in the City of
Springdale, Ohio, that this organization express its appreciation to Ruth
Garwood by renaming the Sighted Person of the Year Award as the Ruth Garwood
Award.


                         BLIND CITIZEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT
                                by Helen Johnson

     Editor's Note:  In early October the Ohio chapter of a professional
organization for people in the field of rehabilitation took place in Toledo. 
Marcus Canaday, who is now a senior official of the Rehabilitation Services
Commission and who uses a guide dog, went into a restaurant for lunch with a
group of his colleagues.  The proprietor made it clear that the dog was not
welcome, and the usual dispute ensued.  Only this time, high-level state
officials were involved.  Not surprisingly, the misunderstanding was soon
resolved, and the media in Toledo gave the story lots of attention.  
     Helen Johnson, President of the Toledo Federation of the Blind, decided
that the White Cane Law, which afforded Mr. Canaday the protection that he
received, should get some attention on White Cane Safety Day, October 15, and
the National Federation of the Blind, as the organization that saw to the law's
passage years ago, should get some publicity as well.  She wrote a letter to
the Toledo Blade in the hope that it would be printed on the fifteenth. 
Unfortunately, with the Columbus Day holiday occurring that same week, the
Postal Service did not deliver the letter in time.  But The Blade decided to
print it anyway.  They changed the opening paragraph to reflect the passage of
time, and the editor gave space to Helen's letter and credit to the Federation
for one of the many things we have accomplished.  Here is the letter as it
appeared on October 31:  

To the Editor: 
     October 15 was White Cane Safety Day.  On this day blind people across the
country celebrated the progress we have made in winning public recognition for
our right to come and go freely and safely in society.
     In Ohio as in other states the laws which protect this freedom are known
as the White Cane Laws, and they constitute the first true civil rights
legislation for blind people in this nation.
     The National Federation of the Blind, a grassroots consumer group of blind
people, is responsible for passage of the White Cane Laws, and we are proud of
both our legislative success and the progress we have made in public
recognition of our abilities and capacities.
     The stories published in The Blade about the problems Marcus Canaday and
his dog guide had in a local restaurant demonstrate, however, how far we still
have to go. As long as restaurateurs, taxi drivers, physicians, and the like
can maintain even briefly that, the law notwithstanding, no guide dog may enter
here, none of us in the disability community is completely free.
     For more than 50 years the National Federation of the Blind has worked to
educate the public about the abilities of blind people, and we in the Toledo
Federation of the Blind hope that the public attention accorded to Marcus
Canaday's experience in our city will serve to remind us all of the rights and
abilities of blind citizens.


               C H A P T E R   &   D I V I S I O N   R E P O R T S

                                   NAPUB MEETS
                                by Paul Dressell

     At its annual meeting during the state convention the Ohio division of the
National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) elected the
following slate of officers for the coming year:  Paul Dressell, President;
Peggy Covey, First Vice President; Annette Anderson, Second Vice President;
Barbara Fohl, Secretary; and Tina Snapp, Treasurer.  The Braille Literacy Bill,
which the NFB of Ohio hopes to have introduced this coming year, was discussed,
and several Ohio NAPUB members enthusiastically volunteered to testify in its
support.  The testimony could take one of two forms: what a great benefit
Braille has been, or how great a deprivation the lack of adequate Braille
skills has been.  A number of NAPUB members can speak poignantly from first-
hand experience about both of these statements.  During the course of the
meeting, seven members were added to the ranks of Ohio NAPUB.