The Oregon Outlook

A Quarterly Newsletter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Oregon

FALL 1993

Volume 1 Number 1









The Oregon Outlook

Gregory A. Hanson - Editor


Published in Ink Print, in Braille' and on
cassette tape by

The National Federation of the Blind of Oregon
P.O. Box 020
Thurston, OR  97482
(503) 726-6924
(800) 422-7093

Carla McQuillan, President

**********

Letters to the President, address changes,
subscription requests, articles for the Outlook,
and letters to the Editor should be sent to the state office.

Articles and Letters to the Editor may also be sent
to the following address:

G. A. Hanson, Editor
330 S. Cammann Street #5
Coos Bay OR  97420
(503) 888-5954

**********

Outlook subscriptions cost the Oregon affiliate ten dollars per
year.  Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to
cover the subscription cost.  Donations should be made payable to
the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon and sent to the
above address.

***********

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND - IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES



                        Table of Contents

The Oregon Braille Bill
An exercise in cooperation
By Carla McQuillan............................. P.  4

A Bill for an Act ............................. P.  6

Calendar of Events ............................ P.  8

From The President ............................ P.  9

From The Editor ............................... P.  9

Local Chapters
past and present .............................. P. 11

Become a Successful Fund-raiser
and Promote the NFB
By Joyce Green ................................ P. 11

NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon
for Detroit ................................... P. 13

Experience of a Lifetime
By Gregory A. Hanson .......................... P. 15

Where Can I Get The 
Oregon Outlook? ............................... P. 17

Capitol Chapter News
By David Hyde ................................. P. 17
The Oregon Braille Bill:
An Exercise in Co-operation
by Carla McQuillan

In the spring of 1992, a task force
determined that the Oregon State School
for the Blind (OSSB) and the Oregon
State School for the Deaf (OSSD) were
serving far too few children for the
total dollars spent.  The
recommendation from the task force was
that both schools be closed, and all
the students in those facilities main-
streamed.  In an effort to preserve the
programs, Superintendent of Education,
Norma Paulis, developed a plan wherein
the two facilities would co-exist on a
single property, without compromising
the integrity of either of the
programs.  For more than 10 years, the
School for the Blind has been a target
in budget wars, and this year's Measure
5 cuts were the deepest yet.  Closure
of the school had been avoided in the
past by protests from the blind
community.  For this battle, we
believed that some creative negotiating
was needed to preserve the program. 

At our Member's Seminar last fall, we
took a critical look at the quality of
education for blind children in Oregon. 
We agreed that there was room for
improvement, particularly with regard
to the programs and curriculum through
OSSB. We considered the ramifications
of relocating the blind school, and
concluded that the greatest loss would
be the physical building itself.  We
concurred that a major restructuring
may be the best way to make sweeping
improvements in the program.  Our 
primary concern was to insure that the
two programs (OSSB and OSSD) remain
totally separate and intact.

We approached Norma Paulis, offering
support on her proposal to relocate the
School for the Blind, if the Department
of Education would involve us in the
restructuring and planning of the new
facility, and if they would help
improve the quality of education for
all blind children in Oregon by working
with us on a Braille Literacy Bill.

We worked closely with Maurine Otis
from the department on the language of
the bill, using the Texas bill as our
model.  In February, Senator Bill Dwyer
of Springfield sponsored the bill.   In
early March, 18 members of the NFB of
Oregon visited the offices of  all 90
Oregon legislators.  We were  prepared
with folders containing: a copy of the
Braille Bill, a braille alphabet card,
a few pieces of NFB literature on
braille literacy, an NFB of Oregon
brochure, letters of support from the
Commission for the Blind, the director
of OSSB, the director of the Oregon
Text Book and Materials Center for the
Visually Impaired, the President of the
Alliance for Blind Children,  and a
fact sheet describing the braille bill,
the proposed relocation of the OSSB.

