                       
The Blind Californian


             Quarterly Magazine of the

          CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND


Fall 1995                          Volume 39 No. 4


   Published in Braille, Cassette, Diskette, and
Large Print



           Mitchell Pomerantz, President
                 213-851-5148 Res.


                 EXECUTIVE OFFICE:
             3919 West Magnolia Blvd.
             Burbank, California 91505

                   800-221-6359
                   818-557-6372
                Fax:  818-557-6539
              CCBNET/BBS 916-568-6359


        SACRAMENTO AREA OFFICE:  Cid Urena,
916-371-1514
      1399 Sacramento Avenue SP 25, Bryte, CA
95605

       BAY AREA OFFICE:  Cathie Skivers 510-
357-1986
       836 Resota Street, Hayward, CA 94545

      Please send all address changes to the
Executive Office in Burbank.
             Editor: Winifred Downing 
                 1587 38th Avenue
             San Francisco, CA 94122 




                   ------------


Call the "CALIFORNIA CONNECTION"  at 800-
221-6359 for an update on legislation and
CCB events.  Monday through Friday after 5
p.m. and all day on weekends.  On Thursdays
it is offered in Spanish after 5 p.m.

                 ----------------


Nonmembers are requested and members are
invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10
toward the printing of The Blind Californian.  

                   ------------



If you or a friend would like to remember the
California Council of the Blind in your will, you
can do so by employing the following
language:

"I give, devise, and bequeath unto the
California Council of the Blind, a nonprofit
charitable organization in California, the sum
of $---- (or
----) to be used for its worthy purposes on
behalf of blind persons."

If your wishes are more complex, you may
have your attorney  communicate with the
Burbank office for other suggested forms.
Thank you.

                   ------------

                 TABLE OF CONTENTS
FROM THE EDITOR, by Winifred Downing  . . . . . .1

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: TOGETHER WE
STAND!
by Mitchell Pomerantz . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

CCB CONVENTIOn REPORT, SPRING, 1995, 
by Brian Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

VOLUNTEERS, by Dona Cook  . . . . . . . . . . . 11

A BLIND JOURNALIST SPEAKS HIS MIND, 
by Daveed Mandell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

EMPLOYMENT IN THE 90'S: IS THE CCB 
A FRIEND OR FOE? by Cathy Schmitt . . . . . . . 13

TESTIMONY CONCERNING ONE STOP CREER
CENTERS,
by Mitchell Pomerantz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

WILD TIME ON THE WHITE WATER, by Rose
Resnick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

THE VOLUNTEERS OF VACAVILLE: A GREAT
RESOURCE,
by Connie Skeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE, by Rob Cook  . . . . . 20

ACB CONVENTION REPORT, 1995, by Teddie
Remhild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

THE GOOD OLD LOW-TECH DAYS, by Grace
Napier  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

RESOLUTIONS, by Al Gil  . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE, by Ken Metz  . . . . . . . 30

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, by Sharon
Hutton  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

BULLETIN BOARD, by Ruth Dean  . . . . . . . . . 33

REPORT ON STATE LEGISLATION, bby Cid
Urena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

PROFILE: COLETTA DAVIS, by Brian Hall . . . . . 40

EAST BAY COULD LOSE BUS SERVICE: CCB
MUST ACT
NOW, by Daveed Mandell  . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

AWARDS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

WAS SALLY RAPED? CHARACTERISTICS OF
ACQUAINTANCE
RAPE by Millicent Collingsworth and Lisa
Gaeta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

FEDERAL LEGISLATION, by Cathie Skivers  . . . . 54

TECHTALK: TASMANIA TO TARZANA, by
Kenneth Frasse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

TIME WILL TELL,by Cathie Skivers  . . . . . . . 64

WHAT IS VOLUNTNEERING, by Bernice
Kandarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

AROUND THE STATE AND NATION . . . . . . . . . . 69

CCB OFFICERS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE  . . . . . . . . . . 76


                   ------------
                 FROM THE EDITOR 

                by Winifred Downing

I've really enjoyed working on the BC.  I
thought I would be busy for 
a month in each quarter; but I find that,
having the next issue always in mind, I'm
constantly reading and listening with the
magazine in view.  It takes lots of hours to
assemble all the articles, make necessary
corrections, proofread them several times, get
the page numbering settled in order to prepare
the contents page, and send disk copies to
MSMT for the large print and to Braille
Institute for the braille version.  Fortunately I
have the hours to give now that I am retired. 


I've had the pleasure of coming to know a
number of CCB members who were just
names before; and I've experienced many
kindnesses and much consideration in the
preparation of the last two issues.  Members
of the Publications Committee have written
excellent articles, and one committee member
helped to rescue me from a computer problem
by transferring material from WordPerfect 6 to
WordPerfect 5.1.  Fifteen contributors sent in
their material several weeks before the
deadline so that I wouldn't be swamped at
the 1st of September.  Barbara and Marni
have been great, too.  Marni records print
articles onto tape when it doesn't look as if
they will scan well; and Barbara actually types
the material she gets onto disks so that all I
have to do is import the file.  Thank You to all
who have made my new job a real pleasure!

I've been delighted that some people who
aren't Publications Committee members or
designated to write by their affiliates have
submitted articles to express their thoughts
and interests.  The BC belongs to CCB
members, and I'm glad they use it as they
should.  

