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                       THE BRAILLE MONITOR

                           April, 1997

                     Barbara Pierce, Editor


      Published in inkprint, in Braille, and on cassette by

              THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                     MARC MAURER, PRESIDENT


                         National Office
                       1800 Johnson Street
                   Baltimore, Maryland  21230
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              Web Page address: http://www.nfb.org



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                National Federation of the Blind
                       1800 Johnson Street
                    Baltimore, Maryland 21230





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





ISSN 0006-8829THE BRAILLE MONITOR
PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                            CONTENTS
                                                      April, 1997

Stacking the Deck Against Blind Travel Instructors
     by Marc Maurer

Teaching Cane Travel Blind?
     by Arlene Hill

A Letter from the Trenches: Straight Talk About Cane Travel
     by Georginia Kleege

Helping the Sighted to See

The 1997 Washington Seminar
     by Barbara Pierce

Legislative Agenda

Winning the Chance to Earn and Pay Taxes: How the Blind
Person's Earnings Limit in the Social
Security Act Must be Changed

Braille Literacy and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act

Blindness, Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized
Programs

Telling Our Story
     by Michael Baillif

Disability Simulation That Works
     by John W. Smith

New Orleans--Something for Everyone
     by Jerry Whittle

1997 Convention Attractions

Recipes

Monitor Miniatures

       Copyright (c) 1997 National Federation of the Blind[LEAD PHOTOS: #1 The picture is of a large church. In the foreground can be
seen iron gates, part of the cathedral lawns, a statue of a man on horseback,
a large clock high on the facade of the church, and the bell tower. CAPTION:
Visitors to New Orleans flock by the thousands to the French Quarter. One of
the first sights to be seen is the St. Louis Cathedral with its distinctive
architecture. #2: In this picture a horse-drawn carriage with driver and
passengers is visible. The horse is wearing tall flowers on a headpiece. A
child is in the foreground. CAPTION: One way to enjoy the New Orleans French
Quarter is to take a carriage ride with a driver/guide to point out the
sights. Federationists will have a chance to enjoy this picturesque form of
transport during the 1997 convention. Make your reservations now.]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: President Maurer and Tanya Stewart walk together using white
canes.]
       Stacking the Deck Against Blind Travel Instructors
                         by Marc Maurer

     Can blind people teach cane travel? The answer to this
question is so thoroughly documented that there can be no doubt.
Blind people can and do teach travel to other blind people every
day. Blindness does not necessarily guarantee that the teacher
will be a good one. However, some of the most effective cane
travel instructors are blind.
     In the February, 1996, issue of The AER Report, the
newsletter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of
the Blind & Visually Impaired (AER), an item appears entitled "VA
Rules on Hiring Blind Mobility Specialists." The article reports
that a decision has been issued by the Office of the General
Counsel of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
regarding the capacity of blind travel instructors to teach
orientation and mobility, sometimes known as O&M. The General
Counsel's opinion declares that the blind are unfit to do this
teaching.
     The decision says that using blind mobility teachers is
dangerous and that refusing to employ them is justified. Despite
the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation (according to the
article), blind people may be excluded from employment as travel
teachers at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
     But not everybody believes it. Federation members and
leaders throughout the United States know the conclusion is
untrue. But we are not alone. Not even everybody within AER
believes it. Dr. Sharon Sacks, who serves as president of AER,
appeared on the platform of the convention of the National
Federation of the Blind of California in November of 1996. When
she was asked about the opinion of the General Counsel with
respect to blind mobility instructors, she stated without
equivocation that the conclusion reached by the General Counsel
was wrong. Her willingness to stand and be counted in the effort
of blind people to receive fair treatment is refreshing and
welcome. It is fair to say that there are still those who will
oppose the opportunity for blind instructors to teach cane
travel--notably officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
However, Dr. Sacks is clearly, unambiguously, and strongly on
record. She believes the prohibition to be wrong, and she
believes that it should be changed.
     The report, which appears in the AER publication, says in
part:

     "In October 1995, the General Counsel of the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs issued an opinion in response to the question
of whether Federal civil rights laws which prohibit
discrimination against the disabled require the VA's Blind
Rehabilitation Centers to train and/or hire blind orientation and
mobility instructors. The federal civil rights laws in question
are sections 501 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
(These provisions impose on federal entities and recipients of
federal financial assistance the same obligations which the
Americans with Disabilities Act imposes on the private sector.)
The opinion begins with a thorough analysis of the role of the
O&M instructor in the Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) setting.
A team of O&M specialists from three VA BRC's visited a facility
in Louisiana which uses blind instructors to teach mobility."

     I interrupt the AER article to say that the facility
mentioned is the Louisiana Center for the Blind, ably directed by
Joanne Wilson, president of the National Federation of the Blind
of Louisiana and a member of the Board of Directors of the
National Federation of the Blind. The quality of training at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind and the innovative programs
conducted there are widely recognized throughout the United
States and in a number of other nations. Leaders from the
Louisiana Center and other National Federation of the Blind
training centers have, during the past two years, conducted
extensive programs of instruction for teachers of the blind in
Poland. Joanne Wilson was invited to make the keynote address at
the World Blind Union's Women's Forum in Toronto, Canada, last
August. In addition, joint travel training instruction classes
are currently being taught by the Louisiana Center for the Blind
and university instructors in Louisiana. Although the AER
document fails to mention any of this, these facts help to give
background to the discussion. Here is further text from the AER
article:

     "The focus of the training seemed to be on locating a
destination and returning to a starting point. Falling, bumping
into objects, stumbling, and falling off curbs were commonplace.
Based on their observations at the Louisiana facility, the review
team concluded that the facility's program of instruction was
vastly different from that of the BRC's (Blind Rehabilitation
Centers), as was the end result. Students were not as skilled in
the ability to avoid unnecessary contact with objects and were
more prone to stumbles and falls to a degree that would be deemed
an unacceptable safety risk for the BRC patient population. In
addition, many advanced students were observed spending too much
time in potentially dangerous situations due to a lack of
training in basic skills, such as efficient recovery techniques
normally taught at the BRC's."

     I interrupt once again to say that I disagree with most of
the statements in this article so far, but one observation seems
to me to be entirely true. This is that the results from training
at the Louisiana Center are different from those achieved at the
Department of Veterans Affairs. My own observations make me
believe it. Students who graduate from training centers operated
by the National Federation of the Blind know how to travel with a
cane with confidence and skill. Quite often the individuals who
pass through the centers operated by the Department of Veterans
Affairs complete their training without the same degree of
proficiency in cane travel. Of course, the language of the
document demonstrates the attitude of the Department of Veterans
Affairs toward the blind. At the VA, trainees are known as
patients, not students. But back to the article.

     "The General Counsel's office also did a review of what
little research exists in the area and noted, ■Although there has
been little investigation into whether vision is needed to teach
O&M, the one scientific study to address the issue suggests that
vision plays a significant role with respect to the ability of
the instructor to react quickly enough to events such as
starting, stopping, turning, negotiating stairs, veering at
street crossings, and colliding with obstacles.' Based on the
research review and the findings of the team which visited
Louisiana the General Counsel's office concluded that ■...the use
of totally blind O&M instructors poses a significant safety
risk.' [The VA then] looked at the next question, whether a
reasonable accommodation could be found which would eliminate the
risk or reduce it to ■acceptable levels.' The main accommodation
suggested by the General Counsel's opinion memo was the use of ■a
sighted assistant.'"

     One might interrupt to ask why that is the only way they
thought of doing it. Could it be that the people who asked for
the opinion offered the suggestion that a sighted assistant was
the only alternative? Why do the orientation and mobility
teachers who are closely associated with the Department of
Veterans Affairs always think that sighted assistance is a
necessity for teaching travel? Are they worried that the
competition from blind instructors will be too fierce? But back
to the article.

     "The memo notes: ■The problem with this approach [having
blind instructors use the technique of employing sighted
assistance] is that the assistant would have to possess the same
knowledge and abilities as the sighted [sic] instructor. Hence,
such an accommodation would essentially require two instructors
(one blind, one sighted) to do the job of one sighted
instructor.' ...Reasonable accommodation does not require an
employer to reallocate essential functions of a job to an
assistant."
     "Other accommodations such as using blind instructors only
in indoor environments, were also deemed unacceptable because
they `would result in a substantial modification of the VA's
program in which the same instructor teaches and instills
confidence in the patient throughout the program of instruction.'
Such a fundamental alteration would result in an undue hardship
and thus not be required by law."
     "The memo concludes: ■Because of significant safety risks,
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 does not require the VA to hire
O&M instructors who are totally blind. In addition,
notwithstanding any affiliation agreements, the VA would not be
required under the Act to provide clinical training to totally
blind students enrolled in affiliated colleges and
universities.'"

     This is what was reported by AER, and it is a commentary on
the bias and prejudice of those who compiled the evidence and
wrote the document. AER has asked to be recognized as the
official body to determine who will and who will not receive
certification as orientation & mobility specialists. However, the
AER official position has (until recently) been that blind people
are incompetent to teach cane travel, even though many of us are
doing so. It is ironic that the so-called professionals in
education and rehabilitation could adopt a policy which is so
obviously discriminatory.
     However, times are changing. As noted earlier, the president
of AER has publicly rejected this discriminatory position. I am
told that blind people will now be considered as candidates for
certification by AER. But this certification is different
(according to some) from that of the sighted, I am told. Although
the official standard (according to the president of AER) is that
blind candidates for certification will be treated no differently
from the sighted, blind candidates, according to certain
officials in the rehabilitation field (the letter in the June,
1996, Braille Monitor article titled, "Who Is Qualified To Be A
Mobility Instructor?" comes to mind), must demonstrate their
ability to teach cane travel using a sighted assistant. No other
mechanism would be plausible, according to some.
     With all of this as background, one might suspect that
certain people who are part of AER were afraid that the current
discriminatory policy might not stand up. Consequently, they set
about bolstering a weak case.
     Approximately three years ago, instructors in the Department
of Veterans Affairs' program to teach cane travel to blind
veterans requested the opportunity to visit the National
Federation of the Blind Orientation Center in Ruston, Louisiana.
The purpose of the visit (according to these VA officials) was to
study the methods used by blind cane travel instructors. The
Louisiana Center for the Blind has extensive experience with the
use of blind cane travel teachers.
     Arlene Hill, the cane travel instructor, and Joanne Wilson,
the founder and director of the Center, believed that this would
be an opportunity to demonstrate the ability of blind teachers
and to expand communication and understanding in programs dealing
with blindness. They welcomed the visitors to the Louisiana
Center for the Blind.
     In the fall of 1995 the real purpose of the visit was
revealed. These officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs
(who, it is reported, are also members of AER) compiled a report
of their visit to the Louisiana Center for the Blind. The report
included excerpts of video tapes of blind students being taught
travel by blind instructors. The evidence gathered by these
officials was submitted to the office of the General Counsel of
the Department of Veterans Affairs with a request that the
General Counsel issue an opinion stating whether the law requires
the Department of Veterans Affairs to consider blind travel
instructors for employment.
     In selecting the evidence to be presented to the office of
the General Counsel, the so-called impartial observers chose to
portray not the reality of the training but a distortion of the
facts. This was accomplished by depicting travel training as much
more dangerous than it is and blind people as much less competent
than we are. For example, when a student is walking on the street
where there is a drain into which he or she might step, keen
attention is called to the possibility of this mishap even though
it never happens. A blind traveler at the Louisiana Center for
the Blind learns to manage in virtually any circumstances during
the course of travel training. At the Department of Veterans
Affairs, blind travelers are apparently kept out of any place
which contains the slightest potential for injury. The contrast
in teaching technique was apparently emphasized to the Office of
the General Counsel with the implication that travel training at
the Louisiana Center for the Blind is conducted irresponsibly.
The blind, according to this formulation, should be content to
travel only in places which are entirely safe--safe as defined by
the officials who have selected for themselves the task of caring
for the blind--the officials from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
     With this distorted information in hand, the office of the
General Counsel issued its opinion. It is ironic that a program
designed to serve the blind has reached the conclusion that the
blind are inferior to the sighted and cannot be trusted to teach
travel.
     Arlene Hill, travel training teacher at the Louisiana Center
for the Blind, observed the approach of the Veterans
Administration in gathering its evidence. This is her report:

     These are my observations on the July 1993 visit from the
three Veterans Administration employees.

     When these visitors arrived, we held a brief meeting in
which they explained that they would be observing travel students
and their instructors and making videos of travel routes. They
explained that they had come to learn how we, as blind
instructors, taught our blind students. I felt that this would be
an opportunity to share our work and show how our students learn
and progress. I was asked very few questions as a blind
instructor about how I teach students.
     At the time of the initial meeting, I requested a microphone
for both the instructor they were observing and the student. We
explained that a good bit of our training depends on
communication. They agreed that was a good idea and said they
would work on providing mikes, but they never appeared.
     Only once during their visit was I aware that they were
taping. As far as I remember, they never sat in on the sessions
in which directions were given to the student before leaving on a
route. At no time were they aware of the communication between me
and any student. Because our training is based on students' both
building self-confidence and learning how to problem solve, we do
not rush in to move students away from stairs, curbs, cars,
poles, or other obstacles. With beginning students, problem-
solving begins with instruction about how to use a cane and lots
of practice to develop a proficient technique. Communication is
necessary between a new student and the instructor, who explains
what to listen for, what to look for with the cane, and how to
handle various situations.
     Continuing to develop and build on problem-solving skills
depends on allowing the student to work through problems faced
while traveling on the streets. I try to ask students leading
questions to help them think and learn to listen and look for the
necessary and useful cues while traveling.
     When the memo printed in The AER Report states that the
students of a blind instructor come into contact with objects too
close for safety, the writer can be referring only to the cane's
touching objects. In fact, a blind person cannot travel safely
without having the cane touch the many objects on the streets.
     We watched some of the taping the team did one morning. They
focused the camera on a student's feet. Then the lens crossed the
street to record the presence of a drainage hole at the curb. The
camera returned to the walking feet crossing the street. When the
student located the drain with her cane and did not fall, the
camera immediately left her feet.
     When all is said and done, it is easy to draw any
conclusions you choose as long as you don't bother to look at the
entire picture. The video they made has no voice track. For all
any one can tell, the students never received a single correction
or instruction during all of the taping. Even so, the
videographer recorded blind people traveling independently in
many different situations. It is always easy to make judgments,
but when they are based on half-truths, they have little
validity. During the visit the team asked very few questions
about how blind travel instructors do their job--again, half a
story.

     This is what Arlene Hill observed, and her comments are
corroborated by Ruby Ryles, who has recently served as the
Assistant Director of the International Braille Research Center
for the Blind. She has observed and understands the methods and
techniques used by blind instructors. After reviewing the legal
opinion of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mrs. Ryles offered
her own comments. Here is her sworn statement.

I, Ruby N. Ryles, being first duly sworn depose and state:

     The AER Report is a newsletter published by the Association
for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired. After reading a narrative in the February, 1996, issue
of this newsletter, I felt compelled to come forward to express
my deep concern about the information in this report and the
manner in which it was compiled. I am also disturbed about the
technique used for selecting the information published. A
description of the methodology used failed to appear in the
report.
     I am a Research Associate with the International Braille
Research Center. I have a bachelor's degree and a master's
degree. Within the next few months I will complete a Ph.D. from
the University of Washington. My training in work with the blind
was done at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My
teaching career spans thirty years with both sighted and blind
children and sighted and blind prospective teachers at the
university level. I have worked as an administrator at the state
level, as a classroom teacher, as an itinerant teacher, and as a
consultant. I have taught teacher education courses at the
University of Washington and Louisiana Tech University. During
the summers of 1994 and 1995 I held an adjunct faculty position
at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. During that
time I taught four courses designed to satisfy Louisiana State
Department of Education requirements for certification of
teachers of blind children.
     Because the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) is
nationally recognized for its excellence in the field of
rehabilitation and because the center continuously provides
training for both consumers and professionals, the teacher
education courses at Louisiana Tech are taught in cooperation
with the staff at LCB. Most of the classes are held at the
center, and many sessions are taught by or with the LCB staff
members. This unique arrangement provides prospective teachers
with experiences unavailable in a more passive environment, such
as a lecture/test format.
     During the summer of 1994, I designed and taught a course
entitled "Orientation and Mobility for Persons Who Are Visually
Impaired," which was designed to provide teachers of blind
children with a basic understanding of mobility techniques used
by skilled blind adults and children. One half of the course was
comprised of lectures, films, panel discussions, readings, and
guest lectures. The other half of the course consisted of
individual instruction in the skill of traveling under
sleepshades using a cane. All but one of the students was fully
sighted.
     Each of my students was assigned an experienced cane travel
instructor from LCB who taught him or her the basic cane travel
techniques which should be taught to young blind children.
Although the director of LCB employs both sighted and blind cane
travel instructors, I specifically requested that only blind
instructors be used with my students. After many years as an
educator in this field, I have found that blind instructors who
are themselves skilled cane travelers impart not only a higher
level of problem-solving skills, but a realistic understanding of
problems encountered in travel without sight. Moreover, the daily
positive example of a competent blind traveler provides a
powerful tool to allay my sighted teachers' all-too-common deep-
seated misconceptions and fears of independent travel without
sight.
     Using sleepshades (sometimes called blindfolds) and a cane,
my students received training in safely crossing streets,
orienting themselves to traffic, detecting and avoiding
obstacles, and navigating curbs and stairs. Each class period I
walked or drove the streets of Ruston observing and measuring the
progress of each student. I often observed the lessons from a
distance of six to eight feet. Because I did not wish to
interrupt the lesson, the student and instructor were unaware of
my presence. Never once did I have occasion to question the
safety of my students while they were under the instruction of
their blind mobility instructors.
     An incident occurred with the students I was teaching in
late July and early August of 1994. During several of the first
mobility sessions, I noticed an individual with a home camcorder
video taping parts of one of my students' lessons. I noticed that
the cameraman was selectively taping. I watched as he
sporadically taped very short segments, then lowered his camera
and casually studied other pedestrians and items in nearby shop
windows. He did not record the entire lesson. As I observed him,
the mobility instructor, and my student, it was obvious that he
was recording neither the important oral nor the hands-on
corrections being made by the blind mobility instructor. The
problem-solving process techniques valued and taught by the blind
mobility instructor were never taped in their entirety.
     I wondered if the individual was familiar with techniques of
teaching mobility since he was not taping the instructor's oral
corrections. I was tempted to approach him to point this out but
did not. Inevitably, the partial and spotty tape recording of
sessions made the record of the classes incomplete and inadequate
for forming valid conclusions. It appeared to me that this was an
effort to capture on film the missteps, the miscues, and the
stumbles of the trainee and to eliminate from the film the
episodes in which corrections were made and counseling was
provided.
     When I later inquired in more depth why this individual was
taping my student, I was told by the director of the center that
the individual and his two colleagues had been sent by the
Department of Veterans Affairs to learn how blind mobility
instructors teach. However, the three individuals avoided
indicating that they were part of the Association for Education
and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, which for
years has had a policy either to inhibit or to prevent blind
instructors from teaching mobility to the blind.
     These people gained the cooperation of LCB and me by saying
that they wished to learn more about the techniques used by blind
mobility instructors. They had persuaded the LCB director to
allow them to come by telling her that the VA was considering
permitting blind mobility instructors to do internships with the
VA and that the VA was considering hiring blind mobility
instructors. They said that they were at LCB to learn the
techniques of blind mobility instructors and any adaptations that
might be needed. They presented themselves to the director of the
center as objective and willing to learn. Given this, she
informed me that she was pleased that LCB would be a part of the
process.
     The cameraman and his colleagues and I were taken to dinner
that evening by the director and other staff at LCB. Blind staff
members with knowledge of techniques used to teach mobility were
present at dinner, but the three individuals made no effort to
start or take part in conversations on this subject. The failure
to provide complete information about the background of these
individuals and the fact that they created a videotape record
which emphasized errors and excluded problem-solving techniques,
together with their behavior in both professional and social
situations, leads me to the reluctant conclusion that they
intended deliberately to mislead the director and other staff
members about their purposes and intentions.
     The cameraman did not stay long enough to tape the final
lesson of any of my students. After ten two-hour lessons, my
sighted students, under sleepshades, crossed four-lane streets
and intersections with and without stoplights and handled a
variety of independent travel obstacles. They learned the safe
techniques to accomplish independent travel under sleepshades
because of their blind mobility instructors. I never once felt
concern for the safety of my students during their lessons.
     During the final class period (an evaluation session with
me) students unanimously agreed that the training under
sleepshades provided at LCB was invaluable to their future
teaching. When they were asked how I could improve the course,
the majority responded with requests for additional training
under sleepshades from LCB. The fact that their instructors were
blind was simply never an issue.

                                                       Ruby Ryles

[PHOTO: This picture shows Arlene Hill walking down the street
using her cane. CAPTION: Arlene Hill]
                   Teaching Cane Travel Blind?
                         by Arlene Hill

     From the Editor: Some months ago Arlene Hill wrote the
following article about teaching cane travel as a blind
instructor. Here it is:

     When I was invited to write this article, I wondered what I
could possibly say. I was asked to write about any special
problems blind people have teaching orientation and mobility. In
my view this notion is one of the greatest misunderstandings in
the blindness field. The differences, philosophical and
practical, seem to arise from the different techniques employed
by sighted and blind instructors.
     I grew up in Iowa. I attended both the Iowa Braille and
Sight Saving School in Vinton and Knoxville High School, the
local public high school in my hometown. I never had a cane in my
hand while I was growing up. I believed that canes were for blind
people less capable than I. My attitudes were no better than
those of most sighted people. The common belief is that blind
people are really not very capable when it comes to independent
mobility. Though well-trained blind people overcome this myth, it
persists among most sighted people because they have not
undergone extensive sleep-shade training.
     After graduating from high school, I became a student at the
Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, where I was
introduced to the long white cane--long enough to reach my chin.
I was taught how to use this cane by a sighted instructor who had
undergone extensive sleep-shade training. It was immediately
obvious to me that this cane was not just a symbol of blindness
but a tool that could be used to achieve true freedom. I have
been a user of the long white cane for more than thirty years;
and, as time has passed, the length of my cane has increased
until it is now as tall as I am. Some may find this fact curious;
however, as one increases in both skill and confidence, one's
walking pace naturally increases. Thus one needs more stopping
distance in which to react to potential obstacles, and the
increased length affords that distance.
     My education after attending the Iowa Commission for the
Blind was in the field of special education, with emphasis on
teaching the mentally disabled. I taught blind, mentally
handicapped individuals in a state hospital school for some
years. I then taught for three years at Blind Industries and
Services of Maryland in Baltimore and nine at the Louisiana
Center for the Blind in Ruston, Louisiana, where I am currently
employed.
     As I see it, the major differences between blind and sighted
instructors are philosophical. Different techniques follow
naturally from the different philosophies. It seems to me that
the variation in techniques causes some of the so-called problems
we blind instructors face.
     Let's begin with what we call ourselves: orientation and
mobility (O&M) specialists versus cane-travel instructors. As a
blind person I teach other blind people how to use the cane
properly. The technique is straightforward and simple and is one
of the easiest tasks for most students to learn. However, what
follows mastery of this technique is what seems to make the
difference between those taught by blind and those taught by
sighted instructors because this later instruction enables the
student to develop self-confidence and the problem-solving skills
necessary to achieve true independence. O and M specialists, on
the other hand, seem to spend much time with pre-cane techniques,
sighted-guide training, and protective methods. For example, like
me, most blind instructors I know use route travel in teaching
our students. We send them on assigned routes which have been
carefully planned to teach students how to deal with various
types of travel problems, using problem-solving skills.
     As a blind traveler and a blind instructor, I believe there
are two keys to being a good independent cane traveler. They are
the same things that make good drivers: self-confidence and
problem-solving skills. Building self-confidence is as important
in learning to drive as it is for blind persons learning to
travel independently. As children grow, they cannot wait to
drive, but when they sit behind the wheel for the first time,
they find it pretty frightening. The same is true for a blind
traveler: the first time he or she goes out on the street with a
cane is very frightening, because this, too, is unfamiliar
territory, requiring the use of undeveloped skills. The sound of
traffic and the thought of potential harm may be overwhelming to
many blind travelers, just as being behind the wheel of a fast-
moving vehicle is to many young drivers. In both cases they
return from their first trip and all is well--or at least it was
not quite as bad as they thought it would be. Each future trip
becomes less frightening. As time passes, the drivers, as well as
the blind travelers, build confidence until they truly believe in
themselves.
     Most people, blind and sighted alike, tend to do and become
what others expect them to. If their instructor has high
expectations for them and they have high expectations for
themselves, they learn that they can travel everywhere, mostly
unassisted.
     A good blind traveler believes in his or her ability to
negotiate obstacles and expects to take on travel challenges
throughout each day. Most sighted persons, unless extensively
trained under sleep shades, do not believe that a blind person
can successfully traverse the many unfamiliar hazards they might
come across daily. Yet since a blind instructor is used to facing
these challenges, he or she will expect and encourage students to
do likewise.
     The next key is problem-solving skills, important for both
drivers and blind cane travelers. Can the person learn to use the
entire environment to remain oriented or, when confused, to
reorient? We teach drivers always to keep watching, their eyes
constantly moving. The good driver looks continuously for
landmarks, signs, traffic patterns, and traffic cues. As a travel
teacher I also teach blind persons to use everything around them
for the same purpose: the sun and breeze as directional tools,
traffic cues, traffic patterns, sense of smell, familiar and
unfamiliar sounds, and landmarks found with the cane. All of
these skills--listening, feeling sun, locating objects with a
cane, and quickly assessing the situation--must be taught. Who
knows these skills better than a person who depends on them daily
for normal, safe, and efficient travel? This is not to say that
every independent blind person can teach cane travel. It is,
however, true that a capable teacher who has become a good
independent cane traveler through daily practice can impart this
skill and knowledge to another blind person naturally and easily.
     It is very important that the blind instructor go on travel
routes with any new student for the first several trips, then
observe the student closely, especially at key trouble spots.
Some would say that having to do so much walking is a problem for
a blind instructor. A sighted instructor can hop in a car and
observe the student from comfortable heat or air conditioning,
while the blind instructor is out in all types of weather.
However, since the blind instructor is right there, he or she can
much more easily and quickly communicate with the student when
necessary. Initially, constant communication is essential to
remind the student to look for landmarks, listen to traffic,
cross parking lots efficiently, and so forth. Therefore, what
most sighted specialists would consider a problem, I consider an
advantage. Many of these skills must be reinforced more than
once, sometimes more than just orally. Often a hands-on method
works best. The blind instructor is right there to give immediate
help and advice.
     The biggest problem blind instructors have, according to
most sighted ones, is that we cannot see the environment in front
of the student in order to protect him or her from tree limbs,
construction, or other barriers. I do not agree. In my view this
is a legitimate difference in professional philosophy. Sighted
orientation and mobility specialists generally have a protective
attitude toward their blind students, whereas blind instructors
use a realistic approach in their teaching.
     Sighted specialists seem to believe that blind people need
protection and are not able to travel with genuine independence
anyway. Blind instructors are independent cane travelers
themselves, so they have no doubt that blind students can learn
to travel as well or better than the instructor, if they can
acquire the self-confidence. The reality is that occasionally a
branch will be in the way, and the blind traveler may strike it.
There is sometimes construction on a travel route. The student
must learn how to identify these things and how to deal with
them. It is an advantage to travel in real-life situations during
training in order to learn to use problem-solving skills. If a
blind student is protected from real-life experiences, of course,
he or she will not travel much independently when the training
ends. Because the protective sighted instructor does not teach
the student to handle such things, the student naturally
concludes that it is not possible for a blind person to cope with
them. If, on the other hand, students face these things during
training, they will learn that they can face and master any
travel situation that comes their way.
     At first blind students are frightened and need much
encouragement. Seeing other blind people using canes to move
about capably and efficiently can make a big difference to a
frightened student. All of us, blind and sighted alike, look for
role models in new situations. The blind instructor can be that
role model to the new travel student.
     Having said all this, I believe that the biggest problem
facing a blind cane-travel instructor is the almost constant
discrimination from his or her sighted peers. Blind cane-travel
instructors are told they cannot do the job, in spite of the many
successful independent cane travelers they have taught. In my
experience, most blind people prefer being taught by a blind
instructor, because they have confidence in the instructor's
ability and because they know their instructor's skills are tried
and true and are used daily by thousands of other blind people.
Being constantly criticized and told that you are limited in what
you can do because of blindness can become a real problem.
However, the success of the many blind independent travelers
taught by blind instructors provides the most convincing proof.
Compare these results with the travel skills of the more
protected and sheltered blind people taught by sighted O&M
specialists. I am not arguing that the profession of cane-travel
instruction should be limited to blind persons. I am saying that
we, as blind instructors, have valid methods that should be
considered on their own merit. The alternative methods used by
blind instructors are just as sound as the usual prescribed
certified methods of cane-travel instruction advocated by sighted
O&M specialists.
     Finally, an ongoing problem for blind instructors is that
they are not fully certifiable by the Association for Education
and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).
Because our methods are different, blind instructors are barred
from the high financial benefits paid by many of the state and
private agencies to sighted O&M specialists. I look at some of
the advertisements for O&M specialists, and the money looks
wonderful. We blind instructors cannot obtain these jobs simply
because we do not meet the requirements established by sighted
O&M specialists, although we have helped hundreds reach true
independence.
     I realize that this article does not talk much about the
problems blind instructors face on the job. This is because,
after searching my mind and heart, I honestly do not believe that
there are many problems that blind instructors have that they do
not share with sighted instructors. I have been as honest as I
know how to be, after twelve years of teaching in both a
metropolitan city with buses and subways and a small town with
cabs and walking. The most prevalent problem facing blind cane-
travel instructors is caused by the dichotomy between the
philosophy of blind, non-certifiable instructors and that of most
sighted, certified instructors. If this discrepancy could be
eliminated, there would be more candidates to fill vacancies in
cane-travel instruction; therefore, more opportunities would be
available for blind people to learn independent cane travel.


                   A Letter from the Trenches:
                 Straight Talk About Cane Travel
                       by Georginia Kleege

     From the Editor: Listening to erudite discussions among
orientation and mobility instructors about cross-body technique,
shorelines, hand position, and arc-width, its easy to forget that
the fundamental principle of successful cane travel is to use a
long white cane efficiently to find out as much as possible about
the terrain immediately in front of one. As the writer of the
following letter says, "It isn't rocket science." It is mostly
common sense and enough practice to gain confidence in the tool
and the technique. As the preceding two articles demonstrate,
these ideas are heresy in some circles, but to Georginia Kleege
they just make sense. Here is the letter she wrote to the
National Federation of the Blind:

                                                   Columbus, Ohio
                                                    July 29, 1996
National Federation of the Blind
Baltimore, Maryland

Dear NFB:
     This is a letter of thanks to the NFB in general and to the
staff of the materials center in particular.
     I recently ordered a white cane from the materials center
and want to express my appreciation to the employee who answered
the phone (sadly I didn't get her name) for all the help and
advice. I was prompted to call the NFB when my local
rehabilitation agency refused to sell me a cane because I have
not received mobility instruction from their specialists. I am,
to use the experts' phrase, "legally blind with some usable
sight." I have been blind for almost thirty years but never
received mobility instruction because the experts felt I didn't
need it.
     I made clear that I was willing to pay for my cane myself
and that I would even pay for mobility instruction if they
insisted, but I was unwilling to have my case reopened and my
needs re-evaluated. By their standards my needs have not changed
because my vision has not changed. It's true that I can see most
obstacles in my path, and I seldom bump into pedestrians or fire
hydrants. But I cannot, for instance, always see traffic signals.
I have learned to interpret traffic sounds to know when to cross
the street. When I ask strangers for directions, they usually
assume I can see where they're pointing. When I explain that I
cannot, they often become confused, distressed, or so overly
solicitous that it turns my simple request into a major ordeal.
Do I need a white cane to get where I want to go? Perhaps not,
but it seems to me that a white cane will help me get there with
greater safety and less embarrassment for all concerned.
     I am so grateful that the NFB was there to call. The staff
member at the materials center answered my questions without
making me feel foolish, recalcitrant, or self-pitying. I am also
grateful that I have friends, NFB members and others, who have
offered to help me get started. And I have read Care and Feeding
of the Long White Cane, which I found extremely useful. The
instructions are so clear and down-to-earth, I feel I can learn
cane travel from the book alone. Cane travel is not rocket
science. I feel confident that with practice I can learn it.
     I am sure the experts would not like to hear this. If
everyone learned cane travel from a book and their friends,
someone might be out of a job. Fortunately, the NFB gives blind
people an alternative to such experts and their opinions.
     Thank you.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                                 Georginia Kleege
                                              Member, NFB of Ohio

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Melody Lindsey]
                   Helping the Sighted to See

     From the Editor: Week in and week out one of the most
important jobs Federationists are called upon to undertake is
educating the public. Not only do uninformed people need help
recognizing the very real and substantial problems facing blind
people, but often they require instruction to comprehend what
they are actually looking at. When the instruction is of this
latter kind, it requires great tact not to embarrass ignorant but
well-meaning citizens unnecessarily. This challenge faced members
of the National Federation of the Blind of Alaska on July 14,
1996. On that day the editorial page of the Anchorage Daily News
included the following letter:

                   Obstacles Menace the Blind

     Recently I was looking out my office window at the corner of
Fourth Avenue and H Street and noticed there were several blind
people walking down the street. My attention was drawn to one man
in particular because he was having an extremely difficult time
maneuvering around the planter area at the new courthouse, and on
two occasions he actually stumbled over the planter.
     I became even more concerned as I continued to watch this
gentleman. He managed to get across H Street without incident,
but when he got back on Fourth Avenue, he became disoriented when
he got to the Pioneer Bar because he got caught between the
wooden Indian's arm and the sidewalk advertisement. He had a very
difficult time getting his bearings because of all the obstacles
that are sitting out on Fourth Avenue. It broke my heart as I
watched him try to make his way down Fourth Avenue.
     I realize that businesses are entitled to advertise, but
shouldn't they be required to do so in such a way that people
won't be injured? These sidewalk advertisements are certainly
harmless enough to sighted people, but they are a definite menace
to the blind.
     I hope the businesses on Fourth Avenue and elsewhere will
take note and move their sidewalk signs out of the way of the
blind.

                                          Faye Stevens, Anchorage

     That's what Ms. Stevens said, and Melody Lindsey, President
of the National Federation of the Blind of Alaska responded in a
letter published July 21:

                 Problem for Blind Not on Street

     I am responding to Faye Stevens's letter of July 14, from
the perspective of one of the other blind persons who was with
the individual she described. When I first read her letter, I was
perplexed, but I have decided that she has provided an
opportunity to educate the public about blindness.
     Ms. Stevens wrote that she saw "several blind people"
walking down Fourth and H. However, her attention was focused on
one individual who appeared to have trouble negotiating the
sidewalk displays. What about the other blind people? Did she
wonder what the difference was between the way they traveled and
the apparent difficulty the one individual was having? I submit
that the difference lies in the experience, confidence, and skill
that blind people choose to acquire.
     I encountered the same obstacles as the person Ms. Stevens
observed, yet I had the skills and confidence to conclude that I
needed to go around them just as everyone else does. I may not be
able to ascertain information visually, but by using the cane, I
can find objects on the sidewalk and deduce that they are not
going to get up and move solely for my convenience.
     The only way that blind people can obtain good problem-
solving skills is by working through difficulties that arise and
moving on. If someone is always there to correct problems for
them, they will never gain accuracy and confidence in their own
capabilities. The real obstacles to the blind include
misconceptions about blindness, lack of opportunity,
unemployment, lack of quality training, and lack of high
expectations by society in general.
     If the physical barriers on Fourth and H were the only ones
we had to deal with, we would be in pretty good shape
economically and socially. To the businesses along these streets
I say: please do not move your displays solely to help the blind.
     I would like to invite Ms. Stevens and anyone else who would
like to learn more about the blind to call the National
Federation of the Blind of Alaska office at 566-2620. I believe
that together we can change what it means to be blind.

                                        Melody Lindsey, President
                       National Federation of the Blind of Alaska

     In the same spirit and also on July 21, Tracy Kuzara, a
travel teacher who had been with the group Ms. Stevens observed,
added her perspective to the discussion. This is what she said:

                   Blind Students Are Learning

     I am writing in response to Faye Stevens's letter of July
14. I was also there that day on Fourth Avenue when she saw that
blind man "having difficulty." She didn't mention the several
other blind people who were having no difficulty whatsoever. They
were getting around with much ease.
     I work at the school where these individuals are learning
the alternative techniques for everyday living. On that
particular day there were two instructors with the students out
on Fourth Avenue.
     Yes, walking around on the streets and around wooden Indians
happens to be one of the things they learn. Although mistakes may
happen from time to time, I don't feel that the signs should be
moved. The students are learning how to maneuver around these
types of obstacles. While they are out walking and find an
obstacle with the cane such as a wooden Indian or a planter, they
can figure their own way around it without someone yelling,
grabbing, or pulling on them.
     Blind people should be treated with the same respect you
would like to receive as a sighted person. I know that Ms.
Stevens was writing out of concern. But please realize that if
the signs were a menace to the blind, we would take measures to
have them moved, but they are not.
     The blind should be able to go where they want when they
want just as the sighted do. They don't want special treatment;
treat them as you would any other person. If they have questions,
they will ask you for assistance.
                                          Tracy Kuzara, Anchorage


     Have you considered leaving a gift to the National
Federation of the Blind in your will? By preparing a will now,
you can assure that those administering your estate will avoid
unnecessary delays, legal complications, and substantial tax
costs. A will is a common device used to leave a substantial gift
to charity. A gift in your will to the NFB can be of any size and
will be used to help blind people. Here are some useful hints in
preparing your will:
      Make a list of everything you want to leave (your estate).
      Decide how and to whom you want to leave these assets.
      Consult an attorney (one you know or one we can help you
find).
      Make certain you thoroughly understand your will before
you sign it.

     For more information contact the National Federation of the
Blind, Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland
21230-4998, [phone], fax [phone].


