Throughout the country there are small private agencies
providing programs intended to serve the blind. All too
frequently they are staffed and controlled by sighted people
dedicated to their personal notions of what blind people need and
want, rather than what is actually helpful. A classic example of
this kind of facility is the Association for the Blind located in
Charleston, South Carolina. According to NFB of South Carolina
President Don Capps, its programs include a few recreational
activities for blind people in a three-county area and a small
shop in which eight or nine blind people cane chairs at an
average wage of $1 an hour.
In September of 1991, during the convention of the American
Council of the Blind of South Carolina, Association officials
announced their plans to establish a sheltered workshop for the
blind. In the following months the South Carolina Commission for
the Blind Board voted to oppose establishment of such a facility,
and the Board of Directors of the NFB of South Carolina passed a
detailed resolution urging the Association to abandon this
project. In addition Commission officials proposed that it
establish a rehabilitation and job-placement facility in
conjunction with the Association on the understanding that the
workshop idea would be shelved.
In January, 1993, at a statewide affiliate seminar, over
three hundred members of the NFB of South Carolina discussed the
workshop idea at length. The overwhelming response was support
for the Board of Directors resolution of October 10, 1992, and
opposition to the Association's plan. But despite all this
negative response, Association officials continue to find the
sheltered workshop idea attractive. They have not yet responded
to the Commission offer, but they have made it clear to everyone
that they prefer to keep to themselves, doing what they think
best for blind people.
That was the situation in February, when The Palmetto Blind,
the publication of the National Federation of the Blind of South
Carolina, went to press. The following article is reprinted from
the February, 1993, issue. It reminds us why it is so important
for blind people to remain vigilant. Only when agency officials
work closely with blind consumers can they be sure of doing what
is genuinely constructive for blind people. Here is what Don
Capps, President of the NFB of South Carolina, had to say:
The NFB of South Carolina regrets that there has been no
final disposition of the Association for the Blind's announced
intention to establish a National Industries for the Blind
segregated sheltered workshop in the Charleston area. NFB of
South Carolina officials had hoped that their adoption of the
October 10, 1992, resolution, printed in the November, 1992,
Palmetto Blind, which laid out the reasons why a segregated
sheltered workshop should not be established, would have resolved
this distressing situation. It didn't happen. On the contrary,
Ms. Isabel Ewing, Executive Director of the Association for the
Blind, has gone national with the controversy. The following is a
letter written by Ms. Ewing to Mr. David Reed, Director of Sales
and Marketing at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland
(BISM). In addition, we are printing Mr. Reed's subsequent memo
to Mr. Donald J. Morris, a longtime member of the BISM Board of
Trustees and current BISM Treasurer, and Mr. Morris's explanatory
letter to Mr. Reed:
Charleston, South Carolina
November 5, 1992
Dear Dave:
It was such a pleasure meeting you in Salt Lake. I heard so
many good things about your facility; I hope we have the
opportunity to visit you in the coming year.
I have enclosed a copy of the resolution we at the
Association received recently from South Carolina's NFB. Please
let me know if you have any further insights or concerns after
you have time to read them.
Thank you for all your information and support at the
convention. It is reassuring to know that I can call on you in
the difficult months ahead as we work toward establishing the
first National Industries for the Blind facility in South
Carolina.
Sincerely,
Isabel M. Ewing
Executive Director
____________________
After receiving this letter, Mr. Reed wrote the following
note to Don Morris, whom he knew to be both a dedicated member of
the BISM Board of Trustees and an active member of the National
Federation of the Blind:
Baltimore, Maryland
November 23, 1992
Dear Don:
I met Isabel Ewing at the NIB Conference in Utah. She
explained that her attempts to start a new workshop in Charleston
were meeting with a great deal of resistance from the NFB of
South Carolina.
I asked her for the attached info. I was wondering if you
would give me some background on the attached--if you know about
it.
Dave
____________________
Upon receipt of this note, Don Morris sent the following
thoughtful letter to Mr. Reed:
Emmitsburg, Maryland
December 7, 1992
Dear Dave:
Thanks for your note and the enclosures you sent on November
23, 1992. You asked if I had background information that might be
relevant to the dispute in South Carolina. I do.
As a member of the National Federation of the Blind and a
member of the Board of Trustees of Blind Industries and Services
of Maryland and as a blind person for nearly thirty years, I
assure you I have a keen interest in matters affecting the well-
being of blind people throughout the country.
The issue of sheltered workshops for the blind has been
controversial for more than a hundred years. The first workshops
for the blind were established in the 1800's, and unfortunately
the mentality that operates most of them today is in keeping with
the original nineteenth century outlook.
BISM is very likely the best facility in existence today as
regards the rights, benefits, and opportunities of blind workers.
Despite the truth of that statement, I can also assure you that,
from the perspective of the blind employee, BISM still leaves a
lot to be desired. No blind person employed at BISM is paid less
than the federally mandated minimum wage for all workers. Many
other sheltered workshops for the blind make similar statements,
with the exception that they talk about the federally guaranteed
minimum wage for the blind. It is unconscionable but true that
federal law permits blind sheltered shop employees to be paid as
little as one fourth of the federally mandated minimum wage for
all workers. There is a scant handful of sheltered workshops for
the blind that do not exploit blind people through this nefarious
law. It is my understanding that the workshop proposed by Miss
Ewing intends to pay sub-minimum wages to blind workers.
Blind people at BISM are not precluded from management
positions, but even at BISM only a minimum number have made it to
the management side of the ledger, and those few are not at the
highest level. As disappointing as BISM is in this regard, it is
superior to other NIB facilities.
In the 1800's there was a need for sheltered employment for
the blind since no other employment was available for blind
people at all. In its day the idea of blind people working in any
capacity was novel and forward-thinking. During the century which
has passed since then, training and opportunity for the blind
have improved. The most dramatic advances have occurred in the
past fifty years. The National Federation of the Blind was
established in 1940. I believe the improvements in training and
opportunity for the blind are directly related to the
establishment of the NFB and its dedication to improving
opportunity and quality of life for the blind. At a bare minimum
one must concede that the dramatic improvements have occurred
since the establishment of the NFB, and they are consistent with
the philosophy and commitments of the Federation.
In South Carolina more than one thousand blind people are
affiliated with thirty-eight chapters of the NFB of South
Carolina. They are on record by resolution and by action that
they oppose the establishment of a sheltered workshop for the
blind. These are the very blind people that Miss Ewing and her
Association are proposing to help. The help is unwanted and
unnecessary. It is unfortunately consistent with the nineteenth-
century conception of blindness that sighted do-gooders know more
about our needs and wants than we do. It is clear that the
Association for the Blind is operating in a fashion that is a
hundred years out of date. It is clear that their refusal to
recognize the expressed opinion of the blind of South Carolina is
not only outdated but insensitive.
As I told you earlier, I think BISM stands head and
shoulders above any other workshop in the NIB system. Even so, if
BISM did not exist today, there is no way that blind Marylanders
would accept its being established. It simply isn't in keeping
with modern philosophy or with the facts as we now know them, nor
would it be in the best interest of blind people.
State agencies, the Department of Rehabilitation in
Maryland, and the Commission for the Blind in South Carolina
spend millions of dollars providing for the rehabilitation of and
employment assistance for blind persons. Unfortunately, each of
these rehabilitation agencies is staffed by human beings. It is
unfortunate but true that it is easier to find employment for
blind people in sheltered workshops than in regular work places.
Since rehabilitation people are human, it is not uncommon or
surprising that some of them prefer to take the easy path.
Blind people are placed in workshops even though the
opportunity exists for their employment in the regular work
place. If no workshops existed, the full potential of blind
workers would more easily be achieved in the regular work place.
Without doubt it is harder for a blind person to achieve
employment in regular industry or business than it is to find
employment in a sheltered workshop. Nonetheless, where no
sheltered workshop exists, none should be established. Consistent
with modern thinking (not to mention the Americans with
Disabilities Act), blind people are entitled to receive training
and achieve qualification for employment alongside our sighted
peers. To spend the hundreds of thousands, even millions of
dollars required to establish a workshop for the blind would be a
blatant misuse of funds which could be far better spent in
training and educating blind people and employers.
Some of the most determined adversaries of the blind are
those well intentioned but uninformed sighted people who are
determined to help us whether or not we want or need the help.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Association for the Blind
is determined to put itself in that category. They are engaging
in a no-win proposition. One hundred years ago sighted people
could dictate the direction of our lives. That is no longer true.
I am personally acquainted with many members of the NFB of South
Carolina, and I can assure you that they will offer
insurmountable resistance to going backwards in anything that
affects the well being of the blind of South Carolina. The
Association for the Blind would do far better to devote its time,
money, and energies toward training and employing blind people in
the real world, working hand in hand with the NFB of South
Carolina and the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. If they
are determined to refuse this advice, they should know that in
spite of their good intentions they will be doing harm to blind
people. They will waste their money as well as that of blind
people who resist them, and ultimately they will lose--not only
individual battles like this one, but also the war.
This may be more background than you desired, but believe it
or not, this is the short version. Please feel free to share this
letter with Miss Ewing. It may not be what she wants to hear, but
I think it is important that she understand her efforts, though
well meant, are neither desired nor acceptable.
While I am critical of workshops generally and totally
opposed to the establishment of new ones, please recognize that I
think BISM is a rare exception. BISM is currently operating in
accordance with principles of well-run manufacturing businesses.
Although it is a not-for-profit corporation, BISM management
recognizes that not-for-profit is a tax status, not an operating
philosophy. BISM is better today than ever before. It is not as
good as it someday will be, given a continuing commitment to
progressive thinking and partnership with the blind. Thanks for
your interest, and keep up the good work at BISM.
Best regards,
Don Morris
P.S. I am enclosing two copies of a reference book titled
What You Should Know about Blindness, Services for the Blind, and
the Organized Blind Movement. One copy is for your use. Please
forward the other copy to Miss Ewing.
Enclosure: Copy of Gashel panel presentation from December,
1990, Braille Monitor. "Fair Labor Standards: What Blind Workers
Need to Know About Their Rights."
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Michael Freeman.]
ON THE STIGMA OF BLINDNESS
by Michael Freeman
Michael Freeman and his wife Barbara live in the state of
Washington, where Michael is a computer programmer for a large
utility company. Here he writes thoughtfully of a small incident,
which deepened his and his wife's understanding of the ingrained
public attitudes about blindness.
Throughout history blindness has been misunderstood by
almost everyone. The word blind has had connotations of
helplessness, witlessness, and lack of discernment. Blindness has
been (and still is, to some extent) considered a stigma and a
badge of shame; for this reason many blind persons are hesitant
to admit that they are blind and try to avoid any action such as
reading Braille or carrying a cane which would categorize them as
blind.
Every thoughtful blind person is aware of this stigma.
Indeed, although I acknowledged its existence, I rejected it from
an early age. Joining the National Federation of the Blind only
increased my awareness of this stigma and strengthened my resolve
to overcome it. However, its impact was brought home to my wife
and me when we were on a trip a number of years ago. We had gone
to the National Center for the Blind, headquarters of the
National Federation of the Blind, in Baltimore, Maryland, to
participate in a leadership seminar. We flew on United Airlines,
making a change of planes in Chicago. I had traveled to the
seminar using an aluminum cane; while in Baltimore, I bought an
NFB fiberglass cane. On the return trip, therefore, I carried two
canes.
We again had to change planes in Chicago. My wife, who is
sighted, offered to carry one of my canes since I had my hands
full with a briefcase and the other cane. Neither of us was
prepared for her reaction. As we walked together between
concourses, she felt strange and extremely conspicuous. It was
late at night and we were the only people walking the corridors.
It made no difference. She felt self-conscious and uncomfortable.
My wife considered herself a staunch Federationist and,
intellectually, at least, had embraced the concept that it is
respectable to be blind. Nevertheless, when put to the test, the
indoctrination of a lifetime came to the fore and she felt, if
not shame, at least discomfort that she might be viewed as blind.
The story does not end here, however. As the years have
passed, my wife has carried canes for me on several occasions
with little thought or notice. Since she has now met hundreds of
competent blind people, the experience of carrying a cane no
longer produces a painful negative reaction; my wife has come to
view blindness as a characteristic--one of many exhibited by
humankind and of which a person need not be ashamed. Indeed, we
have experienced in our own lives the truth of the Federation
statement that it is respectable to be blind and that we in the
National Federation of the Blind are changing what it means to be
blind.
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Jody Ianuzzi.]
CUSTOMIZE YOUR CANE
by Jody W. Ianuzzi
From the Editor: When I was in college, I used a folding
cane. To be more accurate, I carried a folding cane and used it
as little as I could contrive. My mobility method of preference
was to find a person (preferably male) who was going my way and
hitch-hike. I was both amused and flattered the day that a friend
burst into my room to say that one of her freshman residence hall
students had stormed into her room to report that there was a
woman student on campus pretending to be blind in order to take
the arm of male students! It was years before I came to recognize
that this misconstruction of my behavior was no particular
compliment to me, despite the reactions of my friends. Only if
one believed that sight was an indication of virtue,
intelligence, beauty, or strength, could my hypocritical
masquerade be interpreted as an admirable performance. I now
understand that blindness is neither good nor bad, and blind
people, measured by that characteristic only, are neither
virtuous nor depraved, worthy of neither pity nor praise.
It takes most of us a long time to arrive emotionally at
this rather obvious assessment. And in the meantime the white
cane, because it powerfully symbolizes blindness, frequently
takes on all the negative connotations of blindness itself. That
is why we often invite new members of the Federation to examine
their attitudes toward their canes. One can discover a good bit
about one's adjustment to blindness by considering how one feels
about the cane and the kind of independence its appropriate use
provides.
Jody Ianuzzi is the President of the Monadnock Chapter of
the National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire. Like me
she has been thinking about her long white cane. Here is what she
has to say:
Not so long ago I was one of those low vision people who are
convinced that they don't really need to use a white cane. If I
bent over and stared at the ground three feet in front of me, I
would only occasionally trip over a miscalculated step. I would
bump into people, but I told myself that happened only because I
wasn't paying attention. To quote my teenage son--"Not."
Now I would feel naked if I left the house without my cane.
I will admit that this change in my attitude was not an easy
process for me. It took several years and a lot of soul-searching
to reach this point. I can thank the writers of the many
wonderful articles on cane travel that have appeared in the
Braille Monitor over the years for their perspective and
encouragement.
The simple fact of the matter is that the only person I was
fooling by not using a cane was me. It was the same old story
that is always true of blind people with a little residual
vision: everyone recognizes that you are blind but you. The
breakthrough for me was the realization that I would rather walk
tall as a competent blind person than work my way down the street
bent over, trying to see where I was going, and not giving a very
good impression. How much easier travel is now! My problem wasn't
my vision; it was my attitude.
This poor attitude was even conveyed to my son. When I first
started using my cane, I was self-conscious, and my son said,
"Mom, put that thing away; everyone is looking at you." As my
attitude changed, so did his. He later said to me, "Hey Mom,
everyone is looking at you because you are doing such a good
job." Out of the mouths of babes!
When I talk to blind kids about using a cane, they always
object that people will notice them. My answer is, "Sure, people
will notice; people notice everything: whether you are thin or
fat, short or tall, red-haired or blond. Some people are even
dying their hair green to become more noticeable. So what if they
notice you use a cane. You don't have to hide your cane; it is a
symbol of your independence."
A proud car owner washes and waxes his car because it is his
symbol of freedom and independence. He can't travel efficiently
without it, and he wants it always to look as good as possible.
For the same reasons I take care of my canes. I have never been
known to leave well enough alone, so I have customized my canes.
I use an NFB telescoping cane. But let's face it, it is
plain white, so why not spruce it up with a fancy handle? I have
found a variety of grips that I add to my canes. My favorite one
is a steering wheel cover. These are available in a variety of
styles and colors and can be found in most discount stores. Other
covers you might like to use are golf and tennis racket grips.
(These are as close to a steering wheel or tennis racket as I'm
going to get.) They look great, and they are practical as a non-
slip grip when you are wearing gloves. So you can have a sporty
cane or a fancy cane or an elegant cane. You can pick the style
you want to match the occasion.
You can now buy reflective tape in most discount or hardware
stores (similar to ScotchLite, but easier to apply). You can't
tape the telescoping canes without sacrificing the capacity to
collapse the cane when convenient, but I put some reflective tape
on my rigid cane for night use. I feel more comfortable knowing
it is a little more visible at night.
When it snows, I use a rigid cane. I added a red reflective
tip to my snow cane because I have heard that a white cane is
very hard for people to see in the snow. If it is snowing hard, I
increase my visibility by wearing an orange hunter's hat.
When I first started using my cane, I carried it in an
umbrella case so no one would see it. Now I have a cane for all
occasions and a few spares. It's all in your attitude, so have
fun!
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: John W. Smith.]
THE AMERICAN WAY:
THE EVOLUTION OF A FEDERATIONIST
by John W. Smith
Dr. John W. Smith teaches speech communication at the
Indiana University at South Bend. He has not been a Federationist
for long, but he clearly grasps what commitment to this movement
means and what it gives to those who allow themselves to stretch
and grow into its philosophy and activity. Here is what he has to
say:
I joined the National Federation of the Blind about two
years ago when I began attending meetings of the Michiana Chapter
of the NFB of Indiana in South Bend. I was privileged to attend
the National Convention in Charlotte last year. As a new member
of the organized blind movement, I was overwhelmed by both the
positive attitudes and the excitement I observed and experienced
at that time.
My original hesitation in joining the movement had been
based on many half-truths and assumptions. I had assumed that
statements I had heard such as "Those guys are too militant" and
"All they do is moan and groan about every little thing" were the
gospel. I subconsciously absorbed these assertions and images
without bothering to do my usual objective investigation to find
the facts. I am not too big to own up to my failure to gather
accurate information and my absolute ignorance.
But as a new member of the movement, I began reading the
Monitor and attending local chapter meetings. Airline issues kept
surfacing in the NFB literature I read and in many comments at
local chapter meetings. Some of my original ambivalence returned
because I had never experienced discrimination as a blind person,
or so I thought. In fact, I always prided myself on being as
normal as possible, which meant to me behaving as though I were
not blind at all. This state of denial was often reinforced when
people would say to me, "You don't even act as if you can't see.
You don't carry a cane, you don't have a dog, and we even feel
comfortable telling you our jokes about blindness." I am both
ashamed and appalled that I accepted such comments as compliments
as long as I did. I have since come to recognize that my behavior
and actions were based solely on ignorance, arrogance, and
foolishness.
The airlines problems were very real, and the Federation's
response to those issues was appropriate. As a babe in the
movement, I often read the accounts of Federationists dealing
with prejudice and discrimination from the airline industry.
However, after reading those accounts, I sometimes concluded that
these people were making a mountain out of a mole hill. Then it
happened to me.
I had to take a trip from South Bend to Nashville,
Tennessee, and after doing some investigation, I discovered that
American Airlines, through its subsidiary American Eagle, had the
only direct flight. I arrived at the airport at least thirty
minutes in advance of my scheduled departure time, and I was told
that I would receive assistance in boarding the aircraft, which
was a Saab 340, a small, thirty-four-seat capacity plane. The
assistance consisted of an employee's walking out of the terminal
and boarding the aircraft with me. I had no problems with the
offered assistance. I informed the airline attendant that I would
take an elbow and proceed to the aircraft. All went smoothly
until I boarded the plane.
First I was informed that, when I got to Nashville, I would
have to be put in a wheelchair to be transported through the
airport. This was the only way that I could receive assistance.
This policy caught me off guard, but I didn't think much about
it. In fact, the flight attendant told me she thought the policy
was flexible enough to give me the choice to use the wheelchair
or not.
The second disturbing thing occurred when I was given a copy
of the safety regulations for the American Eagle Saab 340. One
area of the manual caught my attention, the section that dealt
with evacuation procedures. The gist of the statement was the
warning not to take the white cane along in case of an emergency
disembarkation because it might cause problems for other
passengers. I thought to myself that, if a blind person had to
jump from the plane and move quickly away from the crash site, a
cane would be a vital asset. Two years ago I would have been glad
for any opportunity to abandon my cane, but I concluded, as the
attendant took my copy of the regulations, that, if something
happened, my cane would go with me.
The plane landed in Nashville without incident, but my saga
was just beginning. The flexible policy the flight attendant had
mentioned was a figment of her imagination. I was told that I
could not even come down the plane's stairs until the wheelchair
was secured at the bottom step. I was also told that no one else
would be allowed to exit the plane until I was safely seated in
the wheelchair. Every fiber of my being protested at this policy,
but I did so out loud only mildly because I did not want to hold
up the rest of the passengers, and I needed to get to my hotel as
quickly as possible. I plopped myself down in that chair and let
the southern female airline employee roll me to an elevator and
then up to the terminal. It was very windy and cold as well as
icy, and my chauffeur almost fell several times as she continued
to apologize to me for this ridiculous policy. While I did not
want to take out my frustration on her, I decided that American
Eagle needed some investigating and educating.
One of the lessons I had learned as a new Federationist was
the importance of networking and cultivating contacts with those
in high places. I have a friend who has worked for American
Airlines for about twenty-five years. I later discussed this
policy with her, and she assured me that she would get some
answers for me, as well as passing on the addresses of
appropriate individuals for me to contact. Believe me--she will,
and I will!
On my return trip I was again presented with the wheelchair,
and again I wanted to refuse it, but there were extenuating
circumstances. It was the morning after the great late winter
blizzard that hit the eastern part of the country. The Nashville
airport was a zoo. I stood in line for over an hour just to get
my seat assignment. In order not to miss my flight, I grudgingly
allowed an elderly gentleman with a severe case of asthma to
chauffeur me through the airport. His asthma was so bad that
every two or three minutes he stopped to rest and catch his
breath. I thought to myself, "This policy is going to kill this
gentleman, and I'm still going to miss my flight." I felt so
sorry for him that I offered to change positions.
This absurd policy implies that American Airlines knows what
is best for its blind passengers, regardless of their individual
circumstances. The policy must be abolished or changed to allow
for the option of choice. As my experience demonstrates, the
policy places an undue burden on American Airlines personnel and
on the people the policy is intended to help. This policy is
representative of what has occurred and is continuing to occur in
our society as a whole. Members of a small body make laws and
decide policies for a group, whether or not members of that group
want or need them. This is not the American way. The American way
encourages choice, self-sufficiency, and individuality. As a
blind African American, I have often been told how I should feel
and what I should think and do; and I often respond quite
differently, as is my right. That's the American way.
As an evolving Federationist I must continue to grow and
apply the knowledge I have learned and will continue to glean
from experienced veterans of the movement. In this case, I tried
to apply the lesson I gleaned from the March, 1993, issue of the
Braille Monitor. Here the associate editor states:
Every Federationist has a responsibility to educate the
public about the abilities of blind people whenever and
wherever the opportunity occurs. Sometimes this consists of
imparting information. Sometimes it means objecting
strenuously to injustice or discrimination. Sometimes it
requires tactful criticism of inadvertent or unconscious
discrimination. (p. 133)
The first part of this lesson I attempted to apply when I
contacted my influential friend at American Airlines. The second
part of the lesson I will apply when writing strong letters to
the appropriate parties. Finally, the third part of this lesson I
applied when my southern belle and asthmatic chauffeurs were
wheeling me through the Nashville Airport and I was busy telling
them what I thought of American Airline's ridiculous policy.
Fellow Federationist, take heart from a recent convert. Our
task is great, and the mills of education grind exceeding slow.
Yet every victory, no matter how great or small, brings us closer
to the day when all of God's children, the blind and sighted
alike, will be truly free. That is the American way.
[PHOTO: David Ticchi in a classroom having a discussion with a student. CAPTION: David Ticchi loves teaching,
and the thing he enjoys most is exchanging ideas with students.]
SUBSTITUTING FOR SUCCESS
by David Ticchi
Dr. David Ticchi delivered the following address in
Charlotte, North Carolina, at the 1992 meeting of the National
Association of Blind Educators, the teachers division of the
National Federation of the Blind. It was first printed in the
Spring/Summer, 1993, issue of the Blind Educator, the publication
of the National Association of Blind Educators. Here it is:
During this past year I accepted a position as an executive
producer for a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) documentary. As
the production filming was concluding, most of my research at the
Harvard Graduate School of Education was simultaneously
finishing, and I was beginning to think about the next step in my
career. In the past I had taught seventh-grade English and had
worked for major corporations.
One day my phone rang. A good friend, who is now a high
school principal and with whom I had worked in the Newton Public
Schools, was calling to ask if I would consider working in a new
program called the Instructional Support Services (ISS). I would
be a substitute teacher. Laughingly I reminded him that he was
supposed to be a friend. Substituting is hard work! He assured me
that the assignment would be a permanent faculty position,
stationed at one high school for the entire school year and
creating continuity in classroom instruction in the event of
another faculty member's absence. It was not to be a babysitting
chore.
After much hemming and hawing I decided this might be a good
way to return to teaching at the high school level, and I
accepted the offer. It turned out to be a wonderful experience
for me.
Once I signed the contract, I visited the school to acquaint
myself with the surroundings. The school of about 2,000 students
includes four levels and a technical vocational institute. This
is one of the newly designed schools with no straight hallways.
This prohibits teachers from observing student activity for much
distance. However, it is a very impressive physical plant.
Let me tell you what a usual day was like. Since public
transportation was not an option, for the twenty-five minute ride
to school I car-pooled with three other teachers from the area
where I live.
I reported to the office at 8:00 A.M. and was given a daily
assignment at that time. This past year I taught everything from
Ancient Greek History to Zoology. Classes began at 8:15 A.M., and
I went to the first period class, where attendance was taken and
where I could find the lesson plans, if the regular teacher had
written them. In this school teachers are not stationed in one
classroom permanently but might go to several different rooms
during the day. Therefore, as a substitute I might well teach a
different subject each period in a different place, with or
without a lesson plan available. Getting the attendance list two
minutes before class did not allow for Brailling time and really
required me to relate to the students in a way which portrayed me
as the teacher and manager--the person in control. At the same
time it was necessary to have the students' full cooperation.
I can tell you from experience that students do not treat a
blind teacher any differently than they do a sighted instructor.
Their antics have not changed much over the years. Misbehaving,
cheating, and tardiness are all still alive and well in America.
The interaction between the teacher and students is the function
of the rapport we establish. Being sighted does not guarantee
rapport; it is a function of our individual personalities. No
matter what, any teacher must be prepared for the unexpected.
That became abundantly clear to me my very first day.
I walked into the classroom that first day, introduced
myself, explained how blind teachers achieve the same results as
sighted teachers, and announced that I was an ISS substitute
teacher. When asked what ISS meant, I told them it means, "I SAID
SO!" From then on the students and I got along just fine.
Together we made it through the class with each student making a
contribution to its smooth operation, accomplishing tasks and
assignments, and gaining a feeling of responsibility. The
students felt a very important part of that class.
This entire teaching experience was wonderful because, as
the year went on, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with
most of the students in the school. At first I was a stranger,
but that feeling was soon gone. The more classes I taught
(including auto mechanics; biology; sewing; and all kinds of
history, mathematics, and technical/vocational courses), the more
students I became acquainted with. But more important, the more I
taught, the more the students got to know me.
One sewing class was particularly memorable. Not knowing
much about sewing or sewing machines, I reversed the roles of
student and teacher. As it happened, I had two loose buttons on
my shirt, and I asked a couple of the students if they would use
me as an example and teach me how to sew these buttons back on
securely. I stripped off my coat, tie, and shirt, and we fixed
those buttons together. We all learned from this experience, and
they had the opportunity to see me as just a regular person.
In this one school year of substitute teaching I discovered
that I really do want to go back into the education profession. I
have applied for a permanent teaching assignment for the next
school year, but if none is available, I will substitute again in
the same program. I remember one of my math teacher friends
saying, "We teach if the students let us teach." I was treated as
a peer by the faculty and staff, and I was treated with respect
by the students. But to me the more important thing was gaining
recognition from the students.
This past year I was treated as an equal. Our school has an
outstanding, nationally recognized newspaper. Many times we as
blind persons are excluded when printed information is
distributed because people think that we cannot get it read or
that we are not interested. They assume that, since we cannot
see, we don't want the information, and they simply choose not to
deal with us.
Every two weeks the school paper is handed out at each
building entrance by students standing by the door. I cannot tell
you the wonderful feeling I had the day I walked into the school,
and a student asked if I would like a copy of the paper. The
student knew me and had no concerns about how I would read the
paper. I was just another faculty member to that student. That
particular experience meant a lot to me.
One thing I have learned during my career is that it is very
important for blind teachers to be visible. That visibility, the
reputation you build, the rapport and relationships you develop--
these are the things that create career opportunities. For those
who want to get into the profession, my advice is to volunteer,
find a teacher you can assist, be a substitute teacher, anything.
Just find your way into a school. You will learn, you will gain
experience, and people will see that you are a capable
individual. More important, they will be comfortable with you.
Your performance can and will facilitate your employment.
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Ken Silberman.]
BLINDNESS AND THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
by Kenneth Silberman
What does blindness have to do with the Brooklyn Bridge? Let
Kenneth Silberman tell you:
I grew up in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, a suburb of
Philadelphia. At the age of five, I entered kindergarten just
like all the other kids, but something was different. I couldn't
see as much detail or see as far as the others. No matter, I was
still participating in all the activities of the class without
serious difficulty.
Grades one through six were a different ball game
altogether. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are subjects that
require the use of written symbols. For the sighted, this means
print, written on sheets of paper, in books, or on the
blackboard. In order to read print at all, I needed large print,
magnification, or a place to sit up close to the board. No matter
which technique I employed, I couldn't read very fast or for very
long. As the years rolled by, the workload increased, and I had
more and more trouble keeping up. It was true that I couldn't see
very well, but I was sighted (at least that was what I thought)
and should have been able to keep up. But I couldn't and felt
stupid because of that fact. I developed an increasing sense of
inferiority with each passing year.
In September of my ninth-grade year, I lost my remaining
sight. At the time, I thought a catastrophe had befallen me. (I
did not yet know about the National Federation of the Blind.) I
was blind, but I wasn't going to admit it. I used a cane as
little as I could and never indoors.
After all, the last thing I wanted to do was to walk around
with a badge of blindness in my hand. Braille was a badge too,
and I wasn't going to have anything to do with it either.
Besides, it was slow. And after all, there were tape recorders
for reading and taking notes. Never mind that I could not keep up
and that I could not follow the math, spell, or punctuate. I was
blind, and I was doing the best that I could. These were my
thoughts at the time. With a few delays, I continued puttering
along in this way through my undergraduate years and most of my
graduate years as well.
I was really depressed by this time because I couldn't
perform assignments in a timely manner, travel by myself, or do
much of anything independently. Blindness was a pretty raw deal,
or so I thought.
As I now know but didn't then, the characteristic of
blindness wasn't the real problem. Rather, my attitudes about
blindness were the real raw deal. I remember walking down the
hall one day in high school, and a passing teacher remarked, "I
can't tell you're blind." I thought this was a real compliment at
the time. As I look back on those early years, I realize that I
did not think of myself as blind, nor did I understand what it
means to be blind.
As a result of this mistaken notion, I denied myself the
tools that would have helped me to succeed. If I had accepted and
understood my blindness, I would have decided to use Braille as
my primary reading and writing medium, since a good Braille
reader can read three hundred to four hundred words per minute,
and would have appreciated print as a helpful aid. I also would
have used a white cane since it would have kept me from tripping
over and walking into things.
I discovered after a number of painful lessons that it's
better to find things with a cane than with your face. By using
these techniques, I would have been able to keep right in step
with the crowd. Later, when I lost the remainder of my sight, I
would have been able to keep right on going without missing a
beat. But of course, I knew none of this, and I could not have
been expected to.
I was at my lowest emotional point in 1985 when I applied
for and won a scholarship from the National Federation of the
Blind. I needed money, so I applied. When I arrived at the
National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, I found, much to my
astonishment, blind people who were happy and successful.
They were traveling about with facility and were reading and
writing Braille as deftly as sighted people use print, and they
were using these skills to hold down responsible jobs, run
households, etc. It was at this time that I started to understand
that blindness was not my problem; my attitudes about blindness
were the problem.
I had thought the skills of blindness were inferior because
they didn't appear on the surface to be like those of the
sighted. Hence, I had thought the blind were inferior; I had
thought I was inferior. And so, I had denied my blindness. (You
must understand. I had only known sighted people up to this
point.) But the evidence was clear. The alternative techniques of
blindness enable us to live full and rich lives just as the
sighted do. I now realize that while the money was very helpful,
I received a much more valuable gift, The National Federation of
the Blind.
I had a choice. I could either deal with the situation or
continue as before. I decided to get to work. I picked up some
books on Braille and set about learning it. It was hard to go to
school and learn Braille at the same time, but I knew that I had
to either learn it or drop out. The latter was not acceptable,
and I couldn't deal with things as they were any longer.
By the time I graduated, I was doing much of my school work
in Braille. I continued to use taped books and readers in
conjunction with Braille. All these techniques have their place.
In January, 1987, I received my master's degree in aerospace
engineering from Cornell University.
After graduation, I enrolled in a rehabilitation program in
order to develop my Braille and cane skills. I continued to work
on my outlook toward blindness by drawing strength from my
newfound Federation friends.
Finally, it was time to look for a job. After a little more
than a year, I secured employment with the U.S. Navy in
Philadelphia. I really got the opportunity to test my
newly-developed skills and my mettle in that job. I had had only
one computer course in college and was now expected to learn how
to write databases on the job. I did it. This is quite an
accomplishment for anyone, blind or sighted.
Today, I work as an administrator/engineer for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. I manage the Publications
group for the National Space Science Data Center. This means that
I am responsible for making sure that the group's work gets done
and that the work comes in under budget. I also serve on various
committees and am currently trying to expand my computer skills.
How do my alternative techniques compare with those of my
sighted colleagues? Let's compare a few of them. I use a reader
to help me with paperwork; my boss uses a secretary. My
co-workers take notes with pens and pencils; I use a slate and
stylus to write Braille. My colleagues use a computer with the
help of a monitor and a printer; I use a computer with the help
of a speech synthesizer and a Braille embosser. My fellow
employees travel about safely with the help of sight; I travel
about safely with the help of my white cane. The sighted have
techniques that work for them, and the blind have techniques that
work equally well.
My professional objective is to become a senior
administrator in America's space program. In reaching that goal,
I will be helping to build upon the foundation, the record of
achievement and success, built by past generations of
Federationists. Those who came before us worked to give us the
opportunities that we have today. It is up to us to make life
better for future generations of blind people.
I still don't have all of the skills and self-confidence
that I need, but I am working on it. I am able to improve myself
because I now see blindness for what it is, a characteristic, a
mere physical nuisance. By utilizing the alternative techniques
of blindness, I can and do compete on equal terms with my sighted
colleagues.
When the Brooklyn Bridge was built [1869-1883], engineers of
the day said that it couldn't be done. John Augustus Roebling and
his son, Colonel Washington Roebling, believed that it could, and
they had the know-how to build it. The real obstacle to the
project was not the techniques needed to build the bridge.
Rather, it was the entrenched, traditional ideas of the
engineering community. But the Roeblings knew the truth. They had
the knowledge and the leadership to go beyond the conventional
wisdom of their day. Were they right? The answer spans the East
River today, more than a century after its construction.
We, the blind of the nation, have the know-how to lead full
and rich lives. Like the Roeblings, we have to believe in
ourselves and need to have the leadership to make our dreams of
equality come true. Since 1940, we have encouraged and supported
each other. Since 1940, we have shared our collective know-how.
And since 1940, we have had the leadership to climb within reach
of equality and first-class citizenship. In other words, since
1940, we have had the National Federation of the Blind.
THE MOUNTBATTEN BRAILLER AND BRAILLE LITERACY
by Tim Connell
Tim Connell is a Director of Quantum Technologies in Sydney,
Australia, producer of the Mountbatten Brailler. This year he is
working with Human Ware, Inc., the Brailler's American
distributor.
Almost anyone who reads and writes Braille is familiar with
the Perkins Brailler. Not many of us, however, have tried or even
observed the Mountbatten Brailler. It seemed to us to be in the
best interest of the Braille-writing public to publish
information about this interesting new piece of equipment. Here
is what Mr. Connell has to say about it:
This article is about the Mountbatten Brailler: what it is,
what it does, and why it is important to the literacy of blind
children in America. It is essential that we organize our efforts
behind a plan to promote Braille literacy in schools and advocate
the Mountbatten Brailler as one of the most diverse and effective
means available to teachers for the successful accomplishment of
this vital goal.
At present we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in
teaching Braille; however, the fact remains that only twelve
percent of visually impaired people in America are Braille-
literate. In 1965 fifty percent of visually impaired people were
Braille literate (ref: National Literacy Hotline).
One of the reasons for this decline has been the belief that
computers with speech synthesizers would remove or minimize the
need to learn Braille. This view is still held by some, though
they are now in an ever decreasing minority. The following poem
is dedicated to them. When this poem is spoken by a voice
synthesizer, it sounds correct. When it is run through a spelling
checker, no errors are detected. Read on!
The Hearing Herd
Now I no computers are not always write,
But they are pretty good for people with no site.
Just like this poem, I can be shore,
My writing has improved so much moor.
In just a while I'm applying four a job,
I know my resume will leave them all agog.
Get with it kid's; don't learn Braille,
Be dependant on electronic mail.
If your blind they'll understand,
Its just two hard to reed with your hand.
You'll find those dots are for the birds,
Come join us hear in the hearing heard.
Literacy is the fundamental building block upon which an
individual's educational potential is established. Braille
literacy is every bit as important for a person who cannot read
print as print is for the sighted, and the work of the National
Federation of the Blind in focusing attention on Braille literacy
is to be widely applauded.
Literacy includes both reading and writing. To teach
children to become literate in Braille, they must read, not
listen. To do this, they need a Braille keyboard to write on and
immediate Braille output to read, i.e., a Braille writer. The
only Braille writer that is being used widely in American schools
is the Perkins.
The Mountbatten Brailler was developed primarily as an
electronic alternative to the Perkins Braille writer.
Why should we use the Mountbatten Brailler instead of the
Perkins? Many people would say that the Perkins was fine for
their education. As a matter of fact, they still use it, so why
should schools do things any differently? That is a plausible
argument, but not one applied to the education of sighted
children, and the lack of fifty-year-old mechanical typewriters
in schools today will reaffirm my point.
It is not my intention to denigrate the Perkins; it has
served hundreds of thousands of people around the world very
satisfactorily and reliably for nearly fifty years. However, in
today's electronic environment it is both limited and limiting.
One of the most significant advantages of the Mountbatten
Brailler is the keyboard. It has the same feel as a computer
keyboard (light touch and positive click). But most important, it
has been designed ergonomically. This means that each key is
under a finger when the hand is at rest. Both sides of the
keyboard are offset a little, forming a wide print V, so that
there is no need to bend the wrists. These factors add up to a
stress-free keyboard that greatly reduces the risk of repetitive
strain injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis,
etc.). It is also much easier to use than the Perkins, especially
for young children just starting out with Braille or for anyone
with special keyboard needs.
The Mountbatten Brailler keyboard also teaches the skills
needed to progress to a computer keyboard. The Perkins keyboard
teaches all the wrong keyboard skills, such as using a lot of
force and incorrect positioning of the hands and wrists. This was
unimportant when the likelihood of a student's using a computer
during the rest of his or her education was remote, but today it
is highly probable that all students will be using computers at
some stage.
The Mountbatten Brailler also has all the basic features one
would expect to find in an electronic typewriter. These include
auto correction (yes, it actually flattens dots), selectable tabs
and margins, and the ability to use paper of any size or
thickness. The Mountbatten Brailler also has a memory so that
documents can be stored and reprinted at a later stage. In the
standard unit the memory is 32K, or about forty pages of Braille,
and can be expanded to 160K or two hundred twenty pages of
Braille. The memory can also be used to store a letterhead, for
example, or a Braille form, and multiple copies can be printed as
needed. For silent note-taking, information can be typed directly
into memory without the Brailler printing, or it can be done, of
course, with the Brailler printing.
In the classroom the Mountbatten Brailler provides a gentle
introduction to basic computer concepts, like naming and saving a
file and retrieving a file from memory. With this training,
moving on to a computer is a natural progression.
While these features are exciting to most Perkins users, we
should not forget that typewriters with these features were
available twenty years ago. Why has it taken so long for Braille-
writing technology to catch up?
One of the main reasons is the size of the financial
investment required to develop a Braille writing device from
scratch. More than three million dollars was spent over a period
of eight years to bring the Mountbatten Brailler to market. Much
of this money came from public sources, primarily the Mountbatten
Trust in the United Kingdom and the Australian Government. With
such a large amount of money invested, considerable time was
spent making sure that the Mountbatten Brailler would meet the
needs of the people who would be using it.
Over a hundred organizations from around the world
(including the National Federation of the Blind) had input and
made recommendations about what the Mountbatten Brailler should
be. The resulting specifications, therefore, reflect the views of
a wide cross section of the world's blind community. The two
highest priorities were that it should be electronic and portable
(battery operated). The third was that it should be designed to
avoid obsolescence. To achieve this, all the electronics are on a
card that can be changed by the user. All upgrades will be done
via this card, thereby protecting the original investment.
So, on the basis of its functions and features, few would
disagree that the Mountbatten Brailler can make a valid claim to
be the successor to the Perkins. The big question that follows is
"What does it cost"?
The Mountbatten Brailler is sold as either of two packages:
the Mountbatten Brailler Standard and the Mountbatten Brailler
Educational Package. To compare the cost of the Mountbatten
Brailler directly with the Perkins is unfair without first
mentioning that the Mountbatten Brailler Standard, in addition to
being a Braille writer, can also be used as a Braille embosser
when connected to a computer.
This means that the Mountbatten Brailler will emboss Braille
files sent from any type of computer (including Apple, IBM, and
Braille note-takers like the Braille 'n Speak and the Eureka) in
the same way other Braille embossers will. It is not as fast as
dedicated Braille embossers, but for personal use it is very
suitable and easy to use. Its ability to use paper of different
widths and thicknesses is a distinct advantage. The Mountbatten
Brailler also has a graphics mode and can be used for printing
Braille graphics.
So the Mountbatten Brailler Standard at $2,495 means you are
buying not only a Braille writer with numerous advantages over
the Perkins, but also a Braille embosser.
Even if a child is not going to use the Mountbatten Brailler
as a Braille embosser straight away, the fact that it is
available in the classroom or home means that there is a greater
likelihood that Braille will be produced. And, when the child
progresses to a computer, it will not be necessary to raise the
money for a separate Braille embosser. The Mountbatten Brailler
may be more money, but clearly it is a better value.
Another significant factor in the decline of Braille
literacy has been mainstreaming, where adequate resources are
often not available to the student or the teachers. The problems
that regular classroom teachers face are very real. There is a
constant need to translate from print to Braille and Braille to
print. The Mountbatten Brailler Educational Package has features
that truly facilitate mainstreaming by overcoming these problems.
It puts a whole range of capabilities into the hands of students
and teachers that now exist only in resource centers or regional
offices.
The Mountbatten Brailler Educational Package is the
Mountbatten Standard with the addition of back and forward
Braille translation software, additional memory, a connector box
for connecting the Mountbatten Brailler to a range of other
devices at the same time, serial and parallel cables, and a
computer keyboard.
Undoubtedly one of the most important capabilities of the
Mountbatten Brailler Educational Package is its capacity to allow
a person to type on a standard computer keyboard and produce
Braille on the Mountbatten Brailler. The keyboard is connected to
the Mountbatten Brailler, so there are no software or special
commands to be learned. Now anybody at all can produce Braille.
Before people purchase the Mountbatten Brailler, this
feature is not always assessed as the most important, because it
has never been available before. However, once it is in use, most
people find it to be one of the most important features. The
regular classroom teacher can now write up notes or any
information in Braille. The school administration can write
Braille letters to parents who are blind. In offices a sighted
co-worker can leave messages in Braille for blind colleagues. A
whole range of information that was never Brailled before is now
available. This is not a threat to the role of the transcribers.
Rather, it takes the pressure off them while producing a greater
volume of Braille.
Apart from the importance of making Braille more accessible
is the issue of privacy. No blind person needs to be told about
the lack of privacy in reading personal communications.
When a Mountbatten Brailler is in a school, we find
invitations to parties, birthday cards, Christmas cards, and the
whole range of notes that kids write to each other put into
Braille. Parents who don't know Braille can type up messages,
letters, cards, and even lists of chores in Braille. The more
Braille is written to communicate with blind students, the more
these youngsters will use it, and the better the chances are that
they will become proficient in its use. No other device exists
that so encourages the production and use of Braille on a
personal level. We expect sighted children to become literate,
and in order to assist them in achieving this goal we give them
textbooks, comics, magazines, environmental information (signs,
advertising, etc.) as well as personal communications. Blind
children get Braille textbooks and sometimes a small amount of
recreational reading in Braille. This is not equal access to
information, nor is it equal education. The Mountbatten Brailler
helps bridge this gap.
The Mountbatten Brailler Educational Package costs $3,295,
including all the options listed above. The translation software
is contained in the Mountbatten Brailler. The forward translation
software converts text into Grade II Braille. The text can be in
a file on your computer or can be typed in directly from the
additional computer keyboard.
The back translation software converts Grade II Braille into
text. When Braille is typed onto the Mountbatten Brailler
keyboard, a perfectly translated copy can be printed
simultaneously on a printer. Any type of printer can be used. By
use of the Connector Box, the Mountbatten Brailler can be
connected to many devices at once, avoiding the time-consuming
process of changing cables. By simply entering commands, the user
can turn the Mountbatten Brailler into a Braille embosser, a
forward translator, a memory note taker, and a back translation
system. And don't forget it is still just a Braille writer. Just
turn it on and write on it like a Perkins.
The Mountbatten Brailler brings Braille writing into the
twentieth century, but as many have already noted, the twentieth
century is nearly over. This is not a flippant remark. All the
effort, time, and money that are being spent on promoting Braille
literacy standards and legislation are being done without due
consideration of the tools needed in schools for Braille
literacy. The organized blind in this country must become the
advocates to ensure that blind children are receiving the
appropriate tools to enable them to live up to their potential.
The Mountbatten Brailler is a tool that will facilitate
Braille literacy and mainstreaming. It is not the total solution,
but it is an important part of the solution.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: David Andrews is pictured here describing some of the equipment on display in the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind.]
PUTTING THE MOUNTBATTEN BRAILLER IN PERSPECTIVE
by David Andrews
David Andrews is the Director of the International Braille and Technology Center for the
Blind, located at the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore. Part of his job is to assess
the Braille-production and screen-review technology that comes on the market. When we received
the preceding article from Tim Connell, we asked Mr. Andrews to take a good look at the
Mountbatten Brailler and tell our readers what he thinks about it. Here is what he said:
During the past couple of years Braille literacy has received a
lot of attention from professionals in the blindness field. This
hasn't always been the case. We in the National Federation of the
Blind have been beating the drum for Braille literacy for many
years. Now suddenly it is in vogue to jump onto the Braille
literacy bandwagon. A number of organizations have adopted the
issue as their own, forgetting, if it suited their purposes, that
this issue has come to the forefront of people's attention thanks
to the long, hard, dedicated work of the organized blind
movement. Ultimately, however, we are not looking for credit; we
are dedicated to insuring that blind people (both kids and
adults) become literate using Braille.
In addition to agencies for the blind, a number of vendors
of technology products have also jumped onto the Braille literacy
bandwagon. Some of them would have us believe that their products
play a vital and unequaled role in our Braille literacy campaign.
One example of this phenomenon, but not the only one, is the
producer of the Mountbatten Brailler. This machine is
manufactured by Quantum Technologies of Sydney, Australia, and
imported and marketed by Human Ware, Inc., of Loomis, California.
Let us first deal with the Mountbatten Brailler as a device, then
consider its place in achieving Braille literacy.
We have all heard the definition of a camel as a horse
designed by a committee. Though it may be stretching a point, in
some ways the Mountbatten Brailler strikes me as a Braille writer
designed by a technology committee, every member of which had
individual notions of what was essential. It is fundamentally an
electronic Braille writer which can also work as an electronic
note taker similar to a Braille 'n Speak or a BrailleMate. The
unit also has the capacity to back- and forward-translate Braille
and transfer files to and from a PC. Finally, it can also be used
with a regular computer keyboard to produce Grade 2 Braille.
The Mountbatten Brailler is approximately seventeen and one-
half inches wide by nine inches deep by three and one-half inches
high. It weighs ten and three quarters pounds and can run on its
built-in batteries. According to its manufacturer, it can print
approximately thirty pages of Braille while battery-operated.
When used as an electronic note taker, without printing, it will
operate for approximately sixteen hours. It has a carrying handle
that slides out of the front of the machine and a plastic snap-on
cover which protects the embossing area. However, it does not
have a full carrying case.
The feel of the keyboard is more similar to a computer's
than to a Perkins Braille Writer's. The keys are quiet and don't
require much pressure. This would offer advantages to a young
child or a person with physical weakness in the hands or arms.
The keys differ from those of a Perkins Braille Writer in their
placement and layout. The regular Brailling keys (Dots one, two,
three, four, five, and six) are not lined up straight across the
machine but are arranged in a shallow V shape. It does take some
getting used to. The producer maintains that this layout keeps
the user from twisting and therefore possibly injuring the hands
and wrists. I don't know whether this is true, but the position
did not strike me as being inherently more comfortable. This may,
however, be because I am very familiar with the keyboard of the
Perkins, so this one would take a good deal of getting used to.
There is a small round key located between the two sets of
three Brailling keys, but this is not the space bar. It is the
Command Key, used in conjunction with other keys to issue
commands. The space bar and the line space keys are located in
the middle, below the Brailling keys. For those used to the
Perkins keyboard, this also takes a good deal of adjustment. I
personally would prefer the space bar in the more traditional,
higher location. However, I suspect the rationale is that with
the lower placement the user can hit the space bar or line space
keys easily with the thumbs while Brailling. The machine can
produce either six- or eight-dot Braille. There are two extra
keys with which to produce dots seven and eight. The machine also
has the capacity to switch to a wide variety of foreign language
Braille codes and keyboard layouts.
The Mountbatten Brailler can be set so that it automatically
goes to the beginning of a new line when the user Brailles to the
end of the current line. The embossing mechanism prints at about
eight characters per second. A good Braillist can write faster
than that, but the machine is able to buffer the characters and
doesn't seem to drop any. When Brailling, the Mountbatten is a
little on the noisy side; it makes a sharp clacking sound. This
could be a disadvantage in a classroom. The machine is grey,
black, yellow, and blue in color. The body is grey, and the keys
are black or blue. The area under the keys and some other parts
are yellow. When asked how the machine looked, one of my sighted
colleagues responded, "It looks funny, like something Fisher
Price would produce for children." This high-contrast color
scheme is intended to aid the visually impaired. This feature
holds no great appeal for me, but I suppose it may be of
assistance to some, though I fail to understand what advantage is
gained by watching the Brailling keys. My real objection is that
such a color design is not typical of machines used in business
and would draw more attention to my equipment than I would wish
to receive.
The Mountbatten Brailler uses single sheets of Braille
paper. It can handle a variety of thicknesses and sizes, and it
adjusts to new paper automatically. Loading paper is a little
tricky. The sheet must be all the way to the left, or the machine
will not operate at all. It does not automatically position the
paper for Brailling on the first line. The user must position the
paper by hand so that the first line appears where he or she
wishes. This is a little awkward because, if you are not careful,
the paper will go crooked. I am afraid that the paper insertion
is tricky enough to constitute a problem for small children, one
of the target audiences for this device.
Most people will use the Mountbatten Brailler as an
electronic Braille Writer. It does aid in correcting mistakes.
The user can rub out an incorrect character and replace it with
the right letter. There are actually two ways to correct a
mistake. You can have the machine rub out the bad cell by
pressing the space and backspace keys simultaneously. You can
also replace the wrong letter with the proper one by pressing the
new letter while pressing the backspace key. Though convenient,
this method does not erase the dots as completely as the first.
Commands for the Mountbatten Brailler are issued from the
keyboard. In general you first press the Command Key, then type
in the command, and terminate input by pressing the Margin
Release key, located on the right side of the machine. While
there are a large number of commands, most of them are logical
words or mnemonic abbreviations for words or phrases. As an
electronic Braille Writer, note taker, printer, and translator
the Mountbatten has a full complement of easy-to-use features. It
is also possible to move text to and from a computer and do basic
page formatting.
A good manual in Braille is provided with the machine.
Interestingly enough, we have received a number of very expensive
Braille devices in the International Braille and Technology
Center for the Blind without Braille manuals or with totally
inadequate manuals. The Mountbatten manual is divided into
several volumes. Each is self-contained, and you can tackle a new
one as you need the features it offers. There are, for example, a
basic manual, an advanced manual, and manuals for forward- and
back-translation. The manuals are well written and easy to
understand. There are also instructions for using the Mountbatten
with other devices such as the Braille 'n Speak and the Eureka
A4.
The Mountbatten Brailler comes in two models. The
Mountbatten Brailler Standard has 32K of memory, which will hold
approximately thirty-five to forty pages of text. It costs
$2,595. The Mountbatten Brailler Educational Package, which costs
$3,295, has additional memory (160K) and comes with forward and
reverse Braille translation software and an interface box. This
has serial and parallel ports and a connector for a standard
computer keyboard. The interface faculties greatly amplify the
power of the Mountbatten, facilitating its connection to other
computers, Braille or ink-print printers, or regular keyboards.
With a keyboard and the Braille translation software, a sighted
person who knows little or nothing about Braille can enter text
into the machine and produce relatively well formatted Grade 2
Braille. This would be particularly useful in public schools. The
Basic model does come with one serial port and an external
keyboard connector. However, the educational model is needed to
get a second serial port and a parallel port. In fact, it has two
parallel ports.
All in all, the Mountbatten Brailler does accomplish what it
sets out to do. It can perform a variety of functions and is a
compact and portable unit. However, if you are just looking for a
Braille printer, the Braille Blazer is faster and cheaper. If you
are just looking for an electronic note taker, both the Braille
'n Speak and the BrailleMate are more powerful, smaller, and
cheaper. If you want an electronic Braille Writer, then the
Mountbatten is worth considering, although it is on the expensive
side. It seems to me that this device is best suited for an
individual or school that could use a number of its functions. It
would then be much easier to justify the steep cost.
Nevertheless, for what it costs to purchase the Mountbatten
Educational Package, you could purchase a Braille Blazer, a
Blazie disk drive, and a standard Braille 'n Speak. While not a
compact, one-piece unit, each of the Blazie components is better
or more powerful than the comparable features in the Mountbatten,
and the disk drive gives you the ability to store unlimited
numbers of files.
Finally, what is the role of the Mountbatten Brailler in
Braille literacy? The Mountbatten, like all technology, is a
tool. It does have potential uses in teaching Braille to children
or adults. It can, for example, make the production of short
Braille documents relatively easy using a standard keyboard and
its built-in translator. However, no technology is a substitute
for good basic skills, competent teachers, and a belief in
Braille. We need these more than a reliance on technology. After
all, inappropriate dependence on technology is in part what got
us into the Braille literacy mess in the first place.
I for one was not given a Braille writer until I was in the
third grade. I used a slate and stylus exclusively until then. My
initial Brailler was not even a Perkins. I first used a Hall
Braille Writer, then a Lavender machine, before I got a Perkins.
Because I learned to use a slate early and well, I was able to go
all the way through graduate school using a slate for all note-
taking. If you give calculators to youngsters too early, they may
never learn their math facts or how to do simple calculations. If
you give blind children a Perkins or an electronic Braille writer
too soon, they will almost certainly not learn to use a slate and
stylus adequately. Technology does have its place. I own three
computers and wouldn't give up more than one of them. However,
technology is no substitute for good basic skills. We must learn
to use technology to teach and augment basic literacy skills, not
to replace them.
[PHOTO: Sharon Gold standing at microphone. CAPTION: Sharon Gold.]
THE PLAN TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUPPORT
by Sharon Gold
Sharon Gold is the President of the National Federation of
the Blind of California. She is also extremely knowledgeable
about both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income
Programs. In 1991 she was appointed to the twenty-member team of
experts charged with conducting the Supplemental Security Income
Modernization Project. As the name implies, the team made
recommendations in a public report to the Social Security
Administration about how to update and improve the SSI Program.
The Plan to Achieve Self-support (PASS) is a benefit associated
with SSI. It is one of those procedures which seem so complicated
when they are described that many people who could benefit from
using them are afraid to try. However, studying the following
article should enable those who qualify to develop their own
Plans to Achieve Self-Support; here is what Sharon Gold has to
say about PASS:
One of the purposes of the National Federation of the Blind
is and always has been to reduce the unemployment among working-
age blind people. The NFB has always taken an active part in
shaping the Social Security laws to assure maximum opportunity
for blind recipients of all programs that fall within the control
of the Social Security Administration. This emphasis has included
appropriate increases in Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI) benefits for the blind and an assurance that blind people
who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits have the
best chance to work their way off SSI and become self-supporting.
This includes the exclusion of appropriate work expenses for the
blind and the establishment of the Plan to Achieve Self-Support
(PASS), a flexible approach to personal control and maintenance
and eventual freedom from dependence on public benefits.
All Social Security benefits are governed by Title II of the
Social Security Act and the corresponding regulations found in
Part 404 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Although
Supplemental Security Income is administered by the Social
Security Administration, it should not be confused with Social
Security Benefits. SSI is governed by Title XVI of the Social
Security Act, and the regulations promulgated from this statute
are found in Part 416 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
There are differences in the eligibility criteria and
continuing benefits following gainful employment for the various
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Programs. For a
complete approach to Social Security and Supplemental Security
Income eligibility and post-employment benefits, including a
discussion of Substantial Gainful Activity under each program,
see the May, 1992, Braille Monitor article, "Benefit Rights for
Blind Individuals: A Description of Social Security's Work
Incentive Provisions in the Disability Insurance and Supplemental
Security Income Programs," by James Gashel.
Sometimes SSDI and SSI are confusing to people because both
programs are administered by the local Social Security Office but
are handled by claims representatives working for different
departments of the Social Security Administration. When applying
for Supplemental Security Income, people usually find that the
claims representative will make inquiries about their work
history. If the Claims Representative believes that the applicant
may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, he or
she will be referred to a different desk where another claims
representative will assist in the completion of an application
for Social Security benefits. This happens because Social
Security eligibility must be given priority over SSI eligibility.
Once the Social Security Administration has determined the
applicant's eligibility under Social Security and has set a
payment schedule, the applicant may be eligible for Supplemental
Security Income payments as well, if the monthly Social Security
payments do not equal SSI benefit payments in the state in which
the applicant lives. Please note that in the case of a first-time
applicant there is a five-month delay from the date of
application to the date of eligibility to receive Social Security
Disability Insurance payments; and, if qualified, the applicant
may receive SSI benefits while waiting to receive his or her
Social Security benefits.
It is to the PASS applicant's benefit to have qualified for
and be receiving Social Security payments under Title II. The
PASS is one advantage that may be available to people who receive
Social Security benefits. A Plan to Achieve Self-Support can make
the applicant eligible for Supplemental Security Income or may
increase the applicant's eligibility for SSI by allowing the
exclusion of excess resources and/or income in furtherance of a
pre-approved goal for self-support. An individual receiving SSI
benefits is not permitted to have more than $2,000 in cash
resources without a Plan to Achieve Self-Support. When the
otherwise countable income is excluded through the PASS, the SSI
benefit payments will be increased to the maximum payment level.
All excluded funds must be placed in a separate bank account, and
expenditure of these funds is limited to those itemized
expenditures set forth in the PASS. At no time should personal
money and PASS money be commingled in a single bank account, and
PASS money may never be borrowed or otherwise used to pay
personal expenses.
To apply for a PASS, a person must first identify a goal for
employment and the necessary education, training, and/or
specialized equipment to reach that goal. He or she must then
determine the income and/or resources to be excluded and later
expended under the PASS in order to reach the goal. The income
may be either earned or unearned and may be from part-time
employment; internships and fellowships; interest and dividends;
and/or loans used to purchase the equipment, payments for which
are made monthly, using money which has been excluded into the
PASS.
The next step in the PASS development process is to contact
educational institutions, training facilities, and equipment
vendors to determine the cost of the education and equipment
needed to complete the goal. A budget should be prepared
itemizing all of the income and resources to be excluded under
the PASS and all of the expenses to be paid under it. The PASS
can be written for eighteen months; renewed for eighteen months;
and, in the case of a student or individual in a training
program, extended for another twelve months.
In some instances, at the conclusion of the PASS it is
possible to establish a second PASS, if the individual's goal is
significantly different. For example, a student's first goal may
be to become employed in the field of political science, for
which a bachelor's degree in political science is a requirement.
At the attainment of the bachelor's degree and the conclusion of
the PASS, the student may decide to become employed as a lawyer,
for which graduation from law school is required. Thus a new PASS
may be written to include the expenses for law school.
When preparing the PASS budget, the applicant should
multiply the monthly income by the number of months to be
included in the PASS (e.g., Social Security--eighteen months at
$300 equals $5,400; internship--twelve months at $200 equals
$2,400; total income equals $7,800). When completed, the budget
income must equal the budget expenses, which may include tuition,
books, supplies, computer equipment with special modifications
for the blind, printer and Braille embosser, child care, travel
expenses and living expenses away from home, acquisition of an
inventory if starting a business, bank charges for the PASS
account, and all other costs relevant to completing the goal. The
final item should be "Miscellaneous Expenses to Complete the
PASS" and should be an amount (usually less than $100.00) which
makes the income and expenses balance.
The final steps in the PASS preparation process are to open
a bank account specifically for the PASS and to write a letter to
the local Social Security Office which clearly states the goal,
outlines the steps to be taken to achieve the goal, and defines
the beginning date of the PASS and the amount of time necessary
to complete it. The letter, together with the PASS budget, should
be submitted to the local Social Security Office for approval,
which should take about thirty days. If more than thirty days
pass without hearing from the Social Security Office, an inquiry
should be made as to the status of the PASS.
An individual may prepare his or her own PASS or ask the
Social Security Administration for help in writing it. Advocacy
organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind may be
of assistance. Some rehabilitation counselors can help, although
many have little or no experience with the PASS. It is not
necessary to be a rehabilitation client in order to qualify for a
PASS, and it is not necessary for a rehabilitation counselor to
approve the goal of the PASS. A PASS can be approved and accepted
only by the Social Security Administration, and an applicant may
expect that any reasonable goal will be approved.
In order to maintain a PASS, accurate accounting is neces-
sary. All canceled checks and receipts must be saved to submit to
the Social Security Office, if requested during the PASS period
or at the conclusion or renewal of the PASS. Maintaining a PASS
is not difficult; however, failure to keep accurate records and
receipts may result in termination of the PASS and an inevitable
SSI overpayment.
The Plan to Achieve Self-Support is perhaps the least used
of the work incentives under the Supplemental Security Income
Program. The PASS offers people a flexible self-help approach to
becoming self-supporting. Therefore, it is to a person's benefit
to learn as much as possible about the PASS and to put it to best
use. The Social Security Administration has prepared a booklet
that may be of help in developing a PASS. The booklet is entitled
"Working While Disabled--A Guide to Plans for Achieving Self-
Support While Receiving Supplemental Security Income." This
booklet includes some simple examples of PASS plans and an
application form for completing a PASS. It should be noted that
the application form is not necessary because the letter and
budget described in this article are sufficient. Here are samples
of both:
SAMPLE LETTER
Charley Repson, Claims Representative
Social Security Administration
1993 Security Way
Anytown, USA 00000
RE: SSN 000-00-0000
Dear Mr. Repson:
By this letter and enclosed documents, I am applying for a
Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) effective June, 1993.
I am a senior at Undergraduate University, where I am en-
rolled in the Liberal Studies Program and expect to receive a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in June, 1994. Thereafter, I plan to
enter the School of Education and obtain the teaching credentials
necessary to fulfill my goal of employment as a special education
teacher.
To complete my goal of becoming a teacher in the public
schools, I will need a computer and printer and specialized
screen reading equipment and software for the blind as well as a
Braille note-taking device. I will also need a Braille embosser
and related software and an optical character reader to download
teacher's manuals into my computer to transcribe them into
Braille for use in my classroom. I will need to buy books and
supplies for my classes and to have a special tape recorder for
recording and reading cassette books. I will need to pay for
university tuition, readers and drivers, and professional
seminars and conferences.
I understand that the income and/or resources excluded under
this PASS are to be used only for the purposes specified, and I
agree to report any changes in this plan and/or my performance
thereunder promptly to the Social Security Administration. I
agree to keep records of all expenditures made under the PASS and
to keep excluded income and resources separate from my other
assets. I have opened a checking account #123456789 at State
Bank, 1234 5th Street, Banktown, USA.
Thank you for your attention to this Plan to Achieve Self-
Support. If you need additional information or have further
questions, please contact me or my representative, Annie Advocate
of the National Federation of the Blind, who assisted in the
preparation of this PASS.
Sincerely,
Sally Student
SAMPLE BUDGET
PLAN FOR ACHIEVING SELF-SUPPORT
Income and Disbursements
Income to be Excluded Under the PASS
Social Security (36 months at $491) $17,676.00
Financial Aid, Grants, and Scholarships $7,000.00
TOTAL $24,676.00
Expenses Under the PASS
Computer and Related Equipment
PC Computer with hard drive $2,500.00
Modem and Software $200.00
Symphonics Speech Synthesizer $500.00
Portable Computer w/Speech $2,595.00
Total $5,795.00
Computer Software
WordPerfect $250.00
Artic ENCORE $150.00
Upgrade Business Vision $75.00
Braille Translation Software $300.00
Total $775.00
Laserjet Printer $2,000.00
Braille Devices
Braille Blazer (Braille Embosser) $1,700.00
Braille 'n Speak $1,095.00
Braille 'n Speak Disk Drive $500.00
Service Contracts (Braille 'n Speak, Disk Drive, Braille
Blazer) $900.00
Total $4,195.00
Arkenstone Open Book/Unbound w/sheet feeder $3,995.00
Handi-Cassette Recorder (for blind) $130.00
Tuition $2,500.00
Student Fees, Professional Dues, and Publications $500.00
Books, manuals, and supplies $1,200.00
Readers/Drivers $1,000.00
Conferences and Professional Seminars $2,500.00
Miscellaneous Expenses to Complete the PASS $86.00
TOTAL $24,676.00
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Homer Page.]
WHY ALL OF US ARE FEDERATIONISTS
by Homer Page
Homer Page is the President of the National Federation of
the Blind of Colorado and Chairman of the Boulder County Board of
commissioners. He is also a thoughtful and deeply committed
Federationist. The following article is reprinted from the
Winter, 1993,edition of The Voice of the Rocky Mountain Blind,
the publication of the National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado. Here it is:
Recently I attended a conference held by the Maryland
Association of Counties. I had been asked to speak about the
implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. After the
day's activities, a group was sitting around discussing
disability issues. I was asked about the National Federation of
the Blind. The question that was posed to me was, "What does it
mean to belong to the Federation?"
My interrogator really wanted to know what difference it
makes in one's life to belong to the NFB. I have thought more
about these questions, and here are some of my responses.
Federationists have a wide variety of characteristics. Some
of us are totally blind, and some of us have normal vision. Most
of us are somewhere in between. We have widely differing
political views, educational experiences, and abilities. Some of
us are athletic, others have musical ability, and still others
have neither. Some of us have very good travel skills, and others
don't. Some of us are old, and some of us are young, and most of
us are in between. Yet, in spite of all these differences, there
is something that binds us together.
I believe that this is the belief that blind persons are
capable of living normal, fulfilling lives. In many ways society,
through its ignorance and occasionally through its hostility,
tries to prevent us from living the lives that we know are
possible for us. We know that, if we work together to create
opportunities and to support one another, our chances to fulfill
our lives will be greatly increased.
We are proud of our organization, and we are proud of being
members of the Federation. This pride comes from the continuing
experience we have of our success in improving the lives of blind
persons. Whether we are fighting discrimination, working with
legislators, or taking on the media, we know that our work is of
high quality. We also know that, if we need help or if we just
need someone to talk with, the members of the Federation are
there for us. This knowledge sustains us even if we never
actually feel the need to consult with our friends.
You don't have to be a star to be loved and appreciated in
the Federation. You don't have to be a great Braille reader or a
super traveler to gain the respect of other members. The
Federation works to improve training opportunities for its
members, but we are not an elite organization. The Federation is
for every blind and sighted person who believes that blind people
can really play in the mainstream of life if they have the
opportunity. We do not blame blind persons for failures that are
not of their making. We do not believe that, if something goes
wrong in a blind person's life, it is without a doubt the result
of some fault in the blind person's character or ability. We
believe that, when a blind person gets an equal chance, he or she
will make the most of it.
Sometimes you just have to decide whose side you're on. The
Federation is on the side of blind guys. We all know that. That's
why we give all that we can to make the Federation a successful
organization. Think of what we get in return.
[PHOTO: Norm Peters doing push-ups on his living room floor. CAPTION: Norm Peters practices a fitness regime,
including push-ups, in his El Cajon home. Photo courtesy of The Daily Californian.]
[PHOTO: Norm Peters holds up a very, very large pair of pants. CAPTION: Norm Peters wore a size 56 pants before
he lost 130 pounds. Photo courtesy of The Daily Californian.]
FEDERATIONIST HIKES HIS WAY TO HEALTH
Norm Peters is the President of the San Diego County Chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind of California. Those who
call his home looking for him are likely to be told that he is
out for a walk. Norm has hiked thousands of miles in the past
several years. Not only has he become a reminder to his community
that blind people can accomplish what they set out to, but he has
lost over a hundred pounds in the process. The following story,
written by Dave Schwab, appeared in the March 2, 1993, edition of
The Daily Californian, a newspaper serving the San Diego
metropolitan area. Here is the story:
SEEING THIN
Blindness No Obstacle to Weight Loss
Norm Peters has walked the distance to Vancouver, British
Columbia, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and is now on his way to
Baltimore, Maryland.
And he's never left his El Cajon neighborhood.
Peters, forty-one, blind since birth and a father of three,
didn't actually trek to those destinations. But he has walked
that many miles--six miles every day, twelve if he misses a day--
as part of a regimen which has helped him lose one hundred thirty
of his more than three hundred pounds.
To make the going easier, he imagines he's bound for
destinations he'd like to visit.
"I've done probably 4,700 miles in five or six years," said
Peters. "Right now, I've decided to go to Baltimore, where the
National Federation of the Blind has its headquarters.
"That's my imaginary goal."
Peters walks a circuitous route in his neighborhood--three
laps daily. In addition to weight loss, his walking has led to
benefits Peters didn't imagine before.
"You get compliments from people," he said. "I do a lot of
walking, and I hardly knew anybody. But now, I wouldn't say
everybody knows me, but I know a lot more people now.
"They stop me and talk to me and ask me how I did it."
Losing so much weight was important to Peters for another
reason. As the current president of the San Diego County Chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind, he said he feels it's
important to lead by example in dispelling myths and
misconceptions about blindness.
"The real fallacy is to believe that to be blind means you
can't do anything," he said. "Actually, you just have to find
alternative techniques so that you can do things.
"Blind people are in all kinds of occupations that you might
not even imagine. One of the missions of the National Federation
of the Blind is to educate the public that blindness is just a
characteristic like other things."
Peters's wife is sighted, and his three children are
partially sighted. He said he's learned through them about
another important misconception about blindness--that only
totally blind people need special help.
"They (the partially sighted) still need Braille," Peters
said, "and they still need cane travel.
"If you have a partially sighted child who's learning to
read, they need to have Braille right now. They need to have
those services so that they're not always behind."
A liquid diet, Cambridge, also helped Peters take off
weight, he said, and now he's a sales representative for the
company.
Peters said that at first he was skeptical about a liquid
diet.
"I didn't really want to try it," he said.
But after mushrooming to three hundred pounds, Peters
changed his mind. He knew he had to do something. And he was
impressed by the results.
"I just got tired of tight pants," he said. "I used to wear
a size fifty-six pants. Now I wear a size thirty-six pretty
comfortably."
Peters said the most important thing he's learned from
losing so much weight is the importance of a sound diet.
"The most important thing is to be able to eat properly," he
said. "I know it's hard for people to take the time to read the
contents of food packages but it's important, especially for the
grams of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
"For every gram of carbohydrates and proteins there are four
calories. But for every fat gram it's nine calories. The main
thing is to know what you're taking into your body."
[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: David Hyde.]
SMALL PRIORITIES
by David Hyde
David Hyde is one of the leaders of the National Federation
of the Blind. He currently serves as the first vice president of
the NFB of Oregon. He is also a thoughtful and conscientious man
with a deep commitment to improving life for all blind people,
including blind children. The following article first appeared in
the Summer, 1992, edition of the Oregon Outlook, the publication
of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. The reminder
is one we should all take to heart. Here is what he has to say:
"You aren't blind, you're a grown-up man." That's what an
eight-year-old said to me at the last NFB of Oregon convention.
It wasn't the first time that I'd heard such things from blind
children, but it still surprised me.
"I am blind," I assured her. "See, I carry a long cane."
The cane was taller than she was, and she stretched on tip
toe to try to reach the top. "How can you be blind?" she
continued. "I'm blind, but I'm just a little girl."
We talked about blind girls growing up to be blind women and
blind boys growing up to be blind men. We talked about playing
and working, about going to school, and about expectations--all
this in a few minutes after a convention session.
This passing contact illustrates in microcosm one of the
biggest problems blind children have today, isolation. When many
of us who are now blind adults were blind children, we attended
residential schools. Most of the students were blind, and we
formed our expectations (right or wrong) from those we saw around
us. Some of us were outgoing, assertive, smart, or well-adjusted;
some of us were shy, passive, bad-tempered, or moody. All of us
knew that these characteristics had nothing to do with our
blindness but were common characteristics of all children, blind
or sighted. We knew, since we saw blind teenagers, that blind
children grew up to be blind teenagers and that they in turn grew
up to be blind adults. With mainstreaming now commonplace, most
blind children rarely meet blind adults, or at least they meet
very few of us. Because of their isolation in public schools,
they may never learn that they are just like all other children
and that blindness need not make them exceptional.
Although the National Federation of the Blind Parents
Division can help, most of the responsibility for finding these
children and their parents falls on us blind adults. As we set
priorities for legislation, civil rights, and fund-raising, let's
remember to take the time to do the little things that make a big
difference. Blind children need our help; they need to learn
about the National Federation of the Blind. You may become the
most important person in a blind child's life.
NOW YOU TOO CAN RENT A DOLLAR OR ALAMO CAR
by Toni and Ed Eames
Toni and Ed Eames are leaders of the National Federation of
the Blind of California. They are conscientious and thorough when
it comes to protecting their rights and carrying out their
responsibilities as citizens. Recently they have been busy
clarifying the rights of all blind people to rent cars. A number
of us have had difficulty with car rental agencies in recent
years. Thanks to the Eameses the problem may be settled once and
for all. Here is the story as the Eameses tell it:
In the April, 1992, issue of the Braille Monitor, we
described a problem we had had with Dollar Rent A Car. The
company's policy was to rent only to people with both a credit
card and a valid driver's license.
The problem confronted us first in early 1992, when we
arrived at the Phoenix Airport and went to pick up our previously
reserved Dollar Rent A Car. We had planned to put the rental on
our credit card and have a friend drive. Even after consulting a
supervisor, the clerk at the counter refused to rent to us. When
we pointed out that this was a violation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), they still refused to reconsider their
position. Fortunately, we were able to rent a car from Budget,
which had no such discriminatory policy.
In May we filed a formal complaint with the Department of
Justice (DOJ) under Title 3 of the ADA, and in June we received
acknowledgement of our complaint and a case number. In August the
investigator working on the case called us and gave us her name
and phone number. In October we were told that the Department of
Justice had contacted Dollar and Dollar was working on the
problem. We were disgusted by the lack of action.
Also in October Sharon Gold, president of the NFB of
California, suggested a new tack. California has its own civil
rights code, the Unruh Law, which antedates the ADA. It says that
no organization doing business in the state can deny access to
its products and services to blind and physically disabled
people. Unlike the ADA, the California law mandates a minimum
fine of $250 against any business violating the law. Knowing we
were protected by the Unruh Law, we called Dollar's Fresno office
on October 28, identified ourselves as blind people, and asked to
rent a car using our credit card. When we were refused, we
obtained the name of the person who turned us down and proceeded
with a small claims action against Dollar. We also called most of
the other car rental services and discovered that Alamo had the
same sort of discriminatory policy. All the others (including
Avis, Hertz, National, and Budget) were willing to rent to us.
Therefore, we filed a small claims complaint against Alamo as
well.
In California in cases in which an individual sues another
individual or a corporation for damages up to $7,000, he or she
can choose to go before a municipal judge, who hears the case
before the day's usual court proceedings. No lawyers are
permitted to participate in such proceedings. We filled out the
necessary forms and paid a $10 filing fee. We invested an
additional $14 to obtain the official name of the corporate
representative to be served and for the actual serving of the
papers. A clearly written booklet described the entire process,
and following it step-by-step made things easy.
One requirement was writing a demand letter to the official
representative of the company stating what we wanted the
corporation to do. That was easy. We stated our case and asked
Dollar and Alamo to change their policies, send a copy of the
change to us, and pay the minimum fine of $250 plus court costs.
Here is the text of the letter we wrote to Alamo; it is virtually
identical to the one we sent to Dollar:
Fresno, California
December 14, 1992
C.T. Corporation System
Los Angeles, California
Dear C.T. Corporate System:
According to the Secretary of State of California, you are
listed as the agent for Alamo Rent A Car. Therefore, I am
directing this letter to you.
On October 28, 1992, at approximately 4:00 p.m., I spoke
with Adrian Guerra at the Fresno office about renting a car from
Alamo. I indicated that I am blind and do not have a driver's
license but do have a valid credit card. I wanted to rent a car
on my credit card to be driven by a friend with a driver's
license. Adrian informed me that this was against company policy.
I asked Adrian to check with a supervisor, since this was a
violation of my rights. According to her, the supervisor (Eileen
Kennedy) was contacted and affirmed the position that Alamo would
not rent to me unless I had a valid driver's license.
This policy is a denial of my rights under the California
Unruh Law. I will be filing a small claims court case in Fresno
against Alamo based on this violation of my civil rights. I will
be asking for punitive damages of $1,000, the minimum fine of
$250 mandated by the Unruh Law, and court costs of $24. I would
be willing to forego the small claims action if Alamo pays the
minimum fine of $250 to me and provides evidence that a policy
change has been made giving me, as a disabled person unable to
drive, the same right to rent a car as anyone else.
If I do not receive a satisfactory response to this letter
by January 2, 1993, I will proceed with the small claims action.
Sincerely,
Edwin Eames
____________________
After waiting two weeks and receiving no response to our
demand letters, we filed our claims and selected dates for the
two hearings. Since the Dollar representative was in Fresno, that
case could be heard within thirty days, while Alamo, represented
by an organization located in Los Angeles, had to be heard later.
Two days before the Dollar hearing we received a certified
letter from Dollar's attorney. She offered us up to $600 in
damages with a minimum of $250 if we withdrew the case and agreed
not to file any other actions against Dollar. No mention was made
of changing corporate policy. At no point in the proceedings did
we mention our DOJ complaint, but we saw this latest offer as an
additional attempt by Dollar to continue its discriminatory
policy and rejected the offer. The attorney for Dollar also
mentioned a section of the California Motor Vehicle Code
mandating that car rental organizations rent only to individuals
possessing both a license and a credit card. Here is the
attorney's letter:
Tulsa, Oklahoma
January 28, 1993
Dear Mr. Eames:
I am in receipt of your letter dated December 24, 1993, to
Mike Burrell, Manager of Dollar Rent A Car, Fresno, California,
regarding your experience in attempting to use your credit card
for the rental of a car driven by your friend on October 25,
1992. I am also in possession of a copy of the Summons issued by
the Fresno Municipal Court, Case Number S163967-3, wherein you
have alleged that Dollar has violated your rights under
California Civil Code, Sections 51 and 52, Unruh Civil Rights
Act. I am sorry that your letter did not invoke a response from
Dollar earlier than this, but in the interim Dollar's Legal
Department has been transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and your
letter was inadvertently left without a response.
Our company policy is that the renter of vehicle must have
both a valid driver's license and a valid credit card. We require
that the renter of the vehicle, as opposed to any additional
driver or "guarantor," have the credit card in order to insure
that the holder of the credit card has authorized the renting of
the vehicle for the entire period that the vehicle is kept by the
renter. Our requirement that the renter have a valid driver's
license is required of us by California Vehicle Code Section
14608. We apply these policies to all prospective renters. Prior
to the date of your attempted rental, we had been reviewing these
policies to reach an acceptable solution for rentals to persons
disabled by blindness. We are nearing a resolution of that
problem by requiring the credit card holder to sign a form of
guaranty for payments under the rental and the return of the
vehicle.
In settlement of any claims you may have against Dollar Rent
A Car, and without the admission of any liability of the parties
released, for violation under the Unruh Act or any other Civil
Rights Acts, State and Federal, Dollar offers to provide you, in
addition to any court costs you may have incurred, a minimum of
two hundred fifty and no/100 dollars ($250), and a maximum of six
hundred and no/100 dollars ($600) for actual damages you may have
incurred.
Upon receipt of your executed copy of the attached Release
and Settlement Agreement of all claims against Dollar, a copy of
your Dismissal With Prejudice in the referenced lawsuit, the
submission of expenses of court costs, and proof of the actual
damages suffered over two hundred fifty and no/100 dollars
($250), the total amount of your damages, up to six hundred and
no/100 dollars ($600) will be remitted to you.
Our business is renting vehicles. We do not want to have to
decline any of our customers, and our employees make every effort
to successfully complete a rental. We regret your inconvenience
in this matter and hope to restore your confidence in Dollar once
our procedures are fully in place. Prior to any future
contemplated rentals from Dollar Rent A Car, please contact me to
insure that our anticipated policies and procedures have been
implemented to secure the rental.
If the terms of this settlement are acceptable, please
execute the attached Release and Settlement Agreement, and a
check will be issued to you immediately. Additionally, if you
have any questions regarding the terms of this offer of
settlement, please contact me at (918) 669-2474.
Very truly yours,
Joann Murray
Corporate Attorney - Regulatory Issues
cc: Mr. Mike Burrell
____________________
At the hearing two days later Ed was sworn in, told his
story, and presented the Unruh Law. Dollar's Fresno supervisor
appeared and presented the relevant portion of the motor vehicle
code. The procedure was informal, and we both had ample
opportunity to present our cases and challenge the other side.
After about fifteen minutes the hearing ended, and the judge said
it would take him some time to make a decision since there was a
conflict between the two laws.
Two weeks after the Dollar case we appeared for the Alamo
hearing. We had received no response to our demand letter, but
Alamo's local supervisor appeared on the company's behalf. Before
the case was heard, the Alamo representative showed us a copy of
the corporate policy and explained that she had been the one to
refuse our rental request because she was unaware of the policy
adopted in April, 1992, which gave blind people the right to rent
cars using a credit card and having a driver with a valid
license. She offered to pay the court costs, circulate a memo on
the policy to all agents, and provide a free car rental to us. We
accepted these terms and dropped the case.
Two weeks later we received a judgment against Dollar for
$250 plus court costs. We then wrote to Dollar demanding they
change their policy since the judgment, according to Sharon Gold,
was a clear indication that they were violating the law.
This is the letter Ed wrote to Dollar:
Fresno, California
March 5, 1993
Mr. Gary Paxton, CEO
Dollar Rent A Car
Los Angeles, California
Dear Mr. Paxton:
On February 10 I appeared in small claims court in Fresno in
a case against Dollar Rent A Car. As a blind person I wanted to
rent a car using my credit card and have a friend with a driver's
license do the actual driving. Mike Burrell of your Fresno office
said this was against company policy. This policy is a direct
violation of my rights under the Unruh Act of California. The
court agreed with me, and a judgment has been lodged against
Dollar.
Since this judgment is a clear indication that Dollar is
violating the law, I want this policy changed. In addition, I
want to obtain evidence that this has been done and that your
agents in the state have been notified of the revised policy.
In the response to my demand letter of December 14, 1992,
your attorney stated that Dollar is in the business of renting
cars. I agree. As one who wanted to rent a car from Dollar, I
believe your discriminatory policy works against your stated goal
of renting cars to the public. Be that as it may, your current
policy certainly violates my civil rights as a blind Californian.
I would like to hear from you or your representative about
this matter by March 19.
Sincerely,
Ed Eames
cc: Sharon Gold, President
National Federation of the Blind of California
____________________
About a week later we received two certified letters from
Dollar. One stated that they needed time to respond to our
request, and the other contained the check paying the fine.
On March 26 we decided to test the impact of our efforts.
Ed, accompanied by a friend, went to the Dollar and Alamo offices
located at the Fresno Airport. Ed made his request to rent using
his credit card with his companion as driver. Both clerks checked
with supervisors and then said there was no problem with this
arrangement. Not fully satisfied, we called Alamo and Dollar's
800 numbers and made the same request. Lo and behold, we were
quite welcome to rent cars from them anywhere in the country.
In early April we received a letter from Alamo confirming
the company's completion of our agreement. Here is the letter we
received together with the relevant portion of the Alamo
procedure:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
March 29, 1993
Dear Mr. Eames:
In regards to our prior telephone conversation, this letter
will confirm the following:
1. You will receive a check from Alamo in the amount of $24
to cover your costs from small claims court. I will be contacting
Andrea Cohan, customer relations, to find out when your check
will be issued.
2. A memo from Alamo that all locations comply with the
policy of renting to visually impaired renters.
3. A rental car will be available to you for one day at no
cost to you. Please let me know at least one week prior so I can
make the arrangements.
If there is anything else that I can do for you, please
don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Eileen M. Kennedy, Station Manager
Alamo Rent A Car
____________________
That was Ms. Kennedy's letter; here is a portion of the
company's new procedures:
Alamo Rent A Car, Inc. Online Procedures
April 1, 1992
Topic: Blind Renters
Visually Impaired Renters (Blind Renters)
Effective Date: Immediately
Purpose: To accommodate those visually impaired renters who wish
to rent an Alamo car, using a designated driver, and are willing
to assume full responsibility for the rental.
Alamo Policy: A visually impaired person is someone who is blind
or whose sight is so impaired that he/she cannot qualify for and
does not hold a driver's license.
From time to time a visually impaired person will seek to
rent an Alamo car, using a designated driver, and bear the
primary responsibility for all charges, as well as for the car.
It is Alamo's policy to rent to the visually impaired. The
following requirements will apply:
1. The visually impaired renter must personally appear at
the rental counter to sign the rental agreement (including, if
applicable, the credit card charge authorization). The rental may
be undertaken for cash, if the renter meets all conditions of
Alamo's cash rental qualification policy, or on a valid, Alamo-
accepted credit card.
2. The renter's designated driver must also personally
appear at the rental counter with the renter. He/she must hold a
valid driver's license and must meet our minimum age
requirements. If the designated driver does not permanently
reside with the renter, a telephone listing in the designated
driver's name is required and must be verified by calling the
information operator in that person's city of residence.
3. The designated driver shall be listed on the rental
agreement as an additional driver. However, our additional driver
charge shall be waived. Likewise, if the designated driver is
under twenty-five years of age, our under age twenty-five driver
charge shall be waived. Should the renter desire a second
additional driver, our additional driver charge and, if
applicable, our under age twenty-five driver charge shall apply
to such second driver.
____________________
There you have the Alamo policy, and, though we do not yet
have a copy of the Dollar procedure, it seems to be working
appropriately. The one remaining problem facing us is to change
the California Motor Vehicle Code to conform with the Unruh Law
and the ADA. We are working with Sharon Gold and our local state
legislators to make the necessary change, which should be ready
to introduce in the California Legislature very soon. Where the
ADA and the DOJ failed to have an impact on changing car rental
policies, the California Unruh Law, through the small claims
process, managed to get results. The lesson we have learned is an
important one: State civil rights laws may well be stronger and
faster than federal ones. We should never overlook them when
seeking justice.
******************************
If you or a friend would like to remember the National Federation of the
Blind in your will, you can do so by employing the following language:
"I give, devise, and bequeath unto National Federation of the Blind,
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, a District of Columbia
nonprofit corporation, the sum of $_____ (or "_____ percent of my net estate"
or "The following stocks and bonds: _____") to be used for its worthy purposes
on behalf of blind persons."
******************************
[PHOTO: Chief Black Hawk dressed in full war regalia. CAPTION: Black Hawk, war chief of the Mesquakie Tribe,
and his followers were the last Iowan native Americans to offer armed resistance to white settlement, and their
defeat (in a running battle in which Abraham Lincoln served) opened Iowa up for white settlement.]
[PHOTO: Ted Hart seated in a chair. CAPTION: Ted Hart is president of the Black Hawk County Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa. Chapter members are proud of the similarities between him and the
great Chief Black Hawk. READERS NOTE: THERE IS NO RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN TED HART AND CHIEF BLACK HAWK.]
RECIPES
This month's recipes are contributed by Iowans, more
particularly by the Black Hawk Chapter of the National Federation
of the Blind of Iowa. The chapter, which takes its name from
Chief Black Hawk of the Mesquakie Tribe, serves the greater
Waterloo area. It has compiled a cookbook, which is available now
and will also be for sale at the convention this summer. It is
filled with recipes contributed by members of the National
Federation of the Blind and their friends as well as by public
figures in the state of Iowa. Peggy Pinder, President of the NFB
of Iowa, says that the Black Hawk Chapter cookbook is now
available in print or on cassette for $6.50 with an additional
charge of $2 for shipping and handling. The cassette edition can
be mailed Free Matter for the Blind without the $2 charge if you
wish. Place orders by writing to Loren Wakefield, 722 Denver
Street, Waterloo, Iowa 50702. Make checks payable to Black Hawk
County Chapter, NFBI. A Braille edition is also planned, if the
details can be worked out. An expression of interest in the
Braille version would be helpful in planning the number to be
ordered, so please let Mr. Wakefield know if you are interested
in Braille.
In addition to sixty-seven print pages of recipes, the
cookbook contains information about the National Federation of
the Blind and 416 household hints, such as how to remove those
irritating depressions left by furniture in the carpet when you
rearrange. We in Iowa hope that you enjoy the following recipes
as much as we do. We have chosen to include here several hearty
and easy-to-prepare main dishes and also some fun desserts and
snacks to tickle your sweet tooth. The rest of the cookbook is
just as enticing as this sample.
LAYERED BEAN DIP
by Ferne Abben
Ingredients:
2 16-ounce cans refried beans
1 2.2-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1-1/2 cup mild salsa
2 cups each, shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
Green onions
Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Method: Spread 1/2 of the refried beans in the bottom of a 9
by 9-inch baking dish. Make layers with half the olives, salsa,
and cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Bake at 350
degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Garnish
with sliced green onions and sour cream. Serve hot with tortilla
chips.
POOR BOY FILLETS
by Chris Bean
Ingredients:
1- to 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 to 2 tablespoons green peppers, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 can mushroom pieces, chopped
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 strips of bacon
Method: Press ground beef onto wax paper forming a 1/4 inch
thick rectangle. Spread the peppers, onions, and mushrooms evenly
over the beef. Next sprinkle Parmesan cheese, lemon pepper, and
salt over the vegetables. Then roll the beef with all the
toppings, starting at the shorter end, into a firm roll. Press
ends and side seam into roll to seal. Next carefully slice the
roll into 5 to 6 slices, 1- to 1-1/2 inch thick. Then wrap each
slice in bacon and secure with a toothpick; broil for 5 to 10