The Text book and Materials Center, the
Department of Education, and the
National Federation of the Blind of
Oregon had representatives to testify
at each of the hearings on the braille
bill.  The Confederation of School
Administrators (COSA), was present at
one of the hearings in the Senate, and
testified in support of the bill,
focusing on the untimely fashion in
which braille text books are made
available to blind students.  The
President of COSA testified that the
text book section of this bill would
expedite the process of text book
production, and improve teacher
effectiveness tremendously.

The proposal to use the money from the
sale of the School for the Blind to
fund the building of the new school on
the 52 acres of the School for the Deaf
campus, was brought before the
legislature.  The legislators felt that
there was insufficient data to
determine the feasibility of the
relocation, and deferred a decision to
close or relocate the Schools at this
time.

The Oregon Braille Bill passed
unanimously through the Senate, and
with only 4 decanting votes in the
House.  Senate Bill 934 was signed by
Governor Roberts on July 14, 1993.  The
text follows.  

67th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY-1993 Regular Session
B-Engrossed
Senate Bill 934
Ordered by the House June 29
Including Senate Amendments dated May 27 and House
Amendments dated June 29
Sponsored by Senator DWYER (at the request of
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon)


SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors
of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof
subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. 
It is an editor's brief statement of the essential
features of the measure.

Requires blind student to receive individualized
education program.  Directs assessment to determine
most appropriate  learning media including but not
limited to Braille.  Requires individualized education
program to specify extent and nature of student's
training in Braille, pursuant to standards adopted by
State Board of Education.  Requires materials to be in
computer-accessible format capable of Braille
reproduction.  Requires teachers of blind students to
demonstrate competence in reading and writing Braille. 
Takes effect September 1, 1994.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to literacy for blind students; and
prescribing an defective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  
   SECTION 1.  Sections 2 to 6 of this Act are added to
and made a part of ORS chapter 343.
   SECTION 2.  As used in sections 2 to 6 of this 1993
Act:
   (1)  "Braille" means the system of reading and
writing through touch commonly known as standard
English Braille.
   (2)  "Individualized education program" means a
written statement developed for a student eligible for
special education services pursuant to section
602(a)(20) of part A of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1401(a).
   (3)  "Student who is blind" means an individual who:
   (a)  Is eligible for special education due to visual
impairment; or
   (b)  Has a medically indicated expectation of visual
deterioration.
   SECTION 3.  (1)  In developing the individualized
education program for each student who is blind, the
presumption shall be that proficiency in reading and
writing is essential for the student to achieve
satisfactory educational progress.  Each student who is
blind shall be assessed to determine the most
appropriate learning media, including but not limited
to Braille.  The individualized education program team
shall determine the optimum learning media.
   (2)  Braille instruction and use are not required by
this section if, in the course of developing the
student's individualized education program, all members
of the team concur that the student's visual impairment
does not affect reading and writing performance
commensurate with ability.
   (3)  Nothing in this section required the exclusive
use of Braille if other special education services are
appropriate to meet the student's educational needs. 
The provision of other appropriate services does not
preclude Braille use or instruction.
   SECTION 4.  Instruction in Braille reading and
writing provided under this 1993 Act shall be
sufficient to enable each student who is blind to
communicate effectively.  When the need for Braille is
determined, the student's individualized education
program shall specify the extent  and nature of the
student's training in Braille, pursuant to standards
adopted by rule of the State Board of Education.
   SECTION 5.  The State Board of Education shall
require a publisher of a textbook adopted by a school
district to furnish the Oregon Textbook and Media
Center with computer diskettes for literary subjects in
a computer-accessible format from which Braille
versions of the textbook can be produced.  The
publisher shall furnish the center with computer
diskettes in a computer-accessible format for non-
literary subjects, such as natural sciences, computer
science, mathematics and music, when Braille specialty
code translation software is available.
   SECTION 6.  (1)  The Department of Education shall
appoint a working group to expedite the implementation
of section 5 of this 1993 Act.
   (2)  The working group shall invite representatives
of the major blind consumer groups to participate in
the activities of the group as they relate to the
implementation of section 5 of this 1993 Act. 
Representatives shall serve at their own expense and
are not entitled to reimbursement by the state for
their participation in the group's activities.
   (3)  The working group, in cooperation with the
Oregon Textbook and Media Center, shall
   (a)  Work with textbook publishers on the
development of processes for converting formatted text
files to computer-accessible text files needed for the
production of Braille textbooks with translation
software;
   (b)  Survey ongoing efforts in this state and
elsewhere to develop computer software needed for
automated conversion of publisher text files to
computer-accessible format and recommend additional
software development projects, if needed.  the working
group, with the cooperation of the center, shall work
with publishers and software developers to prioritize
typesetting system conversion efforts;
   (c)  Study the feasibility of implementing a process
by which textbook publishers can transmit computerized
textbook computer-accessible data files through modem
communication directly to the computers of
organizations producing Braille textbook masters; and
   (d)  Study any other issues that are relevant and
necessary to the implementation of this section.
   SECTION 7.  Section 8 of this Act is added to and
made a part of ORS 342.120 to 342.200.
SECTION 8.  (1)  A teacher licensed to provide
education to students who are blind, as defined in
section 2 of this 1993 Act, shall be required to
demonstrate competence in reading and writing Braille,
as defined in section 2 of this 1993 Act.
   (2)  Any applicant for a teaching license to provide
education to students who are blind shall be required
to demonstrate competence in Braille upon initial
application for a teaching license.
   (3)  The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
shall adopt procedure to assess the competencies that
are  consistent with standards adopted by the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped at the Library of Congress.
   SECTION 9.  The requirements of section 8 of this
Act shall first apply to applicants for teaching
licenses who apply on and after the effective date of
this Act and to teachers who apply for license renewal
on and after the effective date of this Act.  However,
no teacher shall be required to demonstrate the
competence more than once.
   SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1,
1994.

Calendar of Events
January 8, 1994 :
9:00 AM-1:30 PM    Social Security Seminar at the
Eagles Lodge in Salem.  This will be an overview of the
Social Security Regulations for Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI) as they relate to blind individuals.  The
Seminar is free; there will be a fee for lunch.  Please
call the state office for reservations.  Space is
limited;  preference will be given to NFB members.  
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM    NFB of Oregon  State Board Meeting
at the Eagles Lodge in Salem.   Everyone is welcome to
attend this meeting.

January 29, 1994:  National Student Seminar in
Washington DC at the Holiday Inn Capitol.

January 30 - February 2 :  Washington Seminar at the
Holiday Inn Capitol.  Delegates from around the country
meet with our US Representatives to discuss legislation
that affects the blind.

February 26: Parents of Blind Children Seminar in
Springfield, OR from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.    Registration
information will be mailed in January.

From the President...
NFB of Oregon State Convention has been Moved to the
Fall
At our Member's Seminar in September, the board voted
to hold our annual State Conventions in the Fall,
rather than the Spring.  This will allow more time for
us to accept applications and decide on scholarship
winners.  It will also decrease the activity level
during Oregon's legislative sessions, so that we can
focus on legislative issues. 

This spring, we will be holding a Member's Seminar at
Driftwood Shores in Florence.  We have not yet
determined the dates of that Seminar.  Our Fall State
Convention will be in the Albany/Corvallis area, the
last weekend of September.  Elections for the executive
board positions and 2 of the directors will be held at
this convention.


 
From the Editor:

Since this is the first issue of the Oregon Outlook for the new
staff, we want to welcome all of our readers, members and non-
members alike, to help us make this the best publication around.

We are always on the lookout for material.  Articles, calendars
of events, Letters to the Editor or President and what ever you
may find of interest are always wanted by the Oregon Outlook.  I
am sending this plea to all chapters, members at large and other
interested parties to help us fill our pages with interesting,
informative and entertaining material.

All submissions to the Oregon Outlook are subject to editorial
limitations of space and subject matter.  All submissions should
be sent to either the state office or the editor.  There is a
committee for this newsletter and these members will also be
gathering material and submissions for the Outlook.

The Newsletter Committee members are:

Ron Knepper, Milwaukie, Oregon
771-1286

Mary Reid, Portland, Oregon
735-9013

Judy Larsen, Beaverton, Oregon
644-9926

Harold Isackson, Molalla, Oregon
234-6722

The members of the Newsletter Committee will be able to assist
interested parties in submitting material for the Oregon Outlook.

Remember, this is your newsletter.  We will be relying on you to
help us make it GREAT!

G. A. Hanson
Editor

Quote for the Day:  "We know who we are;  and we will never go
back!"  Dr. Kenneth Jernigan

Local Chapters;  Past and Present:

From the Rose City Chapter--Joyce Green, President, sends the
following.

The Rose City Chapter met on November 13, 1993.  Elected to
positions within the chapter were:

President-- Joyce Green
Vice President-- Robert Jaquiss
Treasurer-- Mary Reid
Secretary-- Judy Larsen

At this meeting we officially welcomed a new member.  Emily Ross,
a Freshman at Reed College, with an undecided major joined us.

**Attention:  To date we have sold almost all of our NFB
calendars.  Our fund raising efforts have been a huge success! 
What about the rest of you?


Become A Successful Fund-Raiser And Promote The NFB
By Joyce Green, President of the Rose City Chapter NFB of Oregon

Every contact made in the process of fund-raising leaves an
impression, both of the person and the organization for which
funds are being raised.  Just about anyone can be a successful
fund-raiser; this includes you.  When setting out on a fund-
raising venture, these are the things you will need:  a sincere
belief in the worth of the organization being represented;
respect for the potential customer's freedom of choice whether or
not to buy the product in question; a detailed plan of action;
and a determination to be successful in the undertaking.

Firing Up:  If you want to put your best foot forward in raising
funds, some time devoted to literature review is time well spent. 
In the case of the NFB, excellent resources are: What You Should
Know About Blindness...; recent issues of the Braille Monitor;
and/or some of the speeches delivered at the national convention
banquets.  Knowing current issues facing the blind and the status
of these issues is strongly encouraged.  With the literature
review will come a deepening pride in the NFB and its audacious
undertakings. The amazing accomplishments of the Federation will
become evident. A growing desire to be part of it and a
strengthening commitment to make a worth while contribution will
result.

Narrowing the Field:  Selecting a fund-raising event or activity,
or a product to sell, should be done with great care.  Since the
primary purpose is to raise funds which will in turn be used to
extend the influence of the organization, the event, activity, or
product chosen should appeal to a wide audience.  The event or
activity of choice should be in good taste and should be well
done.  The product under consideration should be of good quality
materials and should be attractive in appearance.  The article
must be something that will reflect favorably on both the
individual and the organization.

Plotting Strategy:  A successful outcome demands a detailed plan
of action.  Planning an event involves finding a location,
establishing a date and time, committing speakers and/or
entertainers, getting materials printed, procuring publicity,
plus planning and handling or delegating all the details of the
event itself, not to mention selling tickets.  An activity also
requires some planning, but it is usually a simpler undertaking
than an event.  Since events and activities are quite complex and
they fall in the public relations domain as well as in the fund-
raising domain, I shall restrict my remarks in the remainder of
this article to the selling of a product.

When a fund-raiser consists of selling a product, a few things
must be considered.  Where will you find customers:  at a bazaar,
in a shopping mall, at a fair or festival, or door-to-door in the
neighborhood?  For the greatest success, you must go to your
customer, rather than wait for the customer to find you.  The
method that has worked best for me has been door-to-door selling
in the neighborhood.  Choose a stable, residential neighborhood. 
If you are selling at a bazaar, in a shopping mall, or at a fair
or festival, make sure you are there at peak times when lots of
people are milling around.  If you are going door-to-door in a
neighborhood, don't waste time on week days when virtually no one
is home.  Go instead on weekends, preferably Sunday afternoons. 
Folks have had a full day to recover from a stressful week, have
most of their chores done, many have been to church services,
have not yet begun to think about Monday morning and almost
everyone is in a good frame of mind.

Plan for every eventuality. Leave room for no surprises.  Go
prepared to make change and give receipts if requested.  Decide
before hand whether or not you will accept checks and/or credit
cards.  Some will not want to buy your product, but will offer a
donation.  Have a supply of brochures and/or business cards with
names and phone numbers for further information.

When selling door-to-door take someone with you. You may need
moral support.  Two adults can be threatening, so take a child.
(It need not be yours.)  Children can be very charming and
disarming and a great asset to you.  Nine to eleven year-old-
youngsters are probably your best candidates.  They love to be
helpful. Give them some specific responsibilities, such as,
ringing doorbells, handing out the brochures and carrying a few
of the items to be sold.  Give your little helper a small
commission.  This will provide extra incentive and reward.  Be
attentive to and considerate of the children.  Take them home at
first signs of boredom or fatigue.  Otherwise, they will not want
to go with you anymore.

Have a brief, clear speech ready for delivery when someone comes
to the door.  Introduce yourself and the organization you
represent, state the purpose of the organization and make two or
three comments about how the funds are to be used.  Keep it
simple.  For example:

"Hi, I am Mary Smith, raising funds for the local chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind.  We are a non-profit
organization, composed of blind persons, working to improve the
lives of blind persons everywhere.  Our funds create scholarships
for blind college students, create job opportunities for blind
adults, provide support for parents of blind children and many
other things.  Can I interest you in making a contribution toward
these programs by buying one or more of our guaranteed, spider
eaters for your basement?"        

Take no more than a couple of minutes of their time.  Whether or
not your would-be customers buy your product, be prepared to
warmly thank them for their time, offer a brochure and wish them
well.

Showing Respect:  All potential customers deserve our respect and
are entitled to courteous treatment, regardless of their
responses to your approach.  Accept their decisions and apply no
pressure tactics.  They alone know their respective situations
and must make their own decisions about how their money is to be
spent.  The few who need to refuse you this year may be in better
circumstances next year.  They certainly will have a favorable
impression of you and of the NFB if they have been treated
respectfully.

Summary:  In conclusion, successful fund-raising is assured if
you take time to increase your knowledge and understanding of our
organized movement, develop a superior quality event or product,
formulate a detailed plan of action, respect the potential
customer's freedom of choice whether or not to avail themselves
of the opportunity to support the NFB and go forth with
determination to succeed.  You will be pleasantly surprised at
the number of sales you will make and the amount of money that
will accrue in your bank account.  Of course, the benefits to
yourself and to the NFB extend far beyond the hard cash that you
will collect. Through every contact you will have educated
someone about the NFB, its purpose, and its various programs. 
Also, with each contact, you will have increased your skills and
self confidence and will have deepened your own appreciation of
our organized blind movement.  Be proud and share your success
with others.  Your enthusiasm will help motivate them. Happy
fund-raising, my friends.         

NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon for Detroit

Editor's Note:  Jerry Whittle, Co-Chairperson of the National
Braille-A-Thon Committee asked us to carry the following article. 
The National Association to promote the use of Braille (NAPUB)
will hold its annual Braille-A-Thon on Friday, July 1, 1994, from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Convention of the National
Federation of the Blind in Detroit, Michigan.


NAPUB Plans National Braille-A-Thon For Detroit

For the past five years, the National Federation of the Blind of
Louisiana has held a Braille-A-Thon as a pre-convention event at
its state convention as a means to both promote Braille literacy
and to raise funds for the state affiliate.  During the past five
years, the NFBL has raised over five-thousand dollars and has
received some excellent publicity about Braille literacy in
almost every major city in Louisiana.

Volunteer Braille readers pledge to read a set number of Braille
pages between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before a
state convention begins.  For several weeks prior to the state
convention, these volunteer readers procure sponsors and then the
volunteers gather in a large room in the hotel where the state
convention is held and complete their page goals. Some read as
many as three-hundred pages and others read just a few pages. 
For example, Harold Wilson raised over $1,300 on just ten pages
the first year the event was held.  Harold, who had just
completed grade two Braille at the Louisiana Center for the
Blind, pledged to read his ten hard-earned pages during the
Braille-A-Thon, and using a sign-up sheet, he found persons in
his hometown who were willing to pay him money to see him reach
his page goal.  "It was easy to find sponsors.  People seem to
like the idea of helping us become better readers.  There is
still a mystique about Braille and the more we promote and show
people that it is not so amazing, the better off we will be,"
Harold said.  During one Braille-A-Thon in New Orleans in 1989
the New Orleans Times Picayune featured a blind father and
daughter both reading Braille together and almost every major
television station in cities like Shreveport and Baton Rouge has
covered this event.

Because the Braille-A-Thon has drawn many volunteer readers in
Louisiana and because it is an excellent way to promote Braille
through the media in different cities each year, The National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) has decided to
hold a similar event at next year's national convention in
Detroit.  If successful, it will be continued at each national
convention.  "We expect to have excellent Braille readers and
brand-new Braille readers participating on Saturday form 9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Detroit, " said Betty Nicely, President of
NAPUB.  "We should have at least two-hundred people reading
Braille in one room in Detroit and we will try our best to have
every major television station and newspaper in the Detroit area
there to cover the event.  We will be calling on our membership
in NAPUB to pledge to read their pages and to find sponsors in
their home states who would be willing to pay them handsomely for
their hard work.  Half of the money will go to NAPUB and half
will go to the national organization.  If Louisiana can raise
two-thousand (dollars) for a state convention, there is no reason
why we couldn't raise over one-hundred-thousand (dollars) for our
national Braille-A-Thon," said Nicely, smiling.  "We want to make
this an annual event.  I bet it will be one of the quietest fund-
raisers that we could ever have."
If you would like to participate and receive some sponsor sheets,
you may contact either Betty Nicely, 3618 Dayton Avenue,
Louisville, KY 70402 (502) 897-2632 or Jerry Whittle, 101 South
Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270, (800) 234-4166.

                    Experience of a Lifetime
                      by  Gregory A. Hanson

First impressions and, likewise, first experiences usually last
forever.  The first time we meet a new person, the first time we
experience a new idea or the first time we encounter a different
set of ideals we are struck with a set of preconceived notions
about whether or not we like or believe in what we are
experiencing.  The National Federation of the Blind is that way
for most who first are introduced to its philosophies and
orientation.

My first experience with the NFB came at a critical and unique
time.  I was just entered into the Adult Orientation and
Adjustment Center at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des
Moines, Iowa.  The Iowa Commission at the time, mid 1980's, had a
pretty strong history of Federation philosophy, yet was in the
midst of upheaval and change.  I knew nothing of the NFB, its
philosophy or history or that it was then and still is the
largest Consumer Organization for the blind in existence.  I only
knew that I was newly blind, less than a year, and that I needed
to learn how to care for myself and my family.  

I had been given the tour of the facility.  The tour guides were
students themselves, motivated and independent.  I had received
very little travel instruction, a couple of months of Braille
instruction and even less information on what I could hope to
accomplish in my life.  

At this time, the Iowa Commission was no longer affiliated with
the NFB, but most of the practices begun by Dr. Jernigan were
still in effect.  No one there, the staff or the students, spoke
about NFB philosophy, NFB attitude or anything at all about the
NFB.  That is until my second day there.  

One of the practices still observed at the time was for all new
students to spend an hour or two listening to Dr. Jernigan's
"Dishwashing Tape".  Many of you may not know about this little
adventure in attitude.  It is from a long time ago, but believe
me, it is an experience that makes a lasting impression.

In the short span of an hour, it was impressed on me that I could
do just about anything I wished as a blind person.  The
discussion on attitude, the introduction to the philosophy of
independence and the motivation to equal treatment are still with
me today.  Now, this is not to say that I immediately understood
or became an active Federationist.  Actually the opposite is
sadly true.

I knew that I needed support and understanding.  I felt a need to
belong.  There was the ever-present desire to be a wholly
functional part of society and to succeed.  There was available,
right on the premises, a chapter of the other organization.  So,
I joined the United Blind of Iowa.

I attended several meetings.  I found myself involved in some
interesting discussions.  I was happy to be included in a group
of my peers, yet there was something missing.  We did a bit of
socializing, a lot of complaining, some supporting of each other,
but not much else at these meetings.  I needed more.  

There was a missing part.  There seemed to be this understood, oh
what , lets see, kind of a feeling, I guess, that we as blind
people were somehow less important and less beneficial to society
than I used to be less than a year before.  I had come to believe
that I could be who ever I wanted to be and do what I wanted to
do if only I could get good, adequate training and if I would
work hard at being the best I could be, yet, this group I was in
was telling me something different.  

I stayed a member for close to three years, though I was not very
active.  I did not know better.  I finished my orientation
training and entered college.  I started taking Martial Arts
classes.  I and a couple of friends began, on our own to do a
small bit of advocacy for ourselves.  I thought no one else was
able to help or understand how I felt.

Then, I applied for a NFB Scholarship.  I applied because my
advisor sent me the form in the mail.  I thought the NFB was yet
another division of the group I had belonged to for all those
years.  No one had ever told me differently.  I needed the
financial help, so I applied.

I did not receive the national scholarship, but I received much,
much more.

I had to visit with a local representative of the NFB to apply
for the scholarship, as all applicants do.  I called Peggy
Pinder, President of the NFB of Iowa and she referred me to my
local representative.  Richard Crawford, a Vice President with a
stock brokerage firm was the name she gave me.  I spent close to
three hours visiting with Mr. Crawford that week.  He was the
embodiment of what I thought.  He was successful.  He was
positive.  He was after all, a V.P. and handled several million
dollars of other folks money on a daily basis and he was blind.

Through Richard Crawford and Peggy Pinder and now, more than a
few hundred blind people I am acquainted with, I found the home I
always needed.  I found the philosophy I truly believe and the
attitude I so longingly searched for.  It is the first experience
and the first impressions that last a lifetime.  Thank goodness
for the firsts the National Federation of the blind has given us. 
and thank goodness for the people it has brought together.

We owe it to ourselves and the others in the same critical time
of life to be that first impression and lasting experience.

Where Can I Get The Oregon Outlook?

The Outlook can be sent in Print, Braille and on Cassette. 
Orders for the Oregon Outlook are taken by the NFB of Oregon at
the address on the first page.  Additional media are:

The Oregon Outlook can be downloaded in electronic text format
from the following Bulletin boards, or can be viewed directly on
line.

The Gate BBS  Fido Net 1:356/4  (503) 75601755  24 hours  N 8 1

Stargate Oregon BBS  FidoNet 1:356/200  (503) 756-3886  9 P.M. -
9 A.M.  N 8 1

NFB Net BBS   fido net 1:261/1125  (410) 752-5011  N 8 1

The Outlook will be in the Text files sections under the file
name "oo<quarter name> <year>.txt".

This issue is called "oofall93.txt"

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

G. A. Hanson
Editor

Capitol Chapter news
by David Hyde

                      CAPITOL CHAPTER NEWS
                          By Dave Hyde

Fund raising, working together and fun has characterized the
capitol chapter.  Members held our annual garage sale in November
of last year, participated in community events during the summer,
and toured the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI.)  Of
course several attended our national convention in Dallas this
summer where Kathy and Thomas day, along with Donna Henry were
first time participants.  Thomas's comets were illustrative of
what he learned;  being a sighted member he commented that he
never realized what it meant to be a minority, which he was with
about 2100 blind attendees.  All hale Thomas for holding his own,
and contributing greatly to helping things work in the
convention.  Donna Henry found that although meetings were
interesting singing after was enjoyable too.  We hope our
resident alto will come back again.

OMSI was most enjoyable, particularly for those of us who had not
seen the new facility.  Tina Hansen helped set up the trip, and
did the leg work to see it a success.  Kathy McGrew worked with
the fund raising, and continues to do so.  We join with her in
mourning the passing of her mother this fall.

Next year we invite all of you to our state board meeting on
January 8.  Members of the Capitol chapter look forward to
meeting all of you there.  If you are in the area, meetings are
on the third Saturday in the dining room of the Oregon School for
the Blind, and begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.  Contact 503-390-9219
for additional information.

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