[PHOTO: This picture is taken from the back of a meeting room which is filled
with people. CAPTION: The Columbia Room at the Holiday Inn, Capital was filled
to capacity well before the Sunday afternoon briefing began.]
                   The 1997 Washington Seminar
                        by Barbara Pierce

     By now everyone in the National Federation of the Blind
knows that the first week of February means one thing in our
organizational calendar: the Washington Seminar. Activities
actually began Friday evening, January 31, with the student
division party at the Capitol Holiday Inn.
     But the daylong Mid-Winter Conference of the National
Association of Blind Students that took place the following day
was only one of the preliminary programs that weekend. So many
groups had scheduled meetings at the National Center for the
Blind in Baltimore that virtually every one of the fifty-two beds
at the Center was occupied. The Comprehensive Braille Training
Advisory Committee, the NFB Research and Development Committee,
the International Braille Research Center Board of Trustees, and
its Research Fellows were all working in Baltimore. Meanwhile at
the Capitol Holiday Inn in Washington, the student conference was
capped by a banquet for nearly 200 who enjoyed an address by Dr.
Jernigan.
     Sunday morning the loaders had to turn people away from the
busses taking Federationists to tour the National Center. Well
over a hundred found seats, and some at least of the two dozen
others were able to make the trip and tour later in the week.
     During the afternoon a number of seminars and meetings took
place at the hotel. These included parents, Associate recruiters,
merchants, lawyers, and those interested in the American
Communications Network business opportunity.
     By 5:00 p.m. the Columbia Room on the hotel's lower level
didn't even have standing room left for those gathering for the
briefing. Luckily the public address system speakers used the day
before to allow the registration team to hear the student seminar
were still available to broadcast the briefing to the large group
who could not get into the room at all. Estimates put the size of
the crowd at over 500. Forty-eight states and Puerto Rico were
represented, and all but three members of the NFB Board of
Directors were on hand. President Maurer and Dr. Jernigan updated
the group on recent activities at the National Center and on
issues of importance to all of us. Then Jim Gashel, Director of
Governmental Affairs, briefed the crowd on what we would be
discussing with members of the 105th Congress during the next
several days.
     We had three issues this year. The first was to urge both
houses of Congress to introduce legislation that would
reestablish linkage between the stipends paid to blind Social
Security Disability Insurance recipients and those of working
retirees under the age of seventy. Though we didn't know it at
the time, Barbara Kennelly would soon introduce H.R. 612 in the
House of Representatives, and Senator John McCain would introduce
a similar bill as S. 375 in the Senate. At this writing (in early
March) H.R. 612 had sixty-two cosponsors, and S. 375 had eleven.
We still have a good bit of work to do in the months ahead.
     The second issue was the reauthorization of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, which has already been
introduced in the House with very strong Braille literacy
provisions. Our message was that these provisions as they now
stand must be part of the final legislation passed this year.
     The third concern we took to the Hill was the need for
continued efforts to strengthen the Rehabilitation Act when it
comes up for reauthorization later this year. We must do
everything we can to insure that the specialized rehabilitation
services that are an integral part of getting disabled citizens
back into the workforce must not be turned over to one-stop-
shopping job centers serving everyone needing employment
services.
     As usual Sandy Halverson and her staff of volunteers did
wonderful work in the Mercury Room managing the schedule of
meetings and taking reports on them after they took place. The
job is huge and is carried out entirely in Braille. The
importance of having the records completely accessible to Braille
readers was demonstrated this year when the computer system went
down, leaving the crew to prepare reports for Mr. Gashel by hand.
The team was equal to the challenge, but it was amazing to see
just how far the Mercury operation has evolved in recent years as
the computer has become more and more central in producing
Braille reports.
     By late in the week, the appointments had been kept, the
reports made, and the peanut butter pie in the hotel dining room
eaten; and Federationists headed home to do the all-important
follow-up work with Congressional staff members. We left knowing
that we had made a good start on this year's legislative agenda,
but only a start. Now the real work begins. There is certainly
enough to go around. Here are the texts of the legislative agenda
and the three fact sheets we took to Congress:

[PHOTO/CAPTION: James Gashel addresses the crowd at the opening briefing of
the 1997 Washington Seminar.]
                    Legislative Agenda, 1997

FROM:     Members of the National Federation of the Blind
TO:       Members of the 105th Congress
RE:       Legislative Priorities of Blind Americans

     Public policies and laws affecting blind people have a
profound impact on our entire society. Most people know someone
who is blind. It may be a friend, a family member, or a co-worker
on the job. The blind population in the U. S. is estimated to
exceed 700,000. Fifty thousand Americans become blind each year.
By themselves these numbers may not seem large, but the social
and economic consequences of blindness directly touch the lives
of millions. In the form of its social consequences and to some
extent its economic consequences, blindness affects virtually
everyone.
     Public policies and laws that result from misconceptions
about blindness or lack of information are often more limiting
than the loss of eyesight itself. This is why we have formed the
National Federation of the Blind. The Federation's leaders and
the vast majority of the members are blind, but membership is
open to anyone who wants to join in the effort we are making to
win understanding and equality in society.
     Our priorities for the first session of the 105th Congress
reflect an urgent need for action in three specific areas of
vital importance to the blind this year.

     (1) Congress should restore work incentive equity for blind
individuals by re-enacting the identical earnings exemption
threshold for blind and senior citizen beneficiaries under Title
II of the Social Security Act. This proposal seeks to reduce (or
eliminate altogether) the work disincentive of the Social
Security earnings limit as it now affects blind beneficiaries. In
spite of a law passed in 1977 creating a logical and identical
earnings exemption threshold for blind people and retirees,
beneficiaries who are blind were singled out for exclusion from a
series of seven specified annual increases in the exempt amount
mandated under a new law solely for seniors. This means that a
lower earnings limit for the blind--$12,000 as compared to
$13,500--is now in effect. By 2002, when the exemption for
seniors becomes $30,000, the lower limit created by Congress for
the blind in 1996 will be less than half the amount allowed for
seniors unless the law is changed.
     People of working age who are blind must not be forgotten
now that the earnings exemption for retirees has been raised.
Just as with hundreds of thousands of seniors, their positive
response to the higher amounts of earnings allowed will bring
additional revenues into the Social Security trust funds. The
chance to work, earn, and pay taxes is a constructive and valid
goal for senior citizens and blind Americans alike. This is why
the statutory linkage of the exempt earnings amounts which
existed under the law for almost twenty years should be restored.
For more details and an explanation of the need for this
legislation, see the fact sheet entitled "WINNING THE CHANCE TO
EARN AND PAY TAXES: HOW THE BLIND PERSON'S EARNINGS LIMIT IN THE
SOCIAL SECURITY ACT MUST BE CHANGED."

     (2) Congress should amend the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) to include provisions for strengthening
programs of Braille literacy instruction. This can be done by
enacting Braille literacy for blind persons provisions as part of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Goal Five
of the National Education Goals declares that by the year 2000,
"Every adult American will be literate. . . ." For blind people
this means having the ability to read and write in Braille at a
level of proficiency which makes performance on equal terms
possible. Without legislative change, today's blind children will
not be able to meet this national goal.
     As many as 34 percent of the blind students enrolled in
elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. during the last
school year were classified as "non-readers." Fewer than 10
percent read Braille. Current federal and state laws require that
an appropriate educational opportunity must be provided to
children with disabilities. Each such child is to have an
individually planned program of instruction to meet identified
needs, but growing illiteracy for blind children has been the
result. Remedial federal legislation, similar to laws now enacted
in twenty-eight states, can help to reverse this trend. For more
details and an explanation of the need for this legislation, see
the fact sheet entitled "BRAILLE LITERACY AND THE INDIVIDUALS
WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT."

     (3) Congress should enact legislation this year to
reauthorize the existing federal/state program of vocational
rehabilitation. This program, as currently authorized under Title
I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is now in its final year
before action must be taken to continue grants to states for
serving persons with disabilities, including people who are
blind. During the 104th Congress vocational rehabilitation was
among the programs first included but later removed from a
proposed job training, education, and employment system
consolidation bill. Nonetheless, with the program's
reauthorization due for consideration this year, the possibility
of consolidation with other programs has been discussed and could
be proposed again.
     Vocational rehabilitation has been recognized as a specific
responsibility to be shared by the federal government and the
states for seventy-seven years. The mixture of this program
(intended to address essential and complex disability-related
needs) with generic job training, education, and employment
programs for the general population is a fundamentally flawed
concept. For someone who becomes blind in mid-career,
unemployment is only one of many consequences. By comparison,
however, the need for special help to deal with blindness is by
far the most profound initial problem. This is why vocational
rehabilitation services should continue to receive dedicated
federal funding to support a targeted and identifiable service
delivery system. For more details and an explanation of the need
for reauthorization see the fact sheet entitled "Blindness,
Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized Programs."

     People who are blind are asking for your help in securing
positive action by Congress in the areas outlined here.
Legislative proposals will be offered to achieve each of our
specific objectives. Many priorities confront this session of
Congress, and the needs of the nation's blind are among them. By
acting on these priorities in partnership with the National
Federation of the Blind, each member of Congress can help build
better lives for the blind both today and in the years ahead.

[PHOTO/CAPTION: James Gashel (left) shakes hands with Senator
Pete V. Domenici [R-NM].
                           __________

                           Fact Sheet

            Winning the Chance to Earn and Pay Taxes:
How the Blind Person's Earnings Limit in the Social Security Act
                         Must be Changed

     BACKGROUND: The Social Security earnings limit, also known
as the "retirement test," was recently changed by Congress. The
new law, which first took effect in 1996, provides a 1997
earnings exemption threshold of $13,500 and specifies five more
annual increases to reach an earnings exemption of $30,000 in the
year 2002. In making the case for this change, advocates in
Congress explained that senior citizens in greater numbers would
now have the opportunity to work, earn, and pay taxes.
     In spite of a law passed in 1977 creating a logical and
identical earnings exemption threshold for blind people and
retirees under Social Security, beneficiaries who are blind were
singled out for exclusion from the new, mandatory raises in the
earnings exemption. This means that a lower earnings limit for
the blind--$12,000 as compared to $13,500--is now in effect. By
2002, when the exemption for seniors becomes $30,000, the lower
limit created by Congress for the blind in 1996 will be less than
half the amount allowed for seniors unless the law is changed. At
that point a blind individual, age sixty-four, with earnings of
approximately $14,400 will lose entitlement to any payment
whatsoever from Social Security. But the same individual, upon
becoming age 65, will be permitted to earn up to $30,000 before
there is any effect upon eligibility for Social Security. This is
clearly a counterproductive federal policy which speaks of work
incentives for the blind but for seniors provides actual
continuation of monthly cash benefits as a tangible incentive to
work.
     EXISTING LAW: Section 216(i) of the Social Security Act
specifies what "blindness" means. The definition of blindness is
clearly stated in medical terms. Therefore, blindness can be
determined quite reliably on the basis of objective medical
evidence. This unique feature of the Social Security Act makes
blindness the only defined disability. All other disabilities are
determined on the basis of an individual's "inability to engage
in substantial gainful activity." This inability is actually hard
to determine reliably in many cases.
     Although blindness is precisely defined, monthly disability
insurance benefits are not paid to all persons who are blind.
Under the law benefits are only paid to those people who are
blind and who do not have substantial earnings. Personal wealth
not resulting from current work activity does not count as
earnings and has no effect on eligibility. Only work is
penalized. The amount of earnings considered to be "substantial"
for working people who are blind is $1,000 per month ($12,000,
annually). The procedure for adjusting this exempt amount for
each year remains in effect under the law passed in 1977 but
applies at present to the blind only, since increases in the
exempt amount for seniors were mandated in 1996.
     PROPOSED AMENDMENTS: Congress should restore work incentive
equity for blind individuals by re-enacting the identical
earnings exemption threshold for blind and senior citizen
beneficiaries under Title II of the Social Security Act.
Legislation to achieve this objective is being offered in the
105th Congress by Representative Barbara Kennelly. Mrs. Kennelly
is the ranking minority member on the Subcommittee on Social
Security in the House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and
Means. Amendments to retain the identical exemption for blind
people and seniors enjoyed broad bipartisan support during the
last session of Congress but were blocked from consideration when
the provision which raised the exemption limit for seniors was
attached to the unamendable debt ceiling bill.
     The National Federation of the Blind (along with every other
organization having interests in the blindness field) strongly
supports legislation to restore the identical exemption threshold
for the blind and seniors. By creating an earnings limit that is
lower for blind people than for seniors, the bill passed last
year applies a harsh work disincentive policy to blind Americans.
     NEED TO REMOVE WORK DISINCENTIVES: Mandating the adjustments
in the earnings limit for blind people along with the adjustments
for age sixty-five retirees will assure that an estimated 104,300
blind beneficiaries will receive a powerful work incentive. Most
blind people could then not lose financially by working. The
mandated earnings limit changes if made applicable to blind
people would be cost-beneficial, since among those of working age
70 percent are currently unemployed or underemployed. Most of
them are already beneficiaries. At present their earnings must
not exceed a strict limit of $1,000 per month. When earnings
exceed this exempt amount, the entire sum paid to a primary
beneficiary and dependents is abruptly withdrawn after a trial
work period.
     When a blind person finds work, there is absolutely no
assurance that earnings will replace the amount of lost
disability benefits after taxes and work expenses are paid.
Usually they do not. Therefore, few of the 104,300 beneficiaries
can actually afford to attempt substantial work. Those who do
will often sacrifice income and will certainly sacrifice the
security they have from the automatic receipt of a monthly check.
This group of beneficiaries--people of working age who are
blind--must not be forgotten now that the earnings exemption has
been raised for seniors. Just as with hundreds of thousands of
seniors, their positive response to the higher amounts of
earnings allowed will bring additional revenues into the Social
Security trust funds. The chance to work, earn, and pay taxes is
a constructive and valid goal for senior citizens and blind
Americans alike.

                           __________

                           Fact Sheet

                        Braille Literacy
       and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

     BACKGROUND: The National Literacy Act of 1991 defines
"literacy" as "an individual's ability to read, write, and speak
in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of
proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society to
achieve one's goals and develop one's knowledge and potential."
This definition points up the critical importance of emphasizing
high-quality literacy training programs for all Americans. For
blind Americans, especially school-age youth, the need is no less
critical. Yet surprisingly few students who are blind or visually
impaired receive instruction in Braille as a part of their
elementary and secondary education programs.
     Blind students are generally defined as those who see less
than 10 percent of what is seen by someone with normal eyesight.
During the 1995-1996 school year there were approximately 53,654
such individuals enrolled at the elementary and secondary levels
in the U. S. Only 4,657 of these students read Braille. The vast
majority use print materials, even in situations in which reading
with sight is an unrewarding, never-ending daily struggle.
Educators often resist teaching Braille until students are unable
to see printed matter with the most intense magnification. As a
result, Braille has become not the method of choice but the
method of last resort.
     EXISTING LAW: The Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) contains federal standards for special education and
related services to be provided to children with disabilities
throughout the U.S. The most important standard is that each such
child is entitled to a "free, appropriate public education."
Education agencies, both state and local, receive federal funding
to assist in meeting this mandate. When special education
services are provided to a child, there must be an Individualized
Education Program (IEP) to describe the needs of the child for
special instruction, the services to be provided, and the goals
to be achieved.
     The components of an "appropriate education" are not
strictly defined in IDEA. As a result it is easy and tempting for
school personnel to determine a child's needs largely on the
basis of the school's capacity (or lack of capacity) to provide
special instruction or services. This being the case, blind
students who may have even a limited ability to read print are
guided toward receiving instruction in that form instead of using
Braille. Procedural safeguards, including the right to challenge
decisions through administrative and court appeals, exist under
IDEA, but such proceedings are time-consuming and costly in
financial and educational resources.
     PROPOSED LEGISLATION: Congress should amend the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act to include provisions for
strengthening programs of Braille literacy instruction. A
proposal to achieve this objective has been included in H.R. 5,
the "I.D.E.A. Improvement Act of 1997." The provision on Braille
literacy, which was also passed by the House of Representatives
during the last session of Congress, is a straightforward
requirement to have Braille instruction and services included in
the IEP of any child who is blind unless all of the IEP team
members agree that Braille is not necessary for the child.
     The proposal for federal legislation on Braille literacy is
necessary to support laws with a similar purpose which twenty-
eight states have now enacted. These laws require individualized
assessment of a blind student's need for Braille. The federal
legislation has been designed to promote Braille services for
blind students in order to have a consistent state/federal policy
in this area.
     NEED FOR LEGISLATION: It is the policy of our nation, as
stated in the National Education Goals, that by the year 2000
"Every adult American will be literate and will possess the
knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and
exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship." In
order for blind adults to achieve this goal, literacy instruction
must be strengthened for children. The direction of current
trends and educational programming shows that this goal will not
be achieved without deliberate corrective action. According to
official child count figures supplied annually by state and local
education agencies, 34 percent of the blind students at the
elementary and secondary levels are "non-readers," and the
percentage of non-readers increases every year. The number who
read Braille is correspondingly declining.
     The experience gathered in many states over several years
shows that a legislative response is needed to reverse this trend
of growing illiteracy among blind school-age youth. By enacting a
strong Braille literacy provision when programs under IDEA are
reauthorized this year, Congress can provide the leadership to
ensure that blind students graduate from our nation's schools
literate and armed with the necessary skills to be first-class
citizens of our society.

                           Fact Sheet
Blindness, Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized Programs

     BACKGROUND: Under title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
federal grants assist every state to provide comprehensive
vocational rehabilitation services to eligible persons with
disabilities, including persons who are blind. The program's cost
for fiscal year 1997 (the final year of the current authorized
funding) is approximately $2.3 billion.
     STATEMENT OF POSITION: Congress should enact legislation
this year to reauthorize the existing vocational rehabilitation
program. Vocational rehabilitation has been recognized as a
shared federal and state responsibility for seventy-seven years.
The program has received consistent and broad bipartisan support
in Congress during each major review, leading to its periodic
reauthorization. The last reauthorization occurred in 1992.
     During the 104th Congress vocational rehabilitation was
among the programs first included but later removed from a
proposed job training, education, and employment system
consolidation bill. The most decisive action occurred in the
House of Representatives, where an amendment was passed on the
floor to exclude vocational rehabilitation from the consolidated
service delivery system. Nonetheless, with the program's
reauthorization due for consideration this year, the possibility
of consolidation with other programs has been discussed and could
be proposed again.
     RATIONALE FOR IDENTIFIABLE, BLINDNESS-SPECIFIC SERVICES: The
consolidation approach is based on the theory that the
administration and delivery of services to assist the blind are
essentially the same as services to dislocated workers or
unemployed welfare recipients. However, the mixture of vocational
rehabilitation with job training, education, and employment
programs for the general population is a fundamentally flawed
concept. For example, the following essential rehabilitation
services needed by blind individuals are not available from--and
are completely unrelated to--generic job training and employment
programs:

     1.   Comprehensive adjustment to blindness services. This
          training involves a sustained period of concentrated
          study to acquire the necessary tools for dealing with
          blindness and moving on to lead a normal life. Success
          in adjusting to blindness particularly includes
          integration of skills development with an understanding
          of relevant personal and social attitudes.
     2.   Travel training in using the white cane or the guide
          dog. This service must include all skills necessary to
          assess and move safely through the environment without
          seeing one's surroundings.
     3.   Adaptive methods of reading and writing. This training
          includes Braille instruction sufficient to perform at
          the level of literacy required for success in
          vocational preparation or on the job. Competent use of
          Braille requires the tactile identification of raised
          dots presented in prescribed patterns to form letters,
          numbers, and approximately 200 shorthand contractions
          commonly used. The extent of training needed will vary
          in complexity from learning the basic Braille code to
          specialized notations for computers, foreign languages,
          music, math, and other disciplines.
     4.   Assistive technology. This service includes
          individualized assessment of technology needs,
          procurement of appropriate devices, and personalized
          often one-on-one training in the use of the technology.
          High- or low-technology adaptations include use of
          specially adapted synthetic speech devices for
          computers, screen enlargement programs, Braille
          computer terminals, closed-circuit television or other
          magnification devices, and reading machines or
          scanners.

     For someone who becomes blind in mid-career, unemployment is
only one of many consequences. By comparison, however, the need
for special help to deal with blindness is by far the most
profound initial problem. Failure to provide services which
respond to the blind person's fears, lack of confidence, and
skills will almost certainly result in lifelong dependence. Under
existing law all states are provided with a dedicated block of
federal funding for the sole purpose of assisting people with
disabilities to achieve individualized rehabilitation goals.
Under the consolidation plan, however, both the dedicated funding
and the resulting specialized services would essentially be
sacrificed to meet other perceived needs.
     It is a matter of historical fact that state agency
organization and service delivery patterns tend to mirror the
pattern of federal financial assistance. Moreover, the
combination of programs would inevitably favor the largest and
best-understood needs to be met. Unique services for blind
individuals would be sacrificed in the merger since the needs of
a person who is newly blinded are dramatically different from
those of the typical unemployed worker.
     ACTION REQUESTED: Each member of Congress is urged to assist
with efforts to assure that programs which provide blindness-
specific rehabilitation services are able to continue by:

1.   Announcing support for reauthorization legislation to
     maintain dedicated federal funding and existing requirements
     for identifiable programs which specialize in providing
     vocational rehabilitation services; and
2.   Opposing efforts to combine the funding and service delivery
     system of the vocational rehabilitation program with a
     consolidated job training, education, and employment system
     for the general population.


[PHOTO/CAPTION: Michael Baillif]
                        Telling Our Story
                       by Michael Baillif

     From the Editor: Michael Baillif is President of the Capital
City Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of the
District of Columbia. He is also a past president of the National
Association of Blind Students (NABS). He was invited to address
NABS's Mid-Winter Conference on Saturday, February 1, in
Washington, D.C. President Maurer made the following remarks
about Michael in connection with that speech. Here are both
President Maurer's comments and Michael Baillif's recollections
of and reflections on the student division:

     Michael Baillif is a member of perhaps the stodgiest
profession in the history of the world. He is a lawyer--you know
about lawyers--but even worse, he is a tax lawyer! He knows about
the Internal Revenue Service and the Internal Revenue Code, the
distribution deduction and the Tax Equity and Financial
Responsibility Act of 1986--he knows all about it. If you want
something dull, read about that. It is as dull as you can get! If
you have trouble sleeping, I can recommend a book, written by
Michael Baillif. He's a tax lawyer, and he's good at it, very
good. He works for one of the top tax law firms in the United
States.
     Using this stodgiest of all knowledge, Michael Baillif helps
to represent companies whose worth is in the billions. In other
words, Michael helps to make tax policy in the courts of the
United States of America.
     You may think that the tax law is dull, and you are right
unless you have to pay the tax man and with Michael's help you
can find a way out of it. But I'll tell you something; Michael
Baillif is not dull. You have seen that today. He has committed a
very fine mind to what we have been talking about all day: our
belief in ourselves and each other and our effort to create a
mechanism to bring enough pressure to bear to compel others to
recognize and value our abilities. He has made something
impressive of all this, but all of us have also had a hand in
shaping him. Did Michael do it? Sure he did. Could he have done
what he has without us? No, he could not. Could we have shaped
him without his ability and drive? Not at all. His success is our
success; his enthusiasm is shared with us. For my part, I am
proud of Michael Baillif and glad that he is my colleague in the
movement.

     "You are an evil generation; you wait for a sign." "You are
a perverse generation; you wait for an answer." "You are a lost
generation; you seek both reason and purpose." These are all
statements that have been made about earlier generations. But
they are equally applicable to us here today. We each come
seeking something that we have not yet found: a sign, a reason,
an answer, a purpose.
     Today we are beginning, just beginning, to build some
bridges and establish an identity. A few weeks ago I stayed late
at a party. Those of us who remained were sitting around drinking
very good Scotch and talking about philosophy. A friend posed an
interesting question. He asked, "What do you think has been the
most important career in the history of the world?"
     I responded flippantly, "An attorney, of course."
     He said, "No, the storyteller because people's beliefs and
actions and identities are in large part determined by where they
fit into a story." Whether that story revolves around a religion
or an ethnicity or a family or an individual dream, it has
tremendous power to shape and mold, to motivate and to energize.
     If I told you there is a story of hidden pain and fearful
loneliness, a story of awesome determination and quiet courage, a
story of constant struggle and ultimate achievement, would you
want to hear it? Would you wonder whom it was about and how it
ended? Well, it is my story, and it's your story, and it's the
shared story of all blind people in this room and outside it.
It's a story that's gone on for a long time, that took on new
focus when this organization was formed more than fifty years
ago, and that will be concluded by those of us with the strength
and courage and passion to write it.
     Let me tell you just a small part of this story as it
relates to what brings us here today, the National Association of
Blind Students. For a time I had a chance to serve as president
in this organization that Carlos now guides so ably and so
conscientiously. I can tell you that it was one of the best
experiences of my life. Those of us who formed the leadership in
the National Association of Blind Students, which in my heart
will always be just the Student Division [applause], did two
things: we worked hard and we had fun. We established this
national conference of blind students some seven years ago. We
initiated the Monte Carlo Night. We regularly published the
Student Slate, and we went out and organized student chapters in
New York, Texas, Oregon, and Minnesota.
     We worked hard and achieved much, but we also had fun. We
used to stay so late in bars that they had to throw us out. We
talked of blindness and life and nothing at all. Today I really
don't remember the content of those conversations, but they were
very important at the time. We put on student division parties
that were so good they rarely lasted for more than two hours
before being closed down by hotel security. And we laughed a
great deal, most of the time with one another, occasionally at
each other. For as Jane Austen says, "For what do we live, but to
be made sport of by our neighbors and to laugh at them in our
turn?" And the people: they mattered more than anything else.
There were Scott LaBarre and Melody Lindsey, Maria Morais and Tom
Ley, Dan Fry and Melissa Williamson, Jennifer Dunham and Pam
Dubel, all of whom are involved today and doing very upright and
respectable things. But I'm sorry to say that we had so much fun
during those days that the very best stories can never be told.
     While I was president, I saw many things. Some things made
me furious: the self-satisfied disability offices that because of
their own pride and power and petty gratification strove to
dominate the lives of blind students and push them into
dependency, the apartment owner who refused to rent a room on a
second floor to a blind student because he didn't think she could
climb the stairs, the mobility instructor who threatened to break
the long white cane of a blind student if he ever caught her
bringing it to school.
     I saw some things that made me want to cry, such as the
blind students who themselves bought into the notions of
infirmity and incapacity that the disability offices were
selling, or the students who came to this event or to a national
convention knowing in their hearts that we had what they needed
desperately, but were so overwhelmed and afraid that they went
away and never came back. There were students who went to get
residential training and for the first time found out what it was
like to live, but then went home, where they were viewed as
having little more capacity than a rocking chair and sat in that
rocking chair and are still sitting there today.
     But I also saw many things that made me laugh: Joanne Wilson
all dressed up and ready to go to Mardi Gras in a tiger costume
complete with flaming orange wig and a tail made from one of
Jerry Whittle's old dress socks, or the time at a National
Convention when I got out of bed one morning and bumped into my
roommate, who was standing on his head doing Yoga meditation.
Then there was the Student Division party that had been going on
for only half an hour when security came to close it down, and
Melody Lindsey refused to let them in until they paid a cover
charge.
     And I saw many things that made me incredibly proud, such as
looking out over the Student Division meeting audience at the
1989 convention in Denver and realizing that the room was full.
The speaker was saying something important, and people were
listening, really listening. There were wonderful moments when I
heard that an event we had sponsored had been important to
someone, had meant something, had helped that person deal with an
issue, surmount a hurdle, or simply feel good, even though none
of us had known it at the time. And there were times like today
when I would meet blind students much further along than I was at
their age--at your age. I can see unlimited potential, all that
they and you can be and do and give.
     So what is the Student Division to me now? Well, it is
everything about which I have just spoken. It's the story that I
have just told about days gone by. But it is much, much more than
that. It's new ideas and energy and hope. In your hands lies the
continuation of our story, and not just at some vague point in
the future, but right now. Today you can go out and organize and
fight for that which is good and right, and you can have an awful
lot of fun doing it. You can become a part of a much larger
story, the story that took on new texture fifty years ago when
Dr. tenBroek established this organization and that has been
evolving through the leadership of Dr. Jernigan and President
Maurer. This is a great and powerful story. Yet it is a story the
final lines of which have yet to be written. It is you who will
write them. You who are seniors in high school and sophomores in
college and you who have not yet been exposed to all that this
organization is and has to offer: you will tell our story.
     Where do you begin? You begin by becoming involved in
whatever way you can and by accepting the involvement of others
on whatever terms they can offer. This is crucial because, if you
don't, if you opt out of our story, you will be alone and
isolated, and not only that, you will deprive the rest of us of
that special something that only you can contribute to the story.
     This organization provides the only way for us to tell our
own story. Unless we are all involved and pull together in
whatever way we can, we will allow someone else to tell it for
us. We have much too much to say and too much to do and there is
too much fun to be had to allow anyone else to do it for us.
     I've been a part of this story for a very short time, but I
intend to be involved in it for a long while to come. I truly
hope that you will share it with me and with everyone else in
this organization here today.
     But as Ayn Rand said in The Fountainhead, "Don't work for my
happiness, my sisters and brothers, show me yours. Show me your
achievement. Show me that it is possible, and the knowledge will
give me courage for mine."


[PHOTO: A man is seated in front of filled bookcases. CAPTION: Dr. John
Smith]
                Disability Simulation That Works
                        by John W. Smith

     From the Editor: Dr. John Smith teaches communication
studies at the Ohio University in Athens. He is also a leader in
the NFB of Ohio. In the following article he offers proof that
not all disability simulations are damaging. This is what he
says:

     For the past three years I've had the pleasure of teaching a
very special class at Ohio University entitled, "Communicating
with the Physically Disabled." To my knowledge it is the only
course of its kind at the university level. That was one of the
reasons I decided to develop it. Another reason was that the
field of communication has, I believe, been quite reluctant to
discuss communication and interaction between those with physical
disabilities and those without. In addition I developed the class
because I thought it could serve as an opportunity for me to
dispel myths about blindness specifically and physical
disabilities in general.
     The class has received a lot of media coverage. There have
been articles in the Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain Dealer,
and Chicago Tribune, as well as an NBC television story, which
was aired in Dallas, Cleveland, Columbus, and Chicago. In
addition to these national and regional stories, the course has
been covered by a number of small newspapers (The Athens
Messenger, The Athens News, and several radio stations).
     I taught the class over a five-week period during the summer
quarter. The first week was devoted to laying out a theoretical
framework. The next three weeks focused on specific disabilities:
week two, blindness and visual impairments; week three, deafness
and hearing impairments; and week four, mobility impairments. The
final week was devoted to class presentations of student-devised
workshops.
     As you might expect, I used the blindness and visual
impairment week to unfold the philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind--blindness can be reduced to the level of
a nuisance, and we are changing what it means to be blind. One of
the reasons the class received so much media attention was the
simulated exercises we used during the course. The media like the
bells and whistles and melodramatics of people rolling around in
wheelchairs and using sleep shades or ear plugs. I recognized
that, when I implemented these simulated exercises, people would
tend to focus more on them than on the content of our message,
but after much discussion and thought, I decided I could devise a
plan to make these simulated exercises useful for both the
students and the general public.
     Like many other thoughtful blind people, I have had mixed
emotions about simulated exercises because they are so often
implemented by temporarily able-bodied individuals (TABs) and are
designed to be dramatic and entertaining and to convey the
wretchedness of a particular disability and the gratitude TABs
should feel because they don't have that disability. Factor in
the pity that inevitably results, and it's no wonder these
exercises leave a bad taste in our mouths. Even given all this, I
figured that, in the blindness component at least, I could show
my students what an actual blind person's life was like. Through
carefully planned course discussions, rigorous journaling, and an
exit interview at the end of the course, I thought I could create
an atmosphere in which simulation exercises could do some good.
     I asked the students to participate in one simulated
exercise lasting for one twenty-four-hour period. They chose to
be blind for twenty-four hours by wearing sleep shades or
hearing-impaired by wearing ear plugs and remaining mute or
mobility-impaired by using one of our wheelchairs. For the
purpose of our discussion here, I've focused on the visual
impairment. No matter which exercise they chose to simulate, they
had to submit a journal of their experience as well as
participate in an exit interview with me concerning the contents
of that journal.
     It's easy to distinguish between falsified or dishonest
journals and the authentic ones. One in particular struck me as
powerful and instructive. I thought it would be interesting to
share with our NFB family. Sarah McConnell was a very quiet,
reserved student in my 1996 course. She decided to choose
blindness as her simulated exercise. I might add here that, in
addition to the individual simulated exercises, during the
appropriate week I implement collective simulated exercises as
well. For example, during the blindness week I pair a student
using a sleep shade and cane with a sighted guide and teach the
use of proper techniques. Then we go shopping. I send them on
errands and we meet back in the classroom to talk about the
experience. The first day the discussion focuses on the negative:
how tough it was, how much they hated steps, how time-consuming
everything was. I leave it at that the first day. The next day I
bring in one or two blind friends from the NFB chapter, and we
then go buy things and perform the same errands I had asked the
students to perform. The idea is to demonstrate what a trained
blind person can do using alternative skills.
     Back to Sarah: She submitted her journal and I read it. I
was impressed by her honesty and creativity and by her
willingness to take chances. In my follow-up interview with her I
found her genuinely interested in what it would be like to be
blind. In short, I left the interview feeling that, if Sarah ever
lost her sight, she would be all right.
     This class gives every indication of continuing to be a
success. We are now franchising it to other universities and
other organizations, and, though I still have some mixed emotions
about simulated exercises, I hope that, when you read Sarah's
journal, like me you will begin to see that in the proper context
and with the proper implementation and facilitator, these
exercises can be useful. Here is Sarah's journal:

           Disability Days: Visual Impairment Journal
                       by Sarah McConnell

     I decided to be visually impaired for my second disability
day. I have always wondered what it would be like to experience a
day without using sight. I think this disability was more
authentic than the hearing impairment. Once I put the blindfold
on, I could not see anything. I went to bed with the sleepshade
on so that I would wake up not able to see. When I woke up, I
realized that I had somehow taken it off while I was sleeping, so
I quickly shut my eyes before I could really see anything and
searched for the blindfold. When I finally found it, I put it
back on and went back to sleep.
     When I finally woke up, I had no idea what time it was. It
seemed as if it was still dark out. I had waked up a couple of
times and then fallen back asleep because I didn't know the time,
and I didn't hear any noises in the living room. I decided I
would get up and see if anyone was in the living room since I
heard the TV. I walked out of my room, which goes directly into
the living room, and paused. I could hear the TV, but there were
no other noises in the room. I finally asked if anyone was there,
and two people answered me. One was my housemate Chad, and I
still have no idea who the other person was. I asked Chad what
time it was. Not knowing what time it was really bothered me. It
ended up that I hadn't waked up until 2:00 p.m.
     I made my way through the living room, which is hard because
it is so narrow that there is very little space between the couch
on one side of the room and the chair on the other. I bumped into
the chair, and it was no big deal, but I could hear Chad laughing
at me. I went into the bathroom and took my shower. I didn't have
any problems to speak of. My shampoo and conditioner are in a
hanging shower rack in specific places separated by my shower
gel, so I knew which was which. I even shaved my legs without any
major flesh wounds, at least not that I know about. Brushing my
teeth was no problem at all.
     I made my way out of the bathroom and back into my room,
where I got dressed. I had laid my clothes out before I went to
bed, but when I was dressing, I decided I wanted to wear
something different, so I searched in my dresser and found what I
was looking for. After I got dressed, I went back to the kitchen
to get something to eat. I made a salami sandwich, which was
quite simple, especially since all of the stuff I needed was in
one drawer of the refrigerator.
     Chad was watching Miracle on 34th Street, so I sat down and
watched the end of it while I ate. I had never seen the movie
before, so I didn't really know what it was about. There were
quite a few scenes in this movie that were solely visual and
really confusing to me. I asked Chad what was going on in one of
the confusing parts but just let the others go by. What was
interesting was that a few days later I saw the movie when I
could see and realized that all the visual cues I noticed changed
the meaning of the things the characters said. I had a totally
different picture of what was meant when I couldn't see the
characters.
     My roommate and another friend were supposed to spend the
day with me, but one had dance team practice all day, and the
other one's parents came into town. So after Chad left, I was all
alone in the house. I called my friend, and she was amazed that I
could use the phone. That kind of surprised me, because you can
easily feel the separations of the numbers on the phone, so it
was simple. I had planned on going to Bob Evans's for dinner, but
my roommate ended up having extra practice, so yet again I was
left alone. I got really depressed when I realized that I was
going to be alone until about 9:30 p.m. I was tired of sitting in
the house. I was tired of watching TV. I couldn't read, so I was
very bored.
     There was a knock at my door, and the living room is on the
second floor, so I had to work my way down the stairs to answer
the door. It wasn't hard at all, but it was kind of scary to open
the door and not be able to see who was there. It was just my
neighbor, who needed me to move my car because it was blocking
him in. Needless to say, he had to do it for me. My driveway is
impossible to back out of when you can see; I didn't think it
would be too good an idea when I couldn't.
     When my roommate came home during one of her breaks in
practice, I went down to her room, which is on the first floor,
to talk to her. She had gotten a huge duffel bag, her pom poms, a
warmup jacket, and a couple of new shirts for dance camp; and she
tried to explain all these things to me. She did an excellent job
of describing. She had me feel the pom poms and bag, and with the
jacket and shirts she drew on me how the designs were on them.
For example, there was a circle with Ohio University on the
front, so she drew a circle on me where it would have been if I
had been wearing the shirt.
     When she left, I decided to make something to eat. I had
opened a can of nacho cheese the night before for nachos and
decided that I wanted to finish it. The trick was that I had to
figure out where I had put it in the refrigerator. I knew it was
in a bowl close to the front with aluminum foil on it. I had to
taste it in order to find it. It took me two tries; the first
thing I tasted was refried beans. I was just glad that I didn't
stumble on the three-week-old tuna fish that I knew was in there
somewhere. The hardest part was using the microwave. Unlike the
phone, the microwave's buttons were not sectioned off. It was
just a flat surface, and I couldn't feel where the numbers were.
Moreover, with our microwave you have to press the time set
button, the amount of time, and then the start button. I could
find everything but the time set button. I ended up getting it to
heat long enough to make it lukewarm, so I ate nachos and watched
TV.
     When my roommate finally came home, she brought two of the
girls that were on the dance team with her so that they could use
our shower. I had never met them before, so I had no idea what
they looked like. I only got to know them by their voices. They
wanted me to go to practice the next day to see if I could tell
what they looked like just by having heard their voices. I didn't
go to practice the next day, but they did come back over, and I
got to see what they looked like. It was an interesting
experience to meet people and judge them by their voices and what
they said instead of by their looks. They did look different than
I had pictured, but it wasn't too much different than I thought.
     My other friend had come over; and, when the dance team
girls left, we decided to go uptown. My roommate Sheila was my
sighted guide. We walked uptown from Mill Street. I really wish I
could have seen the reactions we got, but according to Sheila and
Andrea (my other friend), we got a lot of stares. They decided to
take me down Court Street before we went into any bars. One drunk
boy reached out and touched my blindfold as we passed him on the
street. Quite a few people made dumb comments as they passed us.
I realize just how awful the sidewalks in Athens are; they were
pretty scary in some places.
     After we went for a stroll, we went into Tony's. It was a
little difficult because there are three steps to go up, but I
did fine. According to my friends, we got lots of strange looks
at Tony's. We stayed for a little while and decided to go to the
bakery for some pizza. When we rounded the corner from Tony's
back to Court Street, this very strange boy came right up to me
and started talking to me and asking me questions about what I
was doing. He got way too close to me; his face was less than an
inch from my face. I even think his nose touched me. I did not
like that. It seemed like a few people got closer to me than they
would have if I could have seen them. When we got to the bakery,
the OU cheerleaders were there. Sheila is friends with all of
them, and I know a couple of them. They had a great time with the
fact that I couldn't see them. There was some sort of picture of
me taken, and from what I've heard, I don't think I want to see
what they were doing around me.
     I got my pizza, and we got a table and ate. Sheila and
Andrea were amazed at how well I had adapted to not being able to
see, but really it wasn't that bad. The only things that really
bothered me were things that could be adapted if I really
couldn't see: like getting a talking clock, making the microwave
so I could feel the numbers, and getting used to walking around
by myself. I think driving would be the hardest thing not to be
able to do.
     After we ate we decided to take one more trip down Court
Street and then go home. Sheila had been my sighted guide the
whole time, so they switched, and Andrea did it for a while.
Andrea was a good guide too, but after we switched, I could feel
Sheila on my other side guiding me too. She was so protective of
me it was funny.
     I swear, we knew everyone that was uptown that night. I
didn't feel self-conscious about the blindfold, which surprised
me. Quite a few people stopped and asked what I was doing and
why. They wanted to know if I really couldn't see anything, so
waving their hands in front of my face was common practice for
most of them. One thing I found very humorous was that at least
five people asked me if my hearing was better because I couldn't
see. I thought about saying, "Why, yes of course, now I hear like
Superman." But I guess that would have been inappropriate.
     On our way back down Mill Street, there was an odd boy in
front of us. He didn't see my blindfold at first and just thought
that I was really drunk and couldn't walk, but then he realized
that I couldn't see. He walked us home and followed behind me
with his arms out in case I fell. It was strange that so many
people I didn't know came up to me and were extremely protective
of me. I guess they thought I would break.
     The truth is that I suffered no injuries and no falls when I
was blind, and I get hurt at least three times a day when I can
see where I'm going. The thing I noticed the most was that I had
to pay more attention to my other senses, and I had to pay more
attention to where I put things. You can figure out where people
are in the room by listening just as well as looking, but you
don't give your hearing the chance because seeing is quicker. It
surprised me that people were so shocked that I could make phone
calls, use the microwave, go down the stairs, eat without seeing
my food, and walk quickly. All these things were easy, and I
won't ever think of a blind person as helpless. This ended up
being a good experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do
it.

[PHOTO: A number of blind people are seated at tables under a canopy at a
sidewalk cafe. CAPTION: Louisiana Center students enjoy coffee and beignets at
the Cafe du Monde in the New Orleans French Quarter.]
               New Orleans--Something for Everyone
                        by Jerry Whittle

     From the Editor: In about two months the largest gathering
of blind people to take place in 1997 will be about to begin. You
still have time to arrange to be a part of the fifty-seventh
convention of the National Federation of the Blind, but you had
better hurry. Call Mr. Cobb at the National Center for the Blind
today to make your room reservation. The telephone number is
[phone]. Meantime, to whet your appetite for what you will
find in New Orleans, here is Jerry Whittle's latest evocation of
the Crescent City:

     As most Federationists already know, New Orleans is one of
the most popular convention cities in the world. Noted for its
myriad of so-called adult attractions, New Orleans also affords
ample wholesome entertainment for the entire family.
     This year's National Convention also offers one of the most
spacious and elegant hotels in the Crescent City as our
headquarters--the Hyatt Regency--just a few blocks from the
French Quarter. Connected to the Superdome and a massive shopping
complex, the Hyatt-Regency usually serves as the main hotel for
major sports events, such as the Super Bowl. Here is a brief
description of the Hyatt Regency--just one more reason why this
year's Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, June
29 through July 5, is the place to be.

Hyatt Regency New Orleans:
     Discover a city known the world over for its soulful jazz
and its Creole cuisine. Located in the heart of downtown just
minutes from the historic French Quarter and the scenic
riverfront, Hyatt Regency New Orleans captures the flavor of the
Crescent City with rich mahogany, beautifully appointed guest
rooms, and wrought iron grillwork crafted by talented artisans.
     Savor famous New Orleans cuisine in its three restaurants
and lounges, serving such regional dishes as muffalettas,
Crawfish Etoufee, and other tantalizing Cajun creations. Relax in
the whirlpool spa, take a dip in the heated pool, or work out in
the fully equipped health club.
     Experience the magic of the Big Easy as only the people of
Hyatt can deliver.
     * Thirty-two-story atrium hotel, including 1,084 guest
     rooms, 100 suites, and exclusive Regency Club accommodations
     * Twenty minutes from New Orleans International Airport
     * Complimentary Hyatt Express shuttle to the French Quarter,
     Mississippi Riverfront
     * Heated rooftop pool, whirlpool and fully equipped health
     club
     * Business center on site
     * Connected to the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans
     Centre Shopping Mall, featuring Macy's, Lord & Taylor, and
     more
     The Courtyard Restaurant: located on the third floor, is
     open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
     Top of the Dome Steakhouse: Enjoy a fantastic view from New
     Orleans's only revolving rooftop restaurant, located on the
     thirty-second floor. Menu suggestions include filet mignon,
     New York Strip, and T-Bone, Smokehouse Ribs and much more.
     Chocoholic bar and cocktail specials are featured nightly.
     Hyttops: Located on the third floor, Hyttops Sports Bar
     offers casual fare and friendly competition with tables,
     video games, pool, and more.
     Fitness Room/Swimming Pool: The fitness room, accessible
     from the fifth floor of the main tower or seventh floor of
     the Lanai tower, is adjacent to the pool and jacuzzi.

     A magnificent hotel is only the beginning. New Orleans is
dotted with hundreds of interesting shops of every description,
and men, women, and children should have few problems finding
that special shop of their dreams. In addition to a variety of
quaint shops, New Orleans also offers plenty of family
entertainment. Enumerated below is a partial list of the places
that help to make the Crescent City one of the most popular
convention sites in the world.

Southern Fossil & Mineral Exchanges
     A Natural History Gallery, 2045 Magazine Street
     The South's first gallery to showcase artifacts of nature.
     In addition to spectacular displays of fossils and minerals,
     insects, butterflies, meteorites, shells, and skulls are
     featured.

Children's Hour Book Emporium
     3308 Magazine Street
     "One of the best new bookstores of '94," according to the
     Times-Picayune. New and classic titles, audio and video
     cassettes, software, compact discs, and artwork by young
     artists.

All That Jazz
     829 Decatur Street
     An impressive selection of CD's, records, and tapes.

Art to Wear
     910 Decatur Street
     Hand-painted and appliqued women's and children's wear and
     accessories are sold at this family-run shop.

Lazybug
     600 Royal Street and Riverwalk at Poydras
     Women's contemporary clothing and the store's signature line
     of wearable art.

Payless Souvenirs
     New Orleans Centre
     Shopping for Super Bowl souvenirs? Payless is one place not
     to be missed.

Jackson Brewery
     600-621 Decatur Street
     It's jewelry and fashions. It's spicy shrimp and Creole
     cuisine. It's fireworks and festivals--a unique collection
     of shops, restaurants, stores, and boutiques.

Louisiana Music Factory
     210 Decatur Street
     Offers both new and used music products, giving shoppers a
     larger selection of rare tunes on both vinyls and CD's.

Audubon Zoo
     6500 Magazine Street
     See more than 1,800 endangered or rare animals, including
     the exotic white alligators.

City Park:
     City Park Ave.
     City Park has something for the whole family. It features a
     world class botanical garden, storyland (a children's
     wonderland of rides), the Carousel Gardens, paddle-boat
     rentals for two, horseback riding, and the New Orleans
     Museum of Art.

Louisiana Children's Museum:
     420 Julia Street
     Features two floors of colorful, educational, and
     imaginative hands-on exhibits.

Louisiana State Museum:
     701 Chartres Street
     Five important historic properties make up this expansive
     complex in New Orleans: The Cabildo, Presbytere, Arsenal,
     and 1850 House on Jackson Square plus the old U.S. Mint on
     Esplanade Avenue.

Louisiana Superdome:
     Connected to the Hyatt Regency
     Tour one of America's largest and finest domed stadiums.

Nottoway Plantation:
     White Castle, Louisiana (a one-hour drive from New Orleans)
     Experience and savor the aristocratic splendor that was the
     Old South. Nottoway is the ultimate in Southern grandeur,
     Southern hospitality at its finest.

Aquarium of the Americas:
     1 Canal Street
     Explore underwater worlds teeming with exotic marine life.

Entergy Imax Theatre Film Special Effects:
     1 Canal Street
     A behind-the-scenes-look at Hollywood magic. Come experience
     the magic of illusion on a screen ten times bigger than a
     traditional movie screen.

Riverwalk:
     On the Mississippi River at Poydras Street
     This unique center features 140 stores and restaurants
     stretching a half mile along the Mississippi riverfront.

     The Big Easy truly aims to please everyone, but the real
entertainment will be the opportunity to attend the largest
gathering of blind people in the world. Despite all the
distractions of the Crescent City, the major focus will still be
the wonderful general sessions, the informative speakers, the
division meetings, and the banquet. New Orleans truly teems with
life, but above all this is our chance to work together for a
brighter future for all blind people. Take advantage of this
opportunity to make new friendships and renew old acquaintances
in a wonderful spirit of camaraderie. Laissez le bon temps
roulet!

[PHOTO: Two little girls sit holding a toy together. CAPTION: Macy and
Madison McLean from Ohio. PHOTO: A small blind boy is sitting on the floor
fitting a shape into a shape-sorter toy. CAPTION: Bryan Hergert of Washington
state plays in NFB camp.
PHOTO: A woman standing with a guide dog talks to her interpreter by signing
into her hand. A man looks on. CAPTION: Kathleen Spear (right) talks through
her interpreter (center) to Bob Eschbach (left).]
                   1997 Convention Attractions

     From the Editor: Every year's National Convention is an
absolutely unique event. The agenda items, the exhibits, the new
friends and business acquaintances: all these give each
convention its own character and significance. Some activities
lend a luster to the convention in part because they do take
place every year and provide helpful fixed points in the whirl of
events. In this category are the meetings of the Resolutions
Committee and the Board of Directors, the annual banquet, and the
many seminars and workshops of the various divisions and
committees. Here is a partial list of activities being planned by
a number of Federation groups during the 1997 Convention, June 29
through July 5. Presidents of divisions, committee chairpeople,
and event presenters have provided the information. The pre-
convention agenda will list the locations of all events taking
place before convention registration on Monday, June 30. The
convention agenda will contain listings of all events taking
place after that time.

               Blind Industrial Workers of America

     BIWA President Primo Foianini announces that the division
will conduct a split cash drawing at this year's convention. The
group will gather on Tuesday afternoon, July 1, for its annual
meeting.

              Blind Professional Journalists Group

     If you are studying journalism, are working in this exciting
field, or are interested in doing either, the NFB Blind
Professional Journalists meeting is the place for you to be
Sunday, June 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please see the pre-
convention agenda for the meeting location. The Blind
Professional Journalists group, which organized last summer
during the convention in Anaheim, is here to help everyone
exchange ideas and answer questions about working for newspapers
and magazines and in broadcasting.
     If you have questions about BPJ, contact Elizabeth Campbell
evenings at [phone] or e-mail, [e-mail] or Bryan Bashin
at [phone] or e-mail, [e-mail]

                     Child Care Information

     Throughout our National Convention NFB Camp provides
activities and programs for children under twelve years of age.
Although it is generally referred to as "child care," the
participants in NFB Camp will tell you otherwise. It is a
tremendous opportunity to instill Federation philosophy in the
camp counselors, the parents, and the children (blind and sighted
alike). Advanced registration is required to ensure that the
number of camp counselors is sufficient for the safety and
happiness of the children. Blind and sighted children will enjoy
the action-packed schedule awaiting them in New Orleans this
summer. Call or write to register today.
     NFB Camp is under the direction of Carla McQuillan, the
owner and operator of Children's Choice Montessori School and
Child Care Center in Springfield, Oregon. With seventeen years of
teaching experience in early childhood education, Mrs. McQuillan
received the Blind Educator of the Year Award presented by the
National Federation of the Blind at our 1996 convention in
Anaheim. Carla is also the mother of two children and the
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon.
     The team supervisor and activities director are employees of
Children's Choice Montessori School. Both have extensive
experience planning and expediting programs for children. Once
again we are recruiting Head Start teachers from the local area
to serve as our camp counselors. All of these individuals have
CPR and First Aid certification, criminal record checks, and the
education and experience to handle large groups of children with
ease. In addition to the contracted staff, the Federation youth
who participate in our CPR/First Aid baby-sitting class on
Sunday, June 29, will be paired up with NFB camp counselors
throughout the week for hands-on child care experience.
     This year's convention setting offers a wide range of
opportunities to explore areas outside the hotel. The children
will be practicing their independence skills as they take various
walking tours of the city, engage in scavenger hunts in the mall
beneath the Hyatt, and challenge each other to water-pistol
fights. There will be guest appearances by storytellers,
musicians, magicians, and artists. We will be conducting
philosophy discussions to complement the skills training that
will be taking place daily. Each day, during general sessions,
children will be encouraged to participate in a variety of
activities both inside the hotel and out in the community. A
schedule of NFB Camp activities will be available at the
information table at convention.
     NFB Camp will be open one half hour before the beginning of
sessions and one half hour after sessions recess. Children must
be picked up during lunch breaks. The schedule follows:
     Sunday, June 29, during the seminar for Parents of Blind
Children
     Tuesday, July 1, during the Board meeting and afternoon
committee meetings
     Wednesday, July 2, during both general sessions
     Thursday, July 3, during the morning general session, not
tours
     Friday, July 4, during both general sessions and the banquet
     Saturday, July 5, during both general sessions
     We will not serve dinner during the banquet. A late fee of
$10 per child will be strongly enforced if children are not
picked up from camp on time.
     Registration fee schedule: full time (all hours of operation
except banquet) first child in the family, $60, each additional
child, $40; banquet, $10 per child; daily rates, $15 per child.
     Registration for NFB Camp will be handled through the state
office of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. If you
are registering by telephone and you would like to speak to a
live human instead of an answering machine, call between the
hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. If you
mail your registration or leave a message on the answering
machine, please be sure to include the following registration
information: child's name; age; special needs, if any, such as
blind or in wheelchair; parent's name, home address, and phone.
Please list the days you will need child care and whether you
need services during the banquet. Please call or mail the
information to NFB of Oregon, Attention NFB Camp, P.O. Box 320,
Thurston, Oregon 97482, [phone]. Complete information
packets and medical releases will be mailed approximately two to
three weeks after Mrs. McQuillan receives initial registration
information.

    Field Trips and Special Activities for Children and Youth
     New Orleans Children's Museum, ages four to twelve; cost,
$10 per child (includes lunch); check-in, 8:30-9:00 a.m.
     This June 29 trip begins with a brief orientation to the
hotel and adjacent mall, featuring a stop in the food court for
lunch. Children will divide into small groups for this activity.
They will be paired with capable travelers selected from the
membership and from National Federation of the Blind training
centers. The children will have the experience of selecting and
purchasing their own lunches. After lunch we will board a bus to
the Children's Museum, which invites children and their adult
friends to discover and learn in a hands-on environment. All
exhibits are designed to encourage children to touch, explore,
and get involved while having fun together. Children may be
picked up at 3 p.m. when they return from the museum or stay in
the NFB Camp room until the parents seminar adjourns.
     Red Cross Baby-sitting Course, ages twelve and up, cost, $20
including lunch. Check-in, 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
     This is an opportunity for our youth to acquire valuable
skills that will lead to year-round employment. Upon completion
of the June 29 course, participants will receive Red Cross First
Aid and Infant/Child CPR certification. The course will also
include important tips and guidelines for the young baby-sitter,
including songs, games, crafts, and other fun activities for
children of various ages. Course graduates will be encouraged to
participate in our Mentoring Program, where they will develop
child care skills under the guidance of NFB Camp Counselors.
Certification of child care course completion and internship will
be awarded, and the list of graduates will be made available to
convention attendees as a resource list for evening baby-sitters.
Don't miss this unique opportunity! Space will be limited, so be
sure to register early. The course will last approximately seven
hours.
     You may call or mail in registration for either activity.
Please include the following information: child's name, age, home
address, home phone, and special needs. Please designate whether
each registrant will be attending the children's museum ($10) or
the baby-sitting course ($20). Please send registration and
payment no later than June 1, 1997, to reserve your spot. Mail to
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, P.O. Box 320,
Thurston, Oregon 97482, or call [phone], between 8:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time), Monday through Friday.
     We are planning a number of additional activities to take
place throughout the week, such as a dance instruction session, a
pre-banquet pizza party, tours of the hotel kitchen and the
Superdome, tournament games, and an ice cream party. A schedule
of activities for the week will be available at the information
table at convention.

                     Committee on Associates

     The Committee on Associates will meet in New Orleans on
Tuesday evening. In addition, final standings will be announced
at the National Board Meeting that morning. We look forward to a
brisk final segment of the 1997 enrollment year and to some
surprises in the top finishers. At the meeting we will discuss
several items and plan to have the national treasurer as our
guest. We will also hand out contest results and standings by
state and enjoy other activities.
     The enrolling of Associate members is a highly productive
activity. It educates people to the positive aspects of blindness
and should help them come to understand blindness as a
characteristic. This program is severely under-used, and we need
to think of ways to help our members understand how much of an
impact they can have on family, friends, and community with
Associates. As chairman of the Committee on Associates I extend
my sincere appreciation to all Associate recruiters. You can
contact me, Tom Stevens, at [phone].

                       Deaf-Blind Division

     The Deaf-Blind Division will host three seminars at the
National Convention in New Orleans, each to begin at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 29, location to be announced. We will try to have
guest speakers from deaf-blind agencies in Louisiana.
     Tuesday, July 1: Speakers from Louisiana's Helen Keller
Regional Office and NFB representatives. Also Dean Blazie from
Blazie Engineering will update us on its various portable note
taker/data managers.
     Thursday, July 3, Board Meeting: Members of the Deaf-Blind
Division Board will give reports. We will have literature
available from various groups and organizations who work within
the deaf-blind community.
     By the time you read this, Joe and Arlene Naulty will have
moved fifty miles north. Their new address is 11943 Suellen
Circle, Wellington, Florida 33414, [phone]. Please
remember that we are now a division. Dues are $5 per person for
the 1997 year and should be remitted to Treasurer Arlene Naulty
at her new address. The Deaf-Blind Division Board officers are
Joseph B. Naulty, President; Richard J. Edlund, [phone],
First Vice President, Topeka, Kansas; Burnell E. Brown, (202)
396-7370, Second Vice President, Washington, D.C.; John J. Salka,
[phone], Secretary, Monroe, New York; Arlene Naulty,
Treasurer; and Board members Robert S. Jaquiss, [phone],
Beaverton, Oregon, and Dawn Salka, [phone], Monroe, New
York. We'll be needing volunteers and interpreters, so, if any of
you can help out, please contact Joe Naulty or any other Board
member.
     I'm looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans. Please
come; we need your support. We're going to have a great
convention.

                   The Diabetes Action Network

     The Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of
the Blind has been busy making plans for several months for the
1997 annual convention in New Orleans. Each year thousands of
diabetics lose vision or become blind from complications of the
disease. The Diabetes Action Network has the knowledge and
experience to guide diabetics with vision loss back to a state of
independent self-management of the disease.
     The Diabetes Action Network will first host an open forum on
diabetes and the associated complications of the disease. A panel
of experts will assemble to answer questions on all aspects of
diabetes and techniques for managing the disease after vision
loss or other complications. In addition, a discussion of the new
generation of fast-acting humalog insulins will be held. The
forum will occur on Monday afternoon, June 30, from 2:00 to 4:00,
room to be announced. Get your questions ready because this forum
is not to be missed.
     Then, on Tuesday evening, July 1, from 6:30 until 9:00, the
Diabetes Action Network will host the annual diabetes seminar and
division business meeting, room to be announced. The subject for
the keynote address will be the new system of counting
carbohydrates and doing meal planning. For those unfamiliar with
this new system, it introduces many simplifying techniques for
planning meals. Come join the membership of the division and help
plan the events of the upcoming year; review the accomplishments
of the past year; discuss diabetes with experts; and enjoy the
lively, spirited crowd. Remember, brush up on all of those
diabetes facts to see how much money you can make the president
pay. See you in New Orleans!

                 Entrepreneurial Interest Group

     Tuesday evening, July 1, 1997, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., we will
conduct a meeting for blind individuals interested in being part
of a division whose focus will be entrepeneurialism. Assuming
sufficient interest, we plan to adopt a constitution, elect
officers, and establish widespread communication of ideas. If you
are a business owner or if you wish to know more about owning
your own business, this group could be a vital link. From the
development of a business plan to the networking achievements of
others, this formation meeting has plans for tomorrow, and it
will be enhanced by your participation.
     If you plan to be in Louisiana for the 1997 convention and
intend to join us, please call Connie Leblond at [phone].
We know there is tremendous interest in this meeting, and we
would like to get an approximate count of attendees. See you in
New Orleans.


              Bringing NEWSLINE to Your Community:
     How Foundations and Corporate Giving Programs Can Help

             Sunday June 29, 1997, 1:00 to 4:30 P.M.

     Securing funding from foundations and corporate giving
programs is challenging, but certainly all of us can learn how to
write clear, targeted proposals and master the research
techniques that can find the right grantor for our projects. Many
local chapters and state affiliates are eager to pursue local
foundations and corporate-giving programs to establish and
continue funding to bring NEWSLINE (tm) to their communities
permanently. Although only 12 percent of the charitable
contributions made in this country come from foundations and
corporations, many of us can be successful funding NEWSLINE (tm)
and other projects once we learn the basics.
     Dr. Betsy Zaborowski, NFB Director of Special Programs, and
several NFB members who themselves have been successful at
raising funds will share their strategies for identifying
appropriate foundations and corporate giving programs, writing
proposals, and selling a project once an interview has been
arranged. Workshop participants will learn the ten basic steps
for good proposal writing, print and on-line resources for
researching funding sources, and communication techniques to use
once you get to promote your project in person. Participants will
be given some helpful materials and time to discuss problems they
have had in the fund-raising arena. All are welcome; however,
this workshop is recommended for those who will be actively
working on funding projects such as NEWSLINE(tm).

                     Human Services Division

     The keynote speaker this year at the meeting of the Human
Services Division of the National Federation of the Blind will be
NFB Treasurer and Michigan affiliate President Allen Harris, who
will kick off a dynamic program by talking about skills needed to
complete your education, get a job, and keep it. The Division
will meet from 1:15 to 5:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the NFB
Board meeting (Tuesday, July 1, 1997) at the NFB National
Convention in New Orleans. Ask yourself: did or will your rehab
program give you the skills needed by blind people? This question
will be answered by a panel of our experts. Here are some other
questions: How do I get a job? How do I keep it? Who else is
working in my professional field? How can I network with these
people on the Internet? All these questions and more will be
answered at this year's divisional meeting. Don't miss it. Come
early and stay late to network with fellow professionals. We'll
see you in New Orleans. And laissez les bon temps rouler at the
Human Services Division this year.

                 An Introduction to the Internet

     Are you tired of hearing about the Internet without knowing
how to take advantage of its many features? What do they mean
when they say "surf the Web"? What is "Real Audio"? What is e-
mail?
     The Internet is one of the most exciting and informative
ways to use the power of your computer. With a knowledge of the
Internet you can send and receive messages from people throughout
the world and have access to libraries and online books from
colleges and universities as well as newspapers from cities all
over the U.S. You can even listen to radio broadcasts, music, and
sporting events.
     Want to know how? Make plans to attend "An Introduction to
the Internet" on Sunday, June 29, at the NFB convention. We'll
give you the information you need to get started on a journey
that never has to end.

              Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB)

     Someone out there knows the answers to your questions about
employment. Your best chance to find that person will be among
the thousands of people attending the largest convention of blind
Americans to take place in 1997. JOB helps people locate each
other at convention. Ask us.

     The 1997 National JOB Seminar
     June 29, (Sunday) 1 to 4 p.m.
     For three hours competent blind Americans tell you about
their jobs and answer your questions. They got the jobs they
wanted; why not grab their good ideas for yourself? This annual,
lively, fact-filled, practical national job seminar has the most
interesting mix of speakers! Here are just three of the agenda
items for 1997: "How to Find, Train, and Fire Readers and
Drivers"; "How to Start Hearing Windows"; and a panel
presentation with a blind teacher sharing recommended blind
techniques; Dr. Ralph Bartley, Superintendent of the Kentucky
School for the Blind, who will tell us what he looks for when
hiring teachers and other staff members; and William Gibson,
Director of the Utah Division of Services for the Visually
Impaired.

     Have you refused to consider jobs outside your home
territory because you wondered how to find a new apartment, make
travel arrangements, and such? In addition to a seminar
presentation titled "New Job in a New Place: Self-taught
Orientation, Part 1," a sign-up sheet will be available at the
JOB seminar for "New Job in a New Place, Part 2: A JOB Walking
Workshop." The day after the seminar (Monday), Russell Anderson
and Ron Bergese, professional cane travel instructors at BLIND,
Inc., will lead a walking tour which supposes that you live in
Minneapolis and have been hired by the Hotel Hyatt Regency in New
Orleans. They will literally walk participants through some
excellent methods for figuring out a new workplace and a new
community. This JOB workshop is limited to the first twenty
people to sign up at the Seminar, and you must be independently
mobile in your home community.

                    JOB Networking Breakfasts

     All week long you are invited to attend the daily (7:00
a.m.- 8:00 a.m.) JOB Networking Breakfasts, either those with a
particular job topic or the generic breakfasts that cover
whatever the individuals at the table have found of concern. BYOB
(Buy Your Own Breakfast) is the rule. People are seated family
style with a coordinator who is an expert in the topic.
     So far twenty-one breakfasts are planned. The full list of
breakfast topics will be posted during convention on the NFB
Information Table in both Braille and print. You will notice that
some of the breakfasts have a specific topic and some are
generic. These latter are an open forum and networking
opportunity for solving any problem related to employment and
blindness. For the breakfasts with a specified topic, both those
currently in the field and those who would like to be are invited
to network. Please help spread the word to everyone you know with
a special interest in one of these topics.
     We are attracting such numbers to the JOB Networking
Breakfasts that this year we have to begin something new--
excluding folks. If you are not personally involved in the topic
for the specific breakfast, please eat at some other table with
some other friends. These are working breakfasts.
     Yes, you may decide at the last minute to show up. JOB Net-
working Breakfasts start promptly at seven each morning. We will
be seating attendees between 6:45 and 7:00 a.m.; after that we'll
be networking too. Reservations are helpful but not required.
Here is the 1997 list of topics along with the table
coordinators:

SUNDAY, JUNE 29: (convention set-up day)
1    The Sunday first-timers breakfast
     Never been to a full NFB National Convention before? We'll
     help you get the most out of this full week of activities--
     the seminars, introductions to specific people, and the one-
     of-a-kind events that will help you reach your employment
     goals. Wayne and Carmen Davis, Florida

MONDAY, JUNE 30: (registration day)
2    The Monday First-timers Breakfast
     (A second chance for first-timers) Marianne and Buck
     Saunders, West Virginia; Connie and Seth Leblond, Maine; and
     David and Mariann De Notaris, New Jersey
3    Monday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
     What problem are you running into in your job search?
     Brain-storming is our specialty at each generic
     breakfast. Loraine and David Stayer, New York
4    JOB's Third Networking Breakfast for Travel Instructors
     Blind teachers share NFB-teaching techniques for long canes.
     Louisiana Center for the Blind instructors
5    Emergency Dispatchers Networking Breakfast
     New! Brad Greenspan, New York

TUESDAY, JULY 1 (Board meeting day)
6    Tuesday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
     Greg Trapp, JOB's ADA consultant, and Tonia Balletta, New
     Mexico
7    The Annual Breakfast for Blind Scientists and Engineers
     Ask John Miller, California, President of this NFB division
     for details. Home phone, [phone], e-mail,
     <[e-mail]>
8    JOB's Fourth Annual Breakfast for Blind People in Medical
     Fields
     David Stayer, New York (MSW), JOB consultant in medical
     fields
9    JOB's Fifth Annual Breakfast for Braille Proofreaders and
     Transcribers
     Mary Donahue, Texas
10   JOB's Eighth Annual Networking Breakfast for Blind Lawyers
     Coordinated by Povinelli and Kay (DC law firm), and the NABL
11   I Do Windows: The Second Annual JOB Networking Breakfast
     Steve Shelton, Oklahoma; Michael and Fatos Floyd, Nebraska;
     (3 Windows users) and Jim Watson of Henter-Joyce, Inc.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2: (first general session)
12   Wednesday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
     William Ritchhart, Indiana
13   The Sixth Annual Blind Artists Breakfast
     Money-making ideas and resources, Janet Caron, Florida
     (artist and JOB consultant on art)
14   A Networking Breakfast for Customer Service Representatives
     Chris Flory, Colorado Center for the Blind CTR Program; Mary
     Donahue, US Long Distance employee

THURSDAY, JULY 3 (tour afternoon and evening)
15   Thursday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
     Peggy and Curtis Chong, Minnesota
16   Writing for Money, a New Job Networking Breakfast
     Loraine Stayer, New York; Sharon Maneki, Maryland
17   The Job Coordinators Brainstorming Breakfast
     New! for JOB Field Service Network Volunteers, Diane
     Domingue, California
18   The Green Thumb Careers Breakfast, Pete Donahue, Texas

FRIDAY, JULY 4: (banquet day)
19   JOB's Last-Chance Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
     Whom do you need to find? What do you need to know to help
     you get a job? Bring the problem up at this breakfast before
     convention ends this year and you go home leaving its rich
     resources behind you. Lorraine Rovig, JOB Director
20   JOB'S Networking Breakfast for Computer-Access Teachers
     Are you teaching the use of computers adapted for blind
     students or adults; would you like to? Come on over and have
     a byte with us. Colorado Center for the Blind teachers

SATURDAY, JULY 5: (closing general session of convention)
21   JOB's Breakfast for Employment Professionals by Invitation
     Only
     Sharing the best ideas of the past year. Lorraine Rovig,
     Director, JOB

     What is holding you back? Is it lack of opportunity where
you live or lack of training in competitive-level blind
techniques or in a job skill? At the NFB annual convention you
can do research in all these areas with people who speak from
experience.
     It's not in any store; it's priceless; and it's free--but
you have to go that extra mile to make it happen. You have to be
ready to speak up, ready to seize the opportunity. Helping people
locate good contacts at convention is one of my jobs. If you'd
like some introductions to get you started, call me, Lorraine
Rovig, now or talk to me at convention.
     Job Opportunities for the Blind is a free, nationwide
program, sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor. Call (800) 638-
7518 (12:30 to 5:00 p.m. EST), or write JOB/NFB, 1800 Johnson
Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

                     The Merchants Division

     The NFB Merchants Division will offer a variety of items of
interest to Federationists. Do you need to get up and get out?
Don Bell, long a familiar face at our conventions, will present a
seminar entitled "A Positive View for a Positive You" at 9:00
a.m. on Sunday, June 29, at the Hyatt Regency. When Don,
President of Management Management, Des Moines, Iowa, spoke at a
past convention, there was standing room only. Tickets are $20
and will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Let's get energized and have
some fun.
     The Merchants Division will again sell snack packs for $5.
If you want to win $1,000 for an investment of only $1, buy one
of our raffle tickets. The drawing will take place at the
convention banquet. We plan to sell corsages (new and improved)
for the banquet and give away free soft drinks. See you at our
booth.

                         Music Division

     The Music Division will meet Monday, June 30, 1997.
Registration for membership and for the Showcase of Talent will
begin at 6:30 p.m. outside our meeting room. The meeting itself
begins at 7:00 p.m.
     If you have agenda requests, please contact Linda Mentink,
1737 Tamarack Lane, Janesville, Wisconsin 53545, [phone].
Division membership dues are $5. If you'd like to join or renew
your membership before the convention, please send a check,
payable to the Music Division, to Ben Snow, 358 Orange Street,
Apt. 4091, New Haven, Connecticut 06511.
     Again this year the Showcase of Talent will not be a contest
with prizes, so there will be no fee for participants. However,
since it is our only fund raiser, we will pass the hat so that
those who wish to can make a free-will offering. We will need
accompanists for performers who do not have tapes. If you are
willing and available to accompany, please contact Linda Mentink.
     If you would like to participate in the Showcase, here are
the guidelines: 1) Sign up no later than noon, Wednesday, July 2.
2) Perform only one number, taking no more than four minutes to
perform. 3) If you are using a taped accompaniment, be sure that
the tape is cued up properly. Do not sing along with a vocal
artist; you will be stopped immediately. 4) If you need live
accompaniment, make your arrangements before the Showcase begins.
     Children who plan to participate will be invited to perform
first. The Showcase will be limited to two hours, about twenty-
four performers. Come help us enjoy music.
     We are also planning to have a lunch for musicians, open to
anyone who would like more information about the Music Division
or would just like to talk about music. Listen for the
announcement of time and place during the general session.

             National Association of Blind Educators

     From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, the National
Association of Blind Educators will hold its annual meeting as a
part of the National Federation of the Blind Convention.
Attending this meeting gives prospective job seekers valuable
information about the variety of job opportunities and the
knowledge to procure jobs by listening to and talking with
working blind educators. Those who are already employed learn new
and refined teaching techniques unique to blind educators. In
these shaky economic times, we discuss how to use our talents to
the best of our abilities, how to remain sane in an unstable
environment, and generally how to enter and retire from the
profession the way we had planned.
     We commence our meeting with group discussions. These groups
are chaired by successful blind educators. Some of the topics are
preschool, elementary, secondary, and university teaching;
student teaching; teacher's aides; special education; and school
administration. We will then have speakers on learning the
necessary skills of blindness at NFB training centers, finding
and keeping jobs, and getting along with principals and others
with whom we must work.
     We will conclude the seminar with our annual business
meeting. While this annual gathering is our chance to meet in
person, we have a mentoring program through which blind educators
are matched with other blind educators. We are the experts, so we
know best what our needs and problems are. Our work is never-
ending, and the National Association of Blind Educators has been
very successful, judging by the number of happy, successful blind
educators we have, so come and join us in New Orleans for the
entire Convention.
     For further information about the Division or details about
the meeting or the field of education, please call Pat Munson at
[phone]. If you would like to join the Division or
continue membership, send a check for $20 for employed educators
or $10 for others to the Treasurer, Patti Harmon, 1315 Desert Eye
Drive, Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310. Make the check payable to
the National Association of Blind Educators. Come join us in New
Orleans. It's great to be a part of the Educators Division and
the Federation and to be employed.

              National Association of Blind Lawyers

     Come and join the largest organization of blind lawyers in
the country. The National Association of Blind Lawyers (NABL)
will meet on Tuesday, July 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. as part
of the fifty-seventh annual convention of the National Federation
of the Blind.
     We will be discussing many exciting topics on that
afternoon. Speaking from their areas of expertise, lawyers will
give us updates on the current status of laws affecting the
blind. We will hear about various advocacy matters in which the
Federation has been involved in the last year. Officials of the
American Bar Association and the Louisiana Bar Association will
address the group. Experienced practitioners will offer
strategies on how best to conduct various types of cases. Hear
about the publication of our law journal.
     This and much more will all take place at the NABL meeting.
Everyone in the legal profession, law students, and others
interested in the law are welcome. Remember that you may be able
to receive up to four continuing legal-education credits for this
meeting. Come and help us continue to build the Federation
through the Lawyers' Division.

   National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers

     The National Association of Blind Secretaries and
Transcribers is proud to announce its annual meeting to be held
on Sunday, June 29, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
     Who will want to attend this meeting? Secretaries and
transcribers at all levels, including medical and paralegal,
office workers, customer-service personnel, and many other
fields. Those providing training programs to prepare blind people
for this kind of office work are also welcome.
     Registration for the Division meeting will begin at 6:30
p.m. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. Dues are $3 per
year.
     Plenty of topics will be discussed and maybe a few
surprises. Anyone who wishes to become a member of this Division
can send name, address, telephone number, e-mail address if any,
and preferred newsletter format (print, Braille, audio tape, 3.5
or 5.25 computer diskette).
     Those wishing to pay dues in advance should make checks
payable to N.A.B.S.T. and send them to Lisa Hall, President,
National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers, 9110
Broadway, Apartment J103, San Antonio, Texas 78217; e-mail:
[e-mail], phone, [phone].
     NABST officers are Lisa Hall, President, San Antonio, Texas;
Janet Triplett, Vice President, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mary Donahue,
Secretary, San Antonio, Texas; and Carol Clark, Treasurer, Kansas
City, Kansas. See you in New Orleans.

             National Association of Blind Students

     This year's student seminar promises to be the best ever.
The Student Division will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. We
will conduct our traditional student seminar on Monday, June 30,
from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Several national leaders will talk to us
about blindness issues important to college students. On Thursday
night we will again sponsor our Monte Carlo Night with games,
refreshments, and fun.

             National Association of Guide Dog Users

     The annual meeting of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users will be held on Sunday, June 29, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the meeting will start
at 1:45 p.m. The seminar, "A Guide Dog in Your Life," will be
held on Monday, June 30, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
     The Division meeting will open with a panel presentation
entitled, "Why I am a Federationist Who Uses a Guide Dog." Given
factors such as maintenance costs in time and money associated
with feeding, relieving, veterinary care, grooming, and flea and
tick control; eventual retirement, the need for retraining,
access and travel restrictions abroad, and the necessity of
relief accommodations when large numbers of guide dog users
gather in large downtown hotels, this is a topic which needs
discussion. The panel presenters will be the board members of the
National Association of Guide Dog Users. These are Paul Gabias,
President; Rick Fox, Vice President; Mark Noble, Secretary; and
Priscilla Ferris, Treasurer. There will be plenty of time for
comments from the audience.
     The Division will also feature another panel presentation
entitled, "What the Federation Has to Offer the Guide Dog
Schools." The panel presenters will be Rick Fox, Priscilla
Ferris, and Paul Gabias. There will also be time for comments
from the audience. Following this presentation we will discuss
the formation of a committee of volunteers to speak to graduating
classes at the guide dog schools about the benefits of joining
the National Federation of the Blind and the National Association
of Guide Dog Users. Fund raising for the Division will also be
discussed, as well as state division concerns.
     At the seminar, "A Guide Dog in Your Life," the guide dog
schools will be invited to tell us how they believe they can
profit from a working relationship with the National Federation
of the Blind and the National Association of Guide Dog Users.
Mark Noble will discuss flea and tick prevention and control.
Rick Fox will discuss the role of the white cane in a guide dog
user's life. There will be an update on efforts to abolish the
Hawaii quarantine. Paul Gabias will discuss the importance of
global commands such as "inside," "outside," "upstairs,"
"downstairs," and "elevator," in the context of Peggy Elliott's
comments about the importance of orientation and mobility at the
1996 Division meeting of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users.
     The National Office and the NFB of Louisiana are working
hard to provide the best possible relief accommodations for guide
dogs at the convention. Of course, the relief facilities will
have to be kept clean. Instead of relying on hotel personnel to
maintain the facilities, we will hire outside workers to do the
job. This should result in more pleasant surroundings for owners
and dogs alike.
     In 1993 the Division voted to ask each guide dog handler to
pay $25 for use of the relief facilities throughout the week. We
encourage all guide dog handlers to help cover the maintenance
costs of relief areas, if at all possible. Contributions should
be made at Division activities early in the week. Owners who miss
these opportunities for any reason and who wish to help can pay
Priscilla Ferris, Division Treasurer and President of the NFB of
Massachusetts, later in the week. She can be found at convention
sessions in the Massachusetts delegation.
     Questions about the relief arrangements or other guide dog
matters can be directed to Paul Gabias at 475 Fleming Road,
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, VIX 3Z4, [phone].

       National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
                 Time to Sing "Ode to the Code"

     Celebrating victories and planning for the future are
elements which add excitement to any meeting of the National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille. New Orleans will
certainly be no exception to the rule. But something new is being
added to the New Orleans get-together, and you do not want to
miss any of it. Attendees at this year's NAPUB meeting will
benefit from some serious moments and will be delighted with some
fun and surprises. Take a look at this:

     It's off to the Pub we go--"NA-PUB," that is. Have the time
of your life, and at the same time give your support to the
National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB). Take
a look at the extraordinary drink list at the "NA-PUB" in New
Orleans. Lift your spirits with such drinks as a "tenBroek Tonic"
or a "Maurer's Marc." We trust that's just enough information to
pique your interest. More details will be forthcoming. Meet me,
Betty Niceley, at this special pub and share a "Rusty Stylus."

      National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science

     Come and talk about computers and computer-related
technology at the 1997 annual meeting of the National Federation
of the Blind in Computer Science. The meeting will take place on
Tuesday, July 1, at the National Federation of the Blind
convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. Registration for the
meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. Membership in the NFB in
Computer Science costs $5 a year. For specific meeting room
information, refer to your convention agenda. At this early stage
of planning for our annual meeting, we can say these things:
     We will hear from Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden of the Trace
Research Center. Dr. Vanderheiden has done much pioneering work
to make public electronic information kiosks accessible to the
blind. A direct result of Dr. Vanderheiden's work can be seen in
the accessible information kiosk at the Mall of America in
Bloomington, Minnesota.
     As in the past we will devote a number of program items to
the graphical user interface. We will hear from Microsoft about
the work it is doing to increase our ability to use its graphical
applications and operating systems. We hope to hear from IBM
about its most recent efforts to increase the ability of the
blind to use its graphical applications.Finally, we will try to
put together a panel of experienced blind computer professionals
and users who can talk knowledgeably and understandably about the
tricks and techniques they have used to survive in the GUI world.
If we get lucky, we may be able to discuss the Windows/NT access
problem. Many people are asking me if there is any screen reader
for Windows/NT. All I can say in response is that there is one
program we know about and that program costs approximately
$2,500, a price tag that is about three times higher than that of
a conventional screen reading package.
     Come to the 1997 meeting of the NFB in Computer Science and
discuss computer access issues with other blind people. Learn how
others are adjusting to the rapid pace of technology, and maybe
share a few of your own experiences. For further information
about the meeting and other computer-related matters, contact
Curtis Chong, President, National Federation of the Blind in
Computer Science, 20 Northeast 2nd Street, Apartment 908,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413-2265, evening phone: [phone],
Internet: [e-mail]

       National Organization of Parents of Blind Children

     On Sunday, June 29, the National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children (NOPBC) will sponsor its annual seminar for
parents and educators of blind children titled, "An Education for
a Full Life." Registration will take place from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Registration is $5.
     The morning session begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at noon and
includes the following agenda items:
    Blindness, Childhood Experiences, and My Life Today
     presented by a panel of blind adults
    Around the Block, to the Mall, and Beyond presented by a
     panel of blind children & youth
    Music Education--Beyond the Stereotypes
    Life Is like a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, presented
     by representatives from NFB programs for blind children and
     youth
    Instructional Assistants (Classroom Aides): Are They a Help
     or a Hindrance?
    Creative Solutions to Impossible Educational Situations,
     presented by a panel of parents
    Access to Technology: When Computer Games Become Serious
     Business
     After lunch concurrent workshops begin at 2:00 p.m. and end
at 5:00.
2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Beginning Braille for Parents
2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Resources and Strategies for Blind/Multiply
     Handicapped Children, featuring displays and demonstrations
     of equipment and materials developed by Dr. Lilli Nielsen
     (inventor of the "Little Room") and marketed by Lilliput
     L.L.C. Special door prize: a "Little Room" donated by
     Lilliput L.L.C. (worth over $700!)
2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Social Skills and Blindisms
2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Access to Technology
3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Music Education for Blind Children
3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Social Skills and Blindisms
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., How to Organize a Braille Storybook Hour
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Resources and Strategies for Deaf-Blind
     Children
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Education of the Partially Sighted
     From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., NOPBC will sponsor Family
Hospitality Night, an informal time to relax and get to know one
another. Everyone welcome, kids too.
     Also from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Youth Only are invited to "Get
to Know Your NFB Hotel Home," convention orientation for youth.
This activity for blind and sighted teens gives them a chance to
become familiar with the hotel, meet other teens, and learn more
about the NFB and the NFB Convention experience.

     On Monday, June 30, two one-hour Cane Walks for Blind
Children and youth will take place from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and
10:30 to 11:30 a.m., location to be announced at the Parents
Seminar on Sunday. This activity is an introduction to the use of
the cane for blind children and youth (toddlers to teens) who
have never used a cane or are just beginning to use one.
Instructors Joe Cutter and Arlene Hill (and other volunteer
Federation instructors under their supervision) will give hands-
on demonstration of basic cane techniques and then take the group
on a Cane Walk through the hotel. Canes and sleepshades will be
provided. There is no fee, but participants are urged to
preregister for the Cane Walk. You may do so on Sunday, June 29,
at Parents Seminar registration, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., or at the
noon recess. Please remember that this is not for experienced
cane travelers, and it is only for blind children, youth, and
their parents.
     From 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., youth can drop in and get to know
who's here. adults will be on hand throughout the afternoon to
orient newly arrived youth to the hotel, the NFB, and the NFB
Convention. Supervision will also be provided for youth who want
to meet other youth and hang-out together.

     From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children will conduct its annual
meeting.

     On Wednesday, July 2 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Ruby Ryles and
Ron Gardner will conduct an IEP Workshop.

     Thursday,July 3, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. will be "Kids and
Canes," a drop-in-anytime discussion group and slide/video
presentation, conducted by Joe Cutter.

          The National Organization of the Senior Blind

     The National Organization of the Senior Blind, a division of
the National Federation of the Blind, was formed at the National
Convention in Anaheim, California, last summer.
     The elected officers are Christine Hall, President; Ray
McGeorge, First Vice President; Kathy Randall, Second Vice
President; Paul Dressell, Secretary; and Don Pruitt, Treasurer.
If you have ideas, suggestions, or comments regarding the
division meeting to be held in New Orleans this summer or on
networking throughout the nation, please send them to Christine
Hall, 3404 C. Indian School Road, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106,
or call [phone].

                    NFB NET Training Seminar

     No matter where you turn today, you are likely to hear
references to the information superhighway. With all this
interest many blind people feel the need to get and use a modem
so that they aren't left out.
     In the National Federation of the Blind we have had our own
information superhighway since June 1, 1991, in the form of NFB
NET, our computer bulletin board service (BBS). That was the date
when NFB NET officially went online. In addition, we connected
our information superhighway to the other one this year when we
made the resources of NFB NET available through the Internet.
     Once again this year we will conduct a training session for
NFB NET users. The session, which will be held on Sunday, June
29, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, is designed for new modem users,
for people who haven't accessed NFB NET before, for people who
want to learn how to connect to NFB NET through the Internet, and
for people who want to learn more about the capabilities of our
BBS.
     Topics will include telecommunications basics, using your
modem and communications software, connecting using Telnet and
the Internet, registering for NFB NET, navigating around, reading
and entering messages, downloading the Braille Monitor and other
files, finding files, setting up off-line reading facilities, and
more. David Andrews, Systems Operator (SysOp) of NFB NET, will
also answer your questions.
     If you don't know what that paragraph means and you would
like to, perhaps you had better attend the annual NFB NET
training session on Sunday, June 29, starting at 9:00 a.m. Check
the pre-convention agenda once you are in New Orleans for the
location. See you online.

                    Public Employees Division

     The Public Employees Division of the National Federation of
the Blind will meet during this year's National Convention. We
plan to meet at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 1. The division will
have a briefing from the Office of Personnel Management on
changes in federal hiring and retention practices as well as the
new electronic means of finding federal job opportunities. We
will also discuss the increasing use of alternative dispute
resolution techniques to solve disputes. Finally, several blind
public employees will discuss their jobs.
     Times of change are times in which those who are prepared
can take advantage of changes and improve themselves. What skills
will be in demand in the next few years in federal, state, or
local government? As down-sizing takes place, inevitably scarce
job categories begin to appear. How can we learn of these and
take advantage of the knowledge? As usual, we will have three
people discuss their public sector jobs.
     If you have questions or suggestions for additional
speakers, please contact John Halverson, President, National
Federation of the Blind, Public Employees Division, 403 West 62nd
Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64113, telephone [phone]
work, [phone] home, e-mail [e-mail] or
[e-mail]

                     Social Security Seminar

     An outreach seminar (Social Security and Supplemental
Security Income: What Applicants, Advocates, and Recipients
Should Know) will take place on Thursday afternoon, July 3. The
purpose of this seminar, which will be conducted jointly by the
National Federation of the Blind and the Social Security
Administration, is to provide information on Social Security and
Supplemental Security Income benefits for the blind. Seminar
presenters will be Jim Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs
for the National Federation of the Blind, and Tom Gloss, Special
Assistant to the Associate Commissioner for Disability, Office of
Disability, Social Security Administration.

                        Writers' Division

     The Writers' Division of the NFB will hold its division
meeting and program on Tuesday afternoon at the National
Convention in New Orleans. We plan a highly interesting and
productive program and have several copies of our exciting new
book, Summit, available for purchase in large print, tape, or
Braille. We have a great record of outstanding presentations, and
the 1997 meeting should be no exception; we will cover poetry,
short story fiction, and other areas of interest. Expect some
time to be set aside for poetry reading--contact Tom Stevens to
get your bid in for time on the agenda. Winners of the 1997
Poetry and Short Story Fiction Contests will also be announced.
     The Division will also conduct a workshop on the Sunday
morning following the convention. Topics scheduled for
presentation include short story fiction, poetry, and blindness-
related issues in the media. Attendance at this workshop will
cost $5, while Division dues are $5 for new members and $10 for
renewals. Benefits include the quarterly magazine, Slate and
Style, plus notification of poetry and fiction contests. Contact
Tom Stevens, [phone].

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Roland Allen
PHOTO/CAPTION: Joanne Wilson
PHOTO/CAPTION: Pam Dubel
PHOTO/CAPTION: Neita Ghrigsby
PHOTO/CAPTION: Patti McGahan]
                             Recipes

     This month we are again departing from the alphabetical tour
of the United States to take a culinary look at Louisiana in
preparation for the convention this summer. Members of the NFB of
Louisiana have contributed some of their favorite recipes to
inspire you to come enjoy the world-renowned cuisine of
Louisiana. You will note that several of the following recipes
include Creole seasoning. The Louisiana affiliate will be selling
this irreplaceable combination of spices at its table in the
exhibit hall during the convention this summer.

                        Creole Pork Chops
                         by Roland Allen

     Whenever a potluck dinner is planned, everyone at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind requests Roland Allen's Creole
Pork Chop casserole. Roland, who is from New Orleans, teaches
cane travel at the Center; is President of the North Central
Chapter of the NFB of Louisiana; and, when he can find time,
enjoys preparing this dish for friends and co-workers.

Ingredients:
8 pork chops
2 large onions
1 bell pepper
3 potatoes
3-4 carrots
1 can tomato soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies
Creole seasoning

     Method: Season pork chops with creole seasoning and brown
lightly in a heavy skillet. Chop onions and bell peppers; quarter
potatoes and carrots. Place pork chops in a 9-by-13-inch pan and
layer vegetables on top of meat. In a large bowl mix soup and
tomatoes together. Pour this mixture over the meat and
vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 350
degrees.


                            Jambalaya
                       by Terrence Jeffery

     There are many ways to prepare Jambalaya, but Terrence
Jeffery, who is from New Orleans and currently a student at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind, has developed his own recipe. It
is a favorite at the Center. It serves ten to twelve.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 stick butter or margarine
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless, raw chicken breast, chopped
4 cups uncooked rice
8 cups water
Creole seasoning
Cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet for coloring

     Method: In a five-quart pot, melt the butter and saut`e
onions, bell pepper, and celery until tender and slightly
browned. Add bite-size pieces of chicken breast and saute for
approximately five minutes in covered pot. Then add sliced smoked
sausage and saute another five minutes with pan covered. Remove
lid and add four cups rice and eight cups water. Season with
creole seasoning and Cayenne pepper to taste. Add three
tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet and stir gently. Let mixture come to
a vigorous boil with lid off (approximately fifteen to twenty
minutes). Lower heat and simmer covered for ten minutes or until
rice nears desired tenderness. (Do not stir during cooking.) Turn
heat off. Leave lid on and allow mixture to simmer about five
more minutes in residual heat. Eat and enjoy!


                          Bread Pudding
                        by Joanne Wilson

     Joanne Wilson is the President of the National Federation of
the Blind of Louisiana and Executive Director of the Louisiana
Center for the Blind. She is also the queen of desserts in the
state affiliate. This is one of her favorites.


Ingredients:
1 loaf day-old French bread (1-1/2 feet long)
1 quart milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
3 tablespoons butter

     Method: In a large bowl break bread into bite-sized pieces.
Cover with milk and soak one hour. Mix well. Add eggs and sugar.
Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins. Melt butter and gently
stir in. Bake one hour at 350 degrees in a lightly greased 13-by-
9-inch baking dish.

                              Sauce

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
 1/4 cup bourbon

     Method: In the top of a double boiler melt butter and stir
in sugar. Gradually whisk in egg. Cool slightly. Gently stir in
bourbon. If serving right away, pour warm sauce over pudding. If
not, warm slightly before serving.


                         Shrimp Etouffee
                          by Pam Dubel

     Pam Dubel works with blind infants and toddlers and their
parents and also supervises the training of classroom aides to
teach Braille throughout Louisiana.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
 1/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1-1/2 cup small or medium peeled raw shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
 1/3 cup thinly sliced green shallot tops
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 cup cold water
2 cups hot water (approximately)

     Method: In a heavy five- to six-quart pot, melt butter over
low heat. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly. Cook over low
heat until mixture forms a roux, medium brown in color (about
fifteen to twenty minutes). Quickly add the onion, bell pepper,
celery, and garlic, and cook until vegetables are tender (about
twenty minutes). Add shrimp, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice,
shallot tops, and parsley, and mix well. Add one cup cold water
and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about twelve
minutes, or until shrimp are tender, stirring frequently. Shortly
before serving, heat the etouffee slowly over a low flame and
gradually add one to two cups hot water to provide the gravy.
Serve over boiled rice made as follows:

                           Boiled Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter or margarine

     Method: Combine all ingredients in a heavy three-quart
saucepan with a tight-fitting cover and bring to a boil over high
heat. Stir once with a fork, then cover tightly and reduce the
heat to very low. Cook covered for exactly fifteen minutes. Do
not lift the cover during cooking. Remove the pan from heat,
uncover, and fluff the rice gently with a fork.


                        Shrimp Fettuccine
                        by Neita Ghrigsby

     Neita Ghrigsby has been the Office Manager at the Louisiana
Center for the Blind ever since its opening in 1986. This dish is
much less complicated than Shrimp Etouffee; however, your guests
will be equally impressed with the results. It serves four to
six.

Ingredients:
5 green onions, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound peeled, raw shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fettuccine, uncooked
 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

     Method: In a large skillet saute onions, mushrooms, and
garlic in ½ stick butter and oil. Add shrimp and saute until
pink. Pour off excess liquid. Season with salt, cover, and keep
warm.
     Cook fettuccine in salted boiling water according to package
instructions. Drain. In saucepan melt remaining ½ stick butter.
Add noodles, cheese, and cream. Mix well and combine with shrimp
mixture. Sprinkle with parsley, toss, and serve immediately.


                    Louisiana Pecan Pralines
                        by Patti McGahan

     Patti McGahan is the Program Supervisor at the Louisiana
Center for the Blind. She has been with the LCB for six and a
half years.

Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar, not packed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/16 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups pecan halves

     Method: In a saucepan, using a wooden spoon, mix sugars,
milk, butter, syrup, and salt. Cook to soft ball stage, about ten
minutes. Test by dropping a small amount of mixture into cold
water. Tiny ball of candy should be soft when picked up with
fingers. Remove from heat; add vanilla and nuts. Beat until
mixture begins to thicken, about one minute. Drop by teaspoonfuls
onto buttered waxed paper. Makes two dozen.


                       Monitor Miniatures

Getting in Touch With Literacy:
     David Andrews of Minnesota writes to pass along the
following announcement:
     Mark your calendar for the Third Biennial Conference of
Getting in Touch with Literacy, a national conference focusing on
the needs of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. It
will be held at the Radisson Plaza Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
September 25, 26, and 27, 1997. It is organized by Minnesota
Teachers of the Blind & Visually Impaired; Minnesota State
Services for the Blind; National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota; Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and
Learning; Minnesota Deaf/Blind Technical Assistance Project;
Minnesota State Academy for the Blind and Visually Impaired; AER
of Minnesota; and the Wisconsin Bureau of Exceptional Children.
     Help us make The third Biennial Conference exceptionally
exciting, a conference of innovative as well as practical
applications to literacy in all stages of life. For further
information contact Jean Martin, Minnesota Resource Center for
the Blind/Visually Impaired, Box 308, Faribault, Minnesota
55021-0308 [phone], e-mail [e-mail]

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Carol Castellano and her daughter Serena
PHOTO/CAPTION: Joe Ruffalo]
Changing What it Means to be Blind--One School Assembly at a
Time:
     We recently received the following little piece from Carol
Castellano. It is a useful reminder to us all of the importance
of taking the time to talk with school children. It also nicely
summarizes the goals of such programs. This is what she says:
     Last week three members of the National Federation of the
Blind of New Jersey--Joe Ruffalo, affiliate President; Ed
Lewinson, President of the Northern Chapter of the NFB of New
Jersey; and I, President of New Jersey Parents of Blind Children-
-visited an elementary school to make a presentation about
blindness. We were to speak at two assemblies, one for the older
students and one for the younger.
     The school principal introduced us to each group. In her
first introduction she said, "Boys and girls, as you know, today
is the kickoff of Helping Hands Week at Washington School, and
this assembly is the first of many activities. Our guests today
are members of the National Federation of the Blind, and for
Helping Hands Week they are going to tell us how we can help the
blind." We then went on to give our presentation.
     After the second group of students took their places in the
school's auditorium, the principal once again introduced us. But
this time, after having heard what we had to say in the first
assembly, she said with great enthusiasm, "Boys and girls, we are
lucky to have with us today members of the National Federation of
the Blind. They are going to tell us all about how blind people
do just what everyone else does, simply by using different tools
and methods!"

     Incidentally, here are the objectives we kept in mind as we
spoke to the students:
         For students to understand that blind people live full,
          normal, productive lives, complete with jobs, families,
          friends, and fun
         For students to understand that blind people learn and
          use simple, effective methods for doing tasks that
          sighted people do with eyesight
         For students to gain familiarity with the basic skills
          of blindness
         For students to understand how a blind child gets an
          education
         For students to conclude that blind people are not
          helpless and do not need to be watched over.

Hoping to Buy:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     I would like to buy a used Kurzweil Reading Edge in good
condition and English and Spanish recognition cards, which would
allow the Kurzweil to read in either language. Contact Gerardo
Corripio in Braille or print at 9226 Wellsworth Drive, Houston,
Texas 77083, or call [phone] weekdays after 2:30 p.m. or
all day on weekends.

New Reading Service Available:
     Ben Bazo, President of the Northwest Florida Radio Reading
Service, Inc., has asked us to carry the following announcement:
     "The Voice of Print" of the Northwest Florida Radio Reading
Service, Inc., announces that we now have a toll-free phone
number at your service. It is available twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. An answering machine will take your call. Tell
us your reading request, leave your name and number, and your
call will be returned as soon as possible. We will record any
personal material on tape: manuals, religious books, recipes,
address books, etc. This is a free service for the blind and
physically handicapped. We also have hurricane preparedness tapes
available. Call 941-2888 (local) or [phone] (toll free).

Recipe Tapes Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     Recipe collections on 90-minute cassettes, including
diabetic, microwave meals, one-dish meals, crock pot recipes,
low-fat/low-cholesterol, vegetarian, and cookies. Tapes are $12
each. Send check, money order, or cash to Janet Murphy, 24A
Coddington St., Newport, Rhode Island 02840. All tapes will be
sent out the day your order is received.

Technical Brailling Service Planned:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     If you are a blind engineer, mathematician, or scientist,
you may be interested in the Technical Braille Center being
established by a nonprofit organization. This center will produce
highly technical material in Braille or in a special file format.
Mathematics will be done in the Nemeth Code. Tactile graphics
will be included where practical. Books will be available to
anyone at prices that will depend on the cost of production. To
secure funding to get the service started, information is needed
on how many people might use it and the kinds of technical
materials that are most needed. Please contact John J. Boyer at
Computers to Help People, Inc., 825 East Johnson Street, Madison,
Wisconsin 53703, [phone], e-mail [e-mail]

Elected:
     Norma Gonzales Baker, Secretary of the Austin Chapter of the
NFB of Texas, reports the chapter's recent election of officers.
They are Wanda Hamm, President; Mary Ward, First Vice President;
Zena Pearcy, Second Vice President; Norma Gonzales Baker,
Secretary; Margaret "Cokie" Craig, Treasurer; and Jim Shaffer and
Mike Waddles, Board Members.

Braille Atlas of the Middle East Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     This collection of tactile maps of the Middle East covers
seventeen countries from Egypt in the west to Iran in the east,
from Turkey in the north to Yemen in the south, and all
countries, large and small, in between. The countries are
arranged alphabetically; each country is introduced by a page of
facts in Braille, followed by key information and a full-page map
showing major cities, physical features, and points of interest.
In a few cases two maps are needed to show this information. The
scale of the maps varies from twelve miles per inch for Lebanon,
one of the smallest countries, to 120 miles per inch for Saudi
Arabia. Both the maps and the factual information are adapted
from The World Today Series: The Middle East and South Asia,
1996, by Malcolm B. Russell, Stryker-Post Publications, West
Virginia.
     Five introductory maps provide an overall view of the Middle
East. These maps show the location of the Middle East in the
Eastern Hemisphere, the boundaries of the seventeen countries,
the elevation, the climate, and the location of the oil fields.
     Some experience with tactile graphics is recommended. The
complete Atlas consists of sixty-nine Brailon pages, including
twenty-five pages of maps, bound with cardboard covers and a
multi-ring binder. Cost, $20 including shipping. Allow four to
six weeks for delivery. Order from Princeton Braillists, 28-B
Portsmouth Street, Whiting, New Jersey 08759 or call (908) 350-
3708.

Technical Summer Internships Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     AAAS and IBM announce a program to provide outstanding
summer opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with
disabilities who are pursuing technical fields. The American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is committed to
strengthening the role of disabled professionals in the
advancement of technology for all industries. In that spirit we
are participating in a precedent-setting partnership with IBM.
Continually seeking the brightest minds anywhere, we hope to
place qualified students with disabilities in internships
throughout the country. We want to offer opportunities to work
with people who are transforming the world using technologies
that won't reach the classroom for years.
     Take Matt King, for example. When he's not working hard
designing database software for a mobile workstation, using
computer screen-reading equipment and a Braille printer, he is
training for paralympic gold. Backed by IBM, there's little that
stands in Matt's way.
     Think about it. An internship at IBM can get you where you
really want to be--up close with the hottest industry-advancing
projects on the planet. You'll be amazed at how quickly we'll
start applying your skills. In one summer you can get more real-
world experience than most students get in four years.
     The 1997 summer program lasts from ten to twelve weeks.
There may be opportunities for successive summer internships and
potential placement upon graduation. To be eligible you must be
majoring in a technical field, e.g., computer science,
engineering, mathematics, or physical science. Provide a copy of
your resume, current GPA, and contact information.
     IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and proud
to be an equal opportunity employer. This program is open to U.S.
citizens or nationals; permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or
those authorized to work under the amnesty provision of U.S.
immigration law. Contact Laureen Summers, AAAS, [phone]
(phone/TDD) [phone] or e-mail, [e-mail]

PHOTO/CAPTION: Joe and Patricia Miller and new daughter Alexandra Juliet]
New Baby:
     Many Federationists know Joe and Patricia Miller. Mr. Miller
is largely responsible for seeing that the National Office
computer network behaves properly and does what it's requested to
do. Mrs. Miller served as President Maurer's Secretary for a
number of years before she took over direction of the Records
Center. On Wednesday, March 12, at 1:00 a.m., the Millers'
daughter Alexandra Juliet made her first appearance in the world.
She measured 18½ inches in length and weighed 6 pounds, eleven
ounces. All three members of the Miller family are doing well,
and the proud parents report that Alexandra is extraordinarily
beautiful. Congratulations to the Millers.

Extended Technical Support Hours at Blazie Engineering:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     Blazie Engineering has increased its weekly hours of
available telephone technical support by 33 percent. Effective
immediately, customers with questions about Blazie products can
call Blazie any time between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday, at [phone].
     This extra telephone availability arrives in conjunction
with the recent release of the Braille 'n Speak 2000 personal
data assistant. New, feature-laden Braille 'n Speak 2000 is a
stand-alone word processor with voice output, a fully adjustable
speech synthesizer, a Braille-to-print translator, and much more.
The 2000-Series upgrade also comes standard on Type 'n Speak and
Braille Lite 18 personal data assistants from Blazie.
     Blazie Engineering's customers with Internet access can also
find help there. Visit blazie.com on the World Wide Web to
download files, link to other blindness-related sites, catalog-
browse, or access product demos and manuals. Also available are
e-mail discussion groups known as list-servers. These are forums
of dialogue between users of Blazie products and Blazie
Engineering tech support personnel.
     For more information on Blazie Engineering's extended
telephone support hours, Braille 'n Speak 2000, or Blazie's e-
mail discussion groups, contact Blazie Engineering, 105 East
Jarrettsville Road, Forest Hill, Maryland 21050, or call (410)
893-9333. On the World Wide Web visit http://www.blazie.com

Laminating Service Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     I will laminate address cards for mailing cassettes. The
lamination process provides much longer use without the cards'
being worn out or ruined by weather. The size of the lamination
can range from a business card up to a 4-by-6-inch card. The cost
of this service varies. Business cards and wallet-sized pictures
cost fifty cents each. Anything bigger than this costs $1 each.
If the customer would like me to type out all of the information
on the card, the cost is $1.25 per card. I must receive all of
the information, including correct spellings, for the address
cards in Braille or on cassette. I will only accept money orders
and cashier's checks as payment. If there are any questions about
this service, please contact Claudia Del Real, 2346 Birch Ave.,
Whiting, Indiana 46393-2135, [phone].

Guitar-by-Ear Course Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     A new guitar course just for the visually impaired has been
released. The all-cassette course (nothing to see or read) was
created by Bill Brown, who has been teaching guitar for over
twenty-five years. The cost of the course is $34.95, which
includes shipping and access to a tuning hot-line in case the
student needs help tuning the guitar. After completing the
course, the student will know the basic chords in first position,
the most commonly used rhythm patterns for these chords, several
songs using these cords and patterns, the names of the notes on
the strings, and several songs using these notes. The student
will also be able to access the entire Guitar-by-Ear library of
guitar songs. To order the course, send a check for $34.95 to
Bill Brown, 704 Habersham Road, Valdosta, Georgia 31602. If you
have further questions, you may call Bill Brown at (912) 249-
0628.

Braille Magazines Wanted:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     I would appreciate receiving pass-along copies of the
following Braille magazines: Reader's Digest; National
Geographic; Fortune; the Isaac Asimov Science Fiction magazine;
the New York Times, Braille edition; or any other Braille
magazines with fiction features. I am deaf and blind. Any letters
must be in Braille. Contact Gordon Janz, 101-2425 Brunswick St.,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5T 3ML.

Omni 1000 Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     The vision of Ray Kurzweil is helping to enhance the lives
of blind and visually impaired people by allowing them greater
independence and improved productivity. His new PC-based reading
system, Omni 1000, converts the printed word into speech. This
leading edge technology offers the most accurate optical
character recognition (OCR) and the clearest synthetic speech
available. Omni 1000 features a 40,000-word dictionary and the
ability to operate the system using your voice, among its useful
features.
     Omni 1000 is available for as low as $995 for software only
or for just under $4000 as a complete system (pentium PC,
scanner, and software). Upgrade your Arkenstone, Oscar, Xerox,
etc., reading machine and receive an Omni 1000 plus for just
$595. For more information, please contact Kurzweil Educational
Systems, Inc., 411 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, Massachusetts
02154, [phone], e-mail: [e-mail] or visit our
website at www.kurzweiledu.com

Elected:
     At its January, 1997, meeting the North Central Chapter of
the NFB of Louisiana elected the following new officers: Josh
Boudreaux, President; Brenda Walburn, First Vice President;
Constance Connolly, Second Vice President; Pam Dubel, Secretary;
Harold Wilson, Treasurer; and Arlene Hill and Eddie Culp, Board
members.

Hoping to Buy:
     I am looking for a Sharp Talking Time One talking alarm
clock. If you have one for sale or if you know where I can
purchase one, please call Tony Lewis at [phone] or write
1211 Paru, Apt. E, Alameda, California 94501.

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Jim and Olivia Ostergaard]
Letter from a Very Young Federationist:
     Allow me to introduce myself. My name is James Randall
Ostergaard, son of Jim and Olivia Ostergaard of the Fresno,
California, Chapter. I arrived on January 15, 1997, at 12:33 a.m.
I weighed seven pounds, four ounces and was nineteen and three-
fourths inches long.
     I am looking forward to attending NFB meetings. I am
especially interested in the Parents of Blind Children Division.
Maybe they can help my mommy and daddy learn how to take care of
me. Maybe I'll have my mommy tell you about some of the things
we've been experiencing that first-time blind parents need to
know.
     I am excited about life and look forward to being a
Federationist. I know the California affiliate has been waiting a
long time for me to get here. So tell Willows and the gang that
I'm rarin' to go after I grow up a little.
     Thanks for reading my letter. Here's to a better Federation!
                                                       Sincerely,
                                         James Randall Ostergaard

Position Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     Research Director. Full-time, professional position.
Qualifications: earned doctorate in rehabilitation counseling or
a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
CRC preferred. Five years experience in conducting applied
rehabilitation research and/or in grants management activities
with a minimum of two years experience in applied rehabilitation
research. Demonstrated success in securing research grants.
Expertise in computerized statistical packages, spreadsheet
packages, and other research techniques required. Applicants must
be able to coordinate and direct research activities of the
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low
Vision at Mississippi State University. Salary: negotiable,
depending upon training and experience. Applications will be
accepted until the position is filled. Send letter of
application, resume, three letters of reference, and transcripts
to John Maxson, Chair, Screening Committee, RRTC on Blindness and
Low Vision, P.O. Drawer 6189, Mississippi State University,
Mississippi 39762. Questions regarding the position can also be
sent to [e-mail] or call [phone]. MSU is an
Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Dr. C. Edwin Vaughan]
NAC Takes a Hit in the Journal of Rehabilitation:
     The January/February/March, 1997, issue of the Journal of
Rehabilitation, perhaps the most prestigious publication in the
general rehabilitation field, published an article titled, "Why
Accreditation Failed Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually
Impaired." The author was C. Edwin Vaughan, Professor of
Sociology at the University of Missouri at Columbia. The
article's abstract tells the sorry NAC tale. The handful of
agencies still clinging to NAC accreditation would do well to
read this history and consider their actions in the light of the
field's decision to move on, leaving NAC behind. This is what the
abstract says:

     Four major organizations provide national accrediting
services for rehabilitation agencies. National accreditation
becomes increasingly important when both consumers of services
and those who provide economic support for these agencies expect
increased accountability. The most specialized of these national
agencies is the National Accreditation Council for Agencies
Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC). NAC grew out of
a two-year planning process which culminated in the establishment
of the new accrediting organization in 1967. Its founders
envisioned accrediting more than five hundred agencies that
provided education and rehabilitation services to people who are
blind. Throughout its history NAC has been opposed by well-
organized consumers of services and has not attracted the support
of most agencies. It has never reached its envisioned goals and
is now declining. This article reviews the history of this
accrediting organization and discusses the reasons for continuous
and intense consumer and professional resistance. It analyzes why
different occupational groups within this field failed to unite
in support of NAC and provides data documenting its rapid decline
during the past decade. The article concludes by exploring
available alternatives for agencies in the blindness field when
accreditation fails.

PHOTO/CAPTION: David Stayer]
Elected to Serve:
     On December 11, 1996, David Stayer, one of the leaders of
the National Federation of the Blind of New York, was elected to
chair the Rehabilitation Advisory Council of the New York State
Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped.
Congratulations to David Stayer and to the Commission's Advisory
Council.

Scholarships for Part-time Students Available:
     The George Washington University is pleased to invite
applicants for the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship for Blind
Part-time Students. The scholarship fund was established by
Barbara Jackman Zuckert in 1985 to assist visually impaired or
blind students seeking higher education at The George Washington
University. It is the goal of this scholarship to encourage
enrollment of visually impaired or blind students by extending
financial assistance when other sources of support are not
available.
     The purpose of the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship for
Blind Part-Time Students is now amended to include learning-
disabled students who have a significant deficit in the area of
reading. These may be students, primarily those with dyslexia,
who qualify for and use books on tape, such as those designed
primarily for sight-impaired persons.
     Applicants for the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship must
submit a complete application (including a financial aid
statement), a letter of application, certification of disability,
and a high school or college transcript to the selection
committee. Applications must be postmarked no later than May 30,
1997. Applications can be obtained from the George Washington
University, Disability Support Services, Marvin Center 436, 800
21st Street, N.W., Washington, DC  20052. Please feel free to
call Christy Willis, Director, Disability Support Services, (202)
994-8250, if you have any further questions.

[PHOTO: The picture is of two horse-drawn wagons with iron-rimmed wheels. The
wagons are filled with bulging canvas mail sacks, and the two drivers are
about to give their horses the command to go. CAPTION: Horse-drawn wagons
outside the Ziegler Magazine's plant on Manhattan's West 53rd Street prepare
to haul the Braille publication to the post office. The photo was taken in
1907.]
Ninetieth Anniversary Celebration:
     We recently received this picture and press release:
     With its March issue, the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the
Blind completed ninety years of uninterrupted publication--a
record most print publications cannot match. The Ziegler came
into existence in 1907 following the serendipitous meeting of
Mrs. William Ziegler, who had a blind son, and a Tennessee
newspaper man, Walter G. Holmes, who had a blind brother. He knew
how difficult and expensive it was for blind people to find
materials they could read with their fingers. For example, the
then-popular book, Ben Hur, which cost one dollar in print, cost
$10.50 in an embossed form.
     After meeting Mr. Holmes in 1905, Mrs. Ziegler agreed to pay
all the costs of an embossed magazine if he would edit it. To
this arrangement he readily agreed, and the first issue was
mailed to subscribers in March, 1907. It required two horse-drawn
wagons to haul the dozens of mail bags stuffed with the bulky
raised-dot publication from the magazine's Manhattan plant to the
post office.
     At that time Braille was not the most widely-used embossed
reading system. The first run of the Ziegler Magazine, therefore,
had only 2,000 copies in Braille, but had 5,000 in the popular
New York Point.
     The Ziegler was a pioneering publication in other ways. It
was the first publication to solve the problem of embossing both
sides of a sheet of paper without crushing the dots on the first
side. What is now called "Free Matter for the Blind or
Handicapped" was also pioneered by the magazine. As early as 1904
books lent out by libraries for the blind could be mailed free of
postage. In 1910 editor Walter G. Holmes instigated legislation
that would allow magazines for the blind also to be mailed
postage-free. This legislation was designed specifically to spare
the Ziegler from second-class postage but has since benefited
every comparable periodical for the blind and physically
handicapped.
     A free subscription may be had by anyone who can read
Braille or has a four-track, half-speed cassette player. For
details contact Ziegler Magazine, 80 8th Ave., Room 1304, New
York, New York 10011, [phone]. Fax [phone], e-mail:
[e-mail] Home page: www.zieglermag.org
     A history of the magazine, The Ziegler Magazine Story, is
available free of charge in Braille, standard speed cassette, or
large print from the above address.