It occurred to me that we might have a
Letters-to-the-Editor section in which people
might comment on an article in the previous
issue or on any subject they feel appropriate
for this kind of magazine.  There are at least
two articles in this Fall issue which might
provoke comment, both positive and negative. 
If you contribute something for this column,
please be sure to label it Letters to the Editor. 
Let's get some real controversy going!

In the summer issue we altered the large print
version by ceasing the practice of having all
the lines even at the right margin.  To
accomplish that very neat appearance, some
words must have the letters spread out and
some must be crammed into a small space. 
Some of our readers felt that these practices
made the reading difficult, and we believe that
ease in handling the material is more
important than a really neat appearance.  We
had hoped that some of you would comment
on the change so that we know which of the
two ways of presenting the material meets
the wishes of the most large print readers. 
As a matter of fact, neither the office nor I
have received any reaction at all. 

The deadline for submitting articles or letters
for the winter issue is December 1.  That's a
particularly busy time of year for everyone so
prepare your submissions a long time ahead. 


PRESIDENT'S UPDATE: TOGETHER WE
STAND!

by Mitchell Pomerantz

Greetings everyone!  This update is something
of a departure from what you have probably
come to expect from a President's Column. 
This will be both a follow-up to an issue
brought to our Spring Convention in the form
of a resolution, as well as an editorial.

As you may remember, the Randolph
Sheppard Vendors of California (RSVC)
submitted what became Resolution 95-A6
concerning offensive remarks made about
women and minority vendors by the Editor of
the Vendorscope, the Publication of ACB's
affiliate for vendors.  This resolution was
passed overwhelmingly by our membership,
and I subsequently drafted a very strong
cover letter to submit along with that
resolution.  The letter reads as follows:

June 27, 1995
Mitchell Pomerantz, President
California Council of the Blind
3919 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA  91505

Raymond Washburn, President
Randolph Sheppard Vendors of America
1916 N. W. 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Dear Sir:

I am writing as President of the California
Council of the Blind regarding comments
made by the Editor of your Publication,
Vendorscope, Volume 26, No. 1, Spring 1995
Issue.  Those comments resulted in Resolution
95-A6, which was passed at the Spring
Convention of the California Council of the
Blind (copy attached).

I was made aware of the editorial in question
even before the President of the Randolph
Sheppard Vendors of California, Ms. Patricia
Evans, brought a draft resolution to our
convention.  Frankly Mr. Washburn, I was
personally appalled by your Editor's gratuitous
opinions, and I consider myself a political
conservative and typically vote accordingly.

Such comments have absolutely no place in a
publication which is perceived as representing
RSVA directly, and ACB indirectly.  It might
be barely acceptable to print such views if
they had been submitted by an RSVA
member, and not the Editor of your official
publication.  While the First Amendment
certainly gives him the legal right to write
whatever he chooses, the question of
whether it was responsible for him to do so is
another matter entirely.  Further, what is legal
and what is moral are frequently very different
issues indeed.

Per the substance of CCB's Resolution
therefore, I am requesting the following on
behalf of the members of the California
Council of the Blind:  

1.  That RSVA state its official position
regarding the aforementioned editorial;

2.  That if RSVA does not support the
editorial, your organization issue a public
apology to those maligned by it;

3.  That RSVA take all appropriate measures
to ensure future editorials do not infringe
upon the rights and dignity of all RSVA
members and will not contain discriminatory
comments;

4.  That RSVA take proper steps to amend its
logo to include the contributions of women in
the building of a better America.

Mr. Washburn, I will go one step further than
our resolution.  In order to preclude the
possibility of a similar editorial in the future, I
believe that it would be prudent for the Board
of Directors of the Randolph Sheppard
Vendors of America to replace the current
Editor with an Editor pro tem, and begin an
immediate search for a new (and presumably
responsible) Editor for Vendorscope.  I do not
exaggerate when I say that the credibility of
RSVA is at stake in this matter.  Considering
the many challenges to the Randolph
Sheppard Program, this issue cannot be
allowed to detract from the role RSVA must
play as the voice of America's responsible
vendors.  Your organization will not be seen
as such until and unless you remove the
current Editor.  

Most Sincerely,
Mitchell Pomerantz, President
California Council of the Blind

To summarize a week's worth of events, I
circulated our resolution and my cover letter
to several ACB Board Members including one
person who is also on the Board of RSVA. 
After considerable discussion, I decided to
submit the resolution without the letter to
RSVA, for its consideration and action.  As I
understand it, Robert Humphreys drafted a
resolution based largely on 95-A6 which
RSVA's Resolutions Committee, and
ultimately its membership, passed (although it
was approved by the committee by only one
vote).  This resolution--and a second one,
specifically changing RSVA's logo--
satisfactorily addressed RSVC's and CCB's
concerns as expressed in 95-A6, therefore
precluding the necessity for bringing our
resolution to the floor of the convention.

However, both ACB's Womens' Concerns and
Minority Affairs Committees felt that this
issue should be brought to the convention
floor.  Hence, Resolution 95-A6 (with
additional language commending RSVA for its
prompt and positive action in this matter) was
brought to the floor and passed by the
membership with only a handful of dissenting
votes.

That is what transpired.  But, as Paul Harvey
says:  "Now, for the rest of the story!" 
Saturday evening I was accosted by another
RSVA Board member who upbraided RSVC
for "not going through channels' regarding
this issue.  The Board member said that this
was an internal RSVA matter and should not
have been brought to CCB at all.  He also
stated in no uncertain terms that RSVA might
leave ACB and join with NFB's Merchant's
Division to form an independent national
vendors' organization.

To his first statement, I responded that RSVC
felt strongly that it needed CCB's support
because otherwise--given its previous track
record
--RSVA was not likely to take any action (the
Editor had previously made inappropriate
comments in past issues of the Vendorscop). 
To his second statement, I commented that if
the vendors truly believed they could
successfully overcome the current threats to
the Randolph Sheppard Vending Program
without assistance from either ACB or NFB,
then vendors were just not dealing with
existing political realities.

Based on this exchange, I want to close with
a brief editorial statement.  One of the
strengths of the American Council of the Blind
is the autonomy each state and special
interest affiliate has in dealing with its own
affairs.  In this regard, the Council is a
confederation of organizations working
together on the national level to advocate on
behalf of blind and visually impaired people. 
ACB's founders established this structure
primarily as a result of the incredible abuses
of power and authority they experienced as
members of the NFB.

This strength however, also contains the
seeds of weakness.  When a Special Interest
Affiliate Board Member basically tells a state
President that an issue as serious as racist
and sexist comments made by the Editor of a
nationally circulated and respected publication
is none of that State Affiliate's business, I
submit that something is very wrong!  I
believe in freedom of the press, but I also
believe in personal responsibility just as
strongly.  With all due respect to the guiding
principles of the American Council of the
Blind, we are one national organization, not
almost sixty state and special interest groups. 
The problems and issues affecting vendors
throughout the country, blind and visually
impaired Metro riders in Washington, D.C., or
members in any and every state are of
concern to me and should be of concern to
everyone in ACB.  There are too many
challenges to our specialized programs and
services for it to be otherwise!

This has been a somewhat longer piece than
what will normally appear in this space, but in
the spirit of open and honest communication,
I felt that it was necessary.  Maybe this will
engender some interesting letters to the
Editor.  If so, then I look forward to reading
them.  See all of you at the Crowne Plaza in
November. 


        CCB CONVENTION REPORT, SPRING, 1995

                   by Brian Hall
                         
The Spring 1995 Convention of the California
Council of the Blind fused innovation with a
fundamental theme, "Back to the Basics." 
Marked by a reinvigorated spirit of unity, the
four days included new programs to
strengthen the organization and its advocacy
on personal, grassroots and nationwide
fronts.

About 250 blind and visually-impaired people
attended President Mitch Pomerantz's
inaugural convention May 25-28 at the San
Francisco Airport 
Clarion Hotel.

The program opened with an added attraction,
a technology seminar, with presentations on
Micro-Soft Windows, computers and
employment, and introductions to
telecommunications and the Internet. 
Boasting a turn-out of about 80, the seminar
was well received and is expected to become
a regular convention feature.

The CCB Board of Directors at an 8 p.m. open
meeting allocated money to connect CCB Net
with the Internet.  A motion was passed to
dissolve the fund for the California
Association of Radio Reading Services.  The
Board reconsidered redistribution of the
CARRS account at an Aug. 26th meting.

Lane Shapiro presented a plan for a
newspaper reading service along the lines of
NFB's defunct News Line for the Blind, which
he ran.  It would be independent and require
a subscription fee to create and maintain a
satellite-based telephone system.  While
seeing a need, audience members differed
over the format for disseminating the
information, whether by phone, radio or
modem.  Others said the system would
compete for grants with already-struggling
reading services, such as Audio Vision.

In keeping with the convention theme, Friday
morning kicked off with an advocacy
workshop on Social Security.  Glenn Plunkett,
program associate for the American Council
of the Blind, and Mack Riley an instructor and
consultant for the Braille Institute in Los
Angeles explained how to represent SSI or
SSDI beneficiaries in appealing decisions,
sorting out blindness-related work expenses
and writing plans for achieving self support.

The Committee on Access and Transportation
heard about research into the success of
"talking signs" to improve orientation and
make transportation more accessible.  Special
guest Gary DeLorme, senior financial
economist at the Federal Transit
Administration, warned of Congress's ongoing
budget battle pitting fixed-route transportation
against paratransit.  Mr. DeLorme called
paratransit "the pig in the poke" and the likely
loser because of costs many times higher per
trip than anticipated. 

The convention's meat and potatoes theme of
Back to the Basics changed the way many
convention goers broke bread Friday evening. 
Local chapter presidents or their stand-ins
were invited to a first-time Presidents' Forum
that replaced the traditional Presidents'
Dinner.  Now planned for every convention,
the Forum focussed on fund raising, donations
and proper collection of sales taxes.  Other
topics included the differences between CCB
affiliates and special interest groups.  The
presidents discussed a bylaw addition,
adopted on Sunday,  that elaborates on the
state organization's process for intervening
when a chapter is accused of violating its
own or CCB's Constitution and Bylaws.  The
adjudication has two parts.  If the President
receives a written complaint of violation that
he believes is serious, he shall a) notify the
chapter president by way of a letter of the
nature of the complaint, explaining the Board
procedure in evaluating the complaint, b)
appoint a committee to investigate and
determine the complaint's validity and report
its findings to the Board.

Friday afternoon's General Session began
with a paratransit panel that brought back Mr.
DeLorme of the FTA.  Speakers addressed
certification from the consumer side.  Mr.
DeLorme reminded us that there's no civil
right to ADA paratransit for people with visual
impairments or with any other disability. 
Certification is based on a functional limitation
that prevents the passenger from completing
a trip via the regular bus.  If a town doesn't
have fixed-route transit, it need not supply
paratransit.  Capital Hill plans to phase out
FTA over the next five years or eliminate
operating expenses.  Nathan Smith, Chief of
the Paratransit Office in Sacramento, advised
of the dangers inherent in placing federal
funds under block grants for transportation
purposes throughout the state. 

"that means your needs are going to be put
up against the needs of the Transit industry,
the needs of fixed-route services, the needs
of a lot of very powerful interest groups,"
Smith said.

The new administrator for the Orientation
Center for the Blind, Mike Cole, gave an
update on OCB's excellent residential
program, seen by many in today's political
reality as a luxury.  Well, it's really not a
luxury.  "it's a crash course in getting your
life together when your vision is lost or when
you grow up as a blind person and really need
to get a handle on independent living," Mr.
Cole said.  In recent years OCB has increased
the marketing of services to the adult blind
besides adding substitute teachers and
computer training.

A report was given on national activities of
the American Council of the Blind by Chris
Gray, ACB Board member and first vice
President.  "Capital Hill," he noted, "is
jeopardizing lobbying gains made over the
past half century.:  the only bright spot is
telecommunications.  SB256  requires national
providers to be accessible and "does put the
arm on major corporations."

During the General Session Friday evening,
President Pomerantz presented his first
President's Report, stating goals and
challenges to the organization as well as
action taken on resolutions passed at the fall
convention.  Glenn Plunkett spoke on Social
Security and other national items of interest
followed by a State Rehab update from
Manuel Urena, the Department's program
manager of Services for the Blind.

Capital representative Cid Urena met with
interested members one on one to organize
and advocate through a good old fashioned
letter-writing campaign.  He met 9 a.m. to
noon Saturday to help express individual
concerns about HR4, S143 and HR1617. 
About a dozen members took advantage of
this opportunity.  HR4 would allow states to
reduce SSP benefits to pre-1983 levels.  S143
and HR1617 would consolidate employment
and job-training programs, including the
Department of Rehabilitation, under a state
block grant that puts at risk specialized
services for the blind.

The Association for Multi-Cultural Concerns
examined pros and cons of Affirmative Action
at a Saturday luncheon.  AnnaMaria Loya, a
civil rights attorney with the US Department
of Education, offered a historical perspective
on a program generally-perceived as germane
only to sex-and-race-based hiring, contracting
and scholastic placement.  Ms. Loya informed
the group that the California Civil Rights
Initiative and other "assaults" on Affirmative
Action have implications for the way
employers interview and evaluate the visually
impaired.  The Initiative, which is on the
November ballot, refers to "preferential
treatment," a category that could take in the
Randolph Sheppard, state and federal
accelerated employment programs for the
disabled and percentages of government
contracts reserved for National Industries of
the Blind under the Javits Wagner O'Day Act.

Saturday afternoon the Women's Concerns
Committee held a workshop on the Impacts of
Blindness in Relationships and Skills for
Effective Self Advocacy.  a  panel discussion
was divided between women and men, blind
and sighted.  Subjects covered were how
friends and relatives reacted to dating, are
there any differences in a relationship
between sighted and blind, and how home
tasks get split between sighted and blind
members of a household.  when the panel
concluded, the audience broke into small
groups and were given home and workplace
scenarios.  

Later, during the afternoon General Session,
the AMC's Chairman, Jerry Arakawa,
moderated a panel describing cultural
viewpoints on blindness.  Each speaker came
from a distinct cultural background.  Kathy
Martinez, who is of Mexican origin, and
Martin Jones, an African-American, felt like
medical Guinea Pigs growing up between
falsely-heightened hopes for their eye sight
and downcast ethnic expectations.  "The key
is that we keep talking to each other, that we
don't get caught up in debates of either
superficial political correctness or in reaction
to that, political incorrectness," said Maureen
Schulz, a social worker who spent her early
years in Germany.

The afternoon session had started with a
report from the Nominating Committee who
put forth a slate of six candidates to fill the
positions of Second Vice President, Secretary
and four members of the Board of Directors. 
Coletta Davis cannot run again because she is
finishing her allowed number of terms.  Dave
McElroy was nominated to fill her seat.  The
Nominating Committee proposes filling the
remaining seats with incumbents: Second
Vice President, Cathie Skivers; Secretary,
Kenneth    Frasse; and Directors, Ken Metz,
Roger Petersen and Teddie Remhild.
Additional nominations can be taken from the
floor in November.

Where has the Rose Resnick Lighthouse
Technology Center gone, and where is it
headed?  Specialists Rob Turner and Angelika
Angermann fielded that question and a
number of others.  The relocated facility is a
resource and training ground for computer
users, novice to advanced.

At the banquet, Alfred Gil was presented with
a retirement cake for his years of service as
the OCB rehab counselor.  The desert was in
the shape of a Greyhound bus as a nod to his
trademark  Greyhound sound effects have
become a comedic staple of conventions.

keynote speaker Blondell Barnes is a blind
woman and former Peace Corps volunteer in
Morocco.  She recounted adventures of
encountering cultural attitudes.  she worked
at a school for the blind with "figure head"
teachers and beautiful flower gardens outside
that betrayed nothing of the campus's drab
interior.  She related the story of a blind
government official who used a cane that was
too short so he wouldn't get in the way of
sighted people.  Ms. Barnes read highly-
evocative poetry that used other senses to
paint visual scenes.  One poem ended, "As
long as I caress sea shells and make sand
castles, 
As long as vision is more than eye sight,
I will, you will, continue to see."

The Sunday Business Session was enriched
by information from small groups whose
projects don't always get the attention of
members at large.  Chairmen summarized the
work of their committees in brief reports. 
Also the general membership voted on some
20 resolutions.  The only one controversial
enough to prompt a roll-call vote was a
resolution condemning the RP foundation for
changing its name to Fighting Blindness.  The
resolution passed, although the minority held
that the new name meant that the Foundation
was fighting a disease that causes blindness
rather than fighting blind people or
stigmatizing them.

A constitutional amendment added a director
to the Board to prevent tie votes.  The
number of members will be odd even after
adding the Immediate Past President.
  
CCB members returned to their homes with
many new things to think about. Now it's on
to Los Angeles for the fall convention! 




                    VOLUNTEERS

                   by Dona Cook
I thought you would like to know that every
year J. C. Penney gives an award for those
applicants who have done outstanding service
in their community.  First prize wins $1,000 
with four runner-ups who each win $250 to
be given to the organization to which the
volunteer work was given.  The first prize
winner automatically has a chance to win
nationally with the grand prize of $10,000. 
Each first place event also wins a crystal
award along with a framed certificate--all of
which the winner keeps.  Following is the
article that was written in a local paper; I
thought I would share it with you. 

        For Outstanding Volunteer Service 

J. C. Penney salutes the Golden Rule award
winner.  Volunteers' energy and generosity
demand our admiration.  Their contribution to
the well-being of our community earns our
thanks.  

Dona Cook has been an active member for
four years, president for three years in the
California Council of the Blind.  Dona has
thrust the presence of the blind and visually
impaired into the consciousness of the
community.  She fights for equal access and
offers solutions to accommodate the blind.


        A BLIND JOURNALIST SPEAKS HIS MIND

                 by Daveed Mandell

What do you say to reporters who ought to
know better--when someone thinks you're
great because you can tie a tie, find a toilet
stall in the men's restroom at San Francisco
City Hall, or function quickly and efficiently at
a press conference?  How do you react? 
After all, I'm also a journalist, albeit a blind
one! So what?

But to our sighted colleagues, we all know
we're either amazing or unfortunate.  All they
often see is our blindness.  We're just
featureless, raceless, sexless bodies! 

One day, realizing that some of my sighted
fellow reporters actually write about disability-
related matters--once in a blue moon, usually
with a human-interest bent and a warm and
fuzzy twist--I wrote the following short
introduction about one of their own who
happens to be blind.  I'm seriously thinking
about writing a disability issues column aimed
at journalists.  Somehow, we must educate
the media, yet we can also turn journalists off
by being too didactic.  Your comments,
reactions, or your general thoughts on
educating the public are welcome.  How do
we make it through this seemingly
impenetrable barrier of negative stereotypes
and incredible ignorance of people who ought
to know better?  Of course, we can't forget
that journalists are just part of the public at
large.  Here is my short spiel.

I'm an explorer.  The world is a complex and
exciting place, and I like to know what's
going on around me.  As a blind journalist, I
don't wait for the world to come to me: 
Instead, I go out and grab it.  I guess that's
why I traveled halfway around the world to
Israel when I was nineteen. 

Blind folks learn and develop alternative
techniques to do things that usually require
sight.  I'm inquisitive.  I like people and learn
from them. If I don't know what's going on,
I ask.  For me, blindness is usually an asset,
not an insurmountable disability.  The long
white cane is my badge of pride and equality,
allowing me to go where and when I please.

My braille slate and stylus are always within
reach, just as your pen is always near you. 
My braillewriter is just as invaluable to me as
your typewriter is to you.  Of course, I also
type; you don't have to look at the keys to be
a touch typist.

Using volunteer and paid readers, I gain
access to printed material; And let's not
forget the computer.  Inexpensive screen-
review software and a speech synthesizer let
me write, edit, and print out error-free letters,
scripts and articles.  Accessing wire services
through a computer is quick, once a blind
journalist has the necessary tools and know-
how.  A braille printer rounds out the process.

I've covered events and issues of every kind;
each situation requires its own approach.  I
get people to talk to me by engaging them in
conversation.  I ask them to describe the
scene at a demonstration, or what a key
witness at a hearing looks like.  Most folks
want their particular concern publicized, so
they begin to pay less attention to my
blindness.

I'm reasonably organized at all times.  I know
where things are on the job.  I get to press
conferences and the like as early as possible
to case the joint, map out the surroundings
for myself, and meet some of the key players
in the event at hand.

While striving to be as independent as
possible, I realize that everyone needs
occasional help.  I help others as they help
me.  For instance, in a non-computerized
news department, I might ask one of the
people writing copy to read me some material
from Reuters.  I return the favor by editing
their copy later on in the day.  I also might
give them a few extra suggestions on
polishing their style.  It's a mutual give-and-
take process.  Usually, though, I prefer to
employ competent readers from outside the
workplace.

I'm a flexible and adaptable person.  As long
as I know how the workplace is laid out and
organized, I can do the job competently.      To
meet deadlines, I sometimes find it necessary
to take a cab or hire a 
driver.  Public transportation in this country
just doesn't cut it.  Of course I do rely on it
heavily; I also walk when appropriate.

In short, I get around and I get the job done. 
That's what counts. Being blind doesn't stop
me.  It's just one of life's many challenges.


         EMPLOYMENT IN THE 90'S: IS CCB A
FRIEND OR FOE? 

                 by Cathy Schmitt

The estimated unemployment rate for the
blind (including those with low vision) and
other disability groups in 1994 was 31%. 
According to the Harris Poll and after the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), the 1994 employment rate was 2%
lower than it was in 1986.  Yes, I said
employment declined.  There are many people
who feel that the ADA has done nothing for
the blind, so maybe it is unfair of me to be
surprised that the employment rate for the
disabled has declined over the past eight
years.  The economic recession, especially in
Southern California, could be a factor
accounting for this disappointing situation. 
Could the cause also be the lack of effective
rehabilitation services offered to the blind and
those with low vision?  The answer is
probably a combination of many
circumstances. 

During my term as president of the National
Alliance of Blind Students (NABS), a fellow
employed ACBer asked me what I was
studying.  I replied that I was in a graduate
counseling program.  His response shocked
me:  "That's all we need, another over-
educated unemployed blind person."  I was
angry, feeling that the comment was unjust,
but I also found the statement troubling.  My
reply was that I planned to be employed upon
graduation.  

Six months before graduation, I began my job
search, and I started my full-time position as
a Career/Work Prognram Coordinator with a
university 3 weeks after graduation.  Like the
average college student, it took six months to
find employment.  The employment rate of
college graduates with disabilities is a little
better than 31%,--52%.  However, it is still
considerably lower than the 79% overall
college graduate employment rate.  The
discrepancy, even with education, is
bothersome.

Reflecting upon the attitudes of some
members of the CCB and ACB, I suspect that
there may be a self-prescribed attitudinal
barrier in addition to the barriers on the
employers' side of the interview table.  I
challenge each of us, and CCB as an
organization of and for the blind, to take a
look at our goals and actions--to consider
whether or not we are moving forward with
our desire to see more blind people employed
as independent and productive members of
their communities.  

Are our efforts to see SSI/SSDI gainful
activity levels increased encouraging
individuals who are blind to seek
employment?  In college I myself received
SSI, and it was of great assistance.  Does
there come a time when one has the skills,
knowledge, and abilities to become gainfully
employed but holds back, receiving SSI while
waiting for the ideal job to come along?  I
have heard blind, and others with and without
disabilities, comment that they are waiting for
the ideal job.  The blind may be able to
rationalize this approach to continued
unemployment better than others by stating
that there is a need to find the perfect job so
that the individual can be sure of success
before he/she goes off SSI.  As an
organization, are we consciously or
unconsciously perpetuating the fallacy that
one needs to wait for the ideal job?  No job is
going to be ideal all of the time.  The
experience of working enables a person to
realize what he/she likes and dislikes and
what her strengths and weaknesses are.  

I believe that the Department of Rehabilitation
needs to provide quality education and
training services for the blind.  Is it politically
strategic for us to continue to fight for a
separate division for the blind?  Has progress
been made toward that end or toward more
employment for more blind persons in the
past couple of years?  Would it be more
effective to work with DR to increase and
improve the department's curriculum for
Supervisors and  Counselors for the Blind?  By
continually focusing on a separate division,
are we saying to unemployed blind individuals
that it is ok for those who want to work to
avoid actively participating in their own job
search Or to say that it is not their fault for
being unemployed but DR's for not providing
adequate services for them.  Where is the self
responsibility of the individual to learn
independent living skills, to develop
strategies, to create a resume, to make a
phone call, to interview for a position, and to
get hired?  It is much easier, and much more
acceptable, to say DR isn't providing the
services rather than admitting, "I am not
seriously looking for a job."  The secret for
anyone seeking employment,  blind or not, is
to make the job search a full-time occupation
in and of itself. 

Finally, are our conventions promoting
professionalism among the blind?  Given the
fact that we are a low incidence population
and that the unemployment rate is so high,
are blind individuals who are unemployed
being exposed to professional behavior and
appropriate social interactions?  Do blind
individuals who are employed have a
responsibility, chosen or imposed, to be role
models for those blind individuals who are not
employed?  How are individuals who are blind
and unemployed going to learn or know what
is considered professional and appropriate
behavior on the job?  I have actually heard,
and not just once, individuals who are
employed and blind say that conventions are
where they are going to "let loose" and "have
fun."  I think that fun is important, but there
is a balance between having fun and
supporting the development of personal and
professional growth of oneself and others.  

At a previous convention, I had lunch with a
friend and fellow CCBer who is also
employed, and we talked about workplace
etiquette and politics-- A conversation that is
important for us as blind people to have with
one another in order to provide support,
advice and encouragement.  Afterwards, I
spoke with another CCB friend who is not
employed and conveyed some of the topics
that were covered at lunch.  I realized at that
point that there is a workplace culture that
many blind people do not realize exists. 
Should one of CCB's goals be to expose
members to such concepts?  Many people
who are blind or otherwise disabled have not
been exposed to the workplace setting
personally by peers or by parents.  If CCB
does not encourage employment related
topics as a consistent theme and take action,
then who will?   

The ideas mentioned in this article are meant
to challenge each of us, individually and
collectively, to examine our role in
empowering and promoting employment
among individuals who are blind.  I do not
have all the answers to the questions that I
have posed, but critical thought and dialogue
related to the topic of employment is essential
for the increase of jobs within the blind and
low vision community.   


           TESTIMONY CONCERNING ONE-STOP
CAREER CENTERS 

               by Mitchell Pomerantz

This testimony was delivered on June 8,
1995, before the One Stop Career Center
System Task Force by CCB's president.  

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mitch
Pomerantz and I am the President of the
California Council of the Blind, a 3,400-plus
member statewide consumer advocacy
organization of blind and visually impaired
people.  For the past 61 years, the Council
has been at the cutting edge of the disability-
rights movement including advocating for
much of the legislation establishing
rehabilitation and other essential programs
and services for blind and disabled
Californians.

The reason for my appearance here today is
to express our organization's grave concerns
regarding the proposal to establish "one-stop
career centers" to serve persons in need of
job training and related assistance throughout
the State.  Since this proposal will
undoubtedly be implemented in some form, it
is also my intention to suggest how you can
at least minimize the likely negative impact
such a system will have on existing programs
and services for blind and visually impaired
people.

Let me first acknowledge that there are
significant flaws in the existing rehabilitation
system and that it is not everything we'd like
it to be.  The most obvious evidence is the
fact that the unemployment rate among blind
people of working age is approximately 70%--
more than three times higher than for any
other minority group.  At the present time,
fewer than 10% of the blind and visually
impaired receive services from the California
State Department of Rehabilitation.  For those
who are Rehabilitation clients, services are
frequently inadequate to meet our very
specialized needs.

The primary reason for our unacceptably high
rate of unemployment has to do with the
misconceptions and stereotypes which have
always been associated with the disability of
blindness.  Just about every survey on this
subject has shown that blindness is feared
most by the general public.  It is no wonder
then, that we have as much trouble as we do
in obtaining remunerative employment:  after
all, employers are part of that group.

What blind and visually impaired persons need
right now are more well-trained specialist
counselors (known as Rehabilitation
Counselors for the Blind), not fewer of them. 
These counselors are familiar with, and
knowledgeable about, the prevocational and
vocational training and services we must
receive in order to overcome the average
employer's reluctance to hire a blind person. 
Such services might include the provision of
orientation and mobility training (use of the
long white cane) and/or assistive technology
(computers with speech or Braille output) just
to mention two examples.  Under the present
circumstances, we still must be better trained
and more competitive than our sighted peers
in the job market.

Almost without exception, generalist
counselors within DR lack the necessary
expertise to provide the essential services
blind and visually impaired persons need to
gain that competitive edge.  This is why
almost all consumers and service providers in
the blindness field assert that it is imperative
that persons who are blind and visually
impaired receive services from specialist
counselors.  How, then, will counselors in a
one-stop career center--counselors who will
see AFDC recipients, displaced aerospace
workers, ex-felons, and other disparate
segments of society--be able to evaluate, let
alone serve, our unique needs in an
appropriate manner?  Sadly, the answer is
that a generalist counselor working in such a
center will not!  The result will be that most
of us will probably remain tax consumers
rather than would-be tax payers.

By far the fastest growing segment of our
population is blind and visually impaired
individuals fifty-five and older.  These are
people who have lost their vision later in life
after having worked, raised a family, or both. 
This group also requires specialized services
which are not categorized as vocationally or
career oriented in order for them to remain
independent.  Such assistance apparently will
not be available through the one-stop career
center and is not being provided in an
adequate fashion under the present system
either.  What this population needs is more
Specialist Counselors (known as Counselor-
Teachers), trained to offer home-based
services in such skills as techniques of daily
living (cooking, matching clothing, etc.), and
orientation and mobility.  If these services are
not available, most visually impaired and/or
blind seniors will almost certainly either
become burdens to their families or languish
in costly State-supported board-and-care or
nursing facilities at tremendous expense to
the tax payers of California.  

As limited as the aforementioned services
may be under the present system, the
California Council of the Blind is terribly
fearful that things will become orders of
magnitude worse as the result of a "one-size-
fits-all" service delivery approach.  We believe
that without Specialist Counselors for the
blind at every career center--and this is the
only way such a proposal could possibly work
for us--our unemployment rate will be even
higher than it is today.  Without assistance for
our older population, nursing facilities will
become "warehouses" for people who would
otherwise be independent, productive citizens. 


What the California Council of the Blind
proposes, therefore, is that the Governor
maintain the Department of Rehabilitation as
a separate and distinct service delivery entity,
and permit specialized programs and services
for blind and visually impaired people to
continue.  It is our understanding that the
governoro will have the discretionary funding
to do this if he wishes.  Yes, linkage between
DR and other vocational programs and
services should most certainly be enhanced
although it should be mentioned in passing
that most private training entities have
typically been extremely hesitant or refused
outright to work with blind or visually
impaired people.  We believe absolutely that
the kind of "umbrella agency" designed to
serve all of those in need of training and
employment assistance will only help those
with the most generic and readily achieveable
needs.  

Ladies and gentlemen, while there may be
reasons to challenge, and even to dramatically
change, the way in which rehabilitation
services are delivered to California's blind and
disabled population, there is one overriding
reason to advocate for such services to be
provided by DR and hence for its continued
existence as separate from the one-stop
career center.  That reason:  the organized
blind have over sixty-years of experience in
dealing with our unique needs and we know
that the proposed system cannot and will not
work for us!  Umbrella programs such as this
have never worked for blind people.  Please
accept our counsel and expertise because we
have been in the business of trying to help
our people for a long time.  Please don't take
away the specialized services we need in
order to have the opportunity to succeed in
mainstream society.

Thank you for this opportunity to present the
position of the California Council of the Blind. 
We stand ready to lend whatever further
assistance you may wish in developing your
final implementation plan.


           WILD TIME ON THE WHITE WATER

                 by Rose Resnick 

One of my favorite holidays was a four-day
rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon. 
There the water is pure enough to drink. 
Cliffs forty-five to fifteen-hundred feet high
line the banks.  wide-winged osprey and blue
heron dive for fish.  Oak, maple, cottonwood
and pine sweeten the air and at night, deer
and bear come up to you for handouts.  

I flew to Medford, some fifty-seven miles from
the California border, to meet a friend, Jeanne
Moore, and eight other people headed for the
journey.  After a get-acquainted breakfast at
the nearby hotel, we drove to the river.  We
divided into two rubber rafts, eight-by-
eighteen feet and capable of carrying two
tons.  Irv Urie, owner of the boats, rowed our
raft; his son, the other.  Our clothes, packed
in rubber bags, and food for lunch followed in
a fishing boat.

We lived in bathing suits, sun hats and rubber
slippers.  We felt wonderfully free, like part of
the elements.

Unlike the Colorado, which is notoriously
wild, the Rogue has long stretches of serene
water where you can slide out of the raft and
swim or drift along with inner tubes.  From
time to time, swimmers brought me a turtle
who had been sunning on a rock, a  blue
heron's feather, a salamander, a huge leaf on
a foot-long stem they called Indian rhubarb
reminiscent of the exotic plants of Hawaii.

During peaceful spells, Irv regaled us with
river lore or tales of chinook or steelhead
fishing in October.  He knew every ripple and
wave and current of the river.  At various
coves, he would say, "this is mine" or "this is
the best flywater" or "this is a sleeper."  He
told us that salamanders were safe  because
they had the reputation of being poisonous,
thus avoiding being touched by people; that
eagles lock their wings in flight;  that ospreys
build their nests on snags of dead trees.  One
day, he took us to an oyster fossil bed and at
another spot, he showed us how to pan for
gold.  In sandy pools some of the more
patient among us found glints of the stuff. 
"This" he said, "is the best washed dirt in the
world."

Often, after a peaceful stretch, you could hear
the river gather strength and speed.  Up
ahead, the rapids gurgled and churned in a
grand crescendo; then whooch, you were
right in it and hurled upward, swirling,
bouncing and tumbling into a water canyon. 
Four-foot waves swept us up again slapping
and washing over us.  All of us clutched our
seats screaming and loving every minute of it. 
Then, just as suddenly as the waters had
erupted, they calmed and the world was once
again soundless.

On the first day, we passed Black Bart Lodge,
Howard Creek Shoot, Wild Cat and 
Washboard Rapids.  On the second day we
saw Old Kelsie Falls passed Zane Gray's
cabin, and on the third we found Meal Creek
Canyon, Coffeepot and Blossom Bar rapids
and Devil's Staircase where we plunged
twenty feet and slid three-hundred yards into
Solitude Bard.

At times, the river was barely wide enough
for the boat to slip through.  We suspected
that Irv made it jump by some mysterious
technique of the oars.

Only once did he put life jackets on us, at
Wildcat Gulch, a narrow, winding passage
through rocks.  We shot up into the air like
rockets, rolled, got sucked into a 360 degree
spin, catapulted over a waterfall, swerved just
in time to avoid a bang on a rock and
gradually rolled into a long glide back to
normal breathing and the poetic motion of
Irv's oars.

We spent the nights at fishing lodges along
the shore where dinner and conversation were
as racy and buoyant as the white water.  Still
throbbing with all that fresh air, sunshine and
motion, we took a leisurely moonlight walk in
the woods.

Next morning, after a cold shower and hefty
breakfast, we donned our bathing suits and
bounded for the river, knowing that there was
high drama ahead.  "In Wilderness," wrote
Thoreau, "is the preservation of the world."


          THE VOLUNTEERS OF VACAVILLE: A
GREAT RESOURCE

                 by Connie Skeen 

Perhaps now more than ever before, we are
confronted with mountains of inkprint material
including pamphlets, instructional booklets on
appliances, manuals on electronic equipment,
textbooks, handouts, service agreements,
insurance policies, and the list goes on and
on.  I recently purchased an entertainment
center which came complete with no less
than six rather lengthy instructional booklets. 
Years ago the purchase of stereo equipment
would have involved reading only one booklet. 
Where can we turn for help?  

I became acquainted with a tape transcription
service known as the Volunteers of Vacaville. 
Founded 34 years ago to serve individuals
who are unable to read standard inkprint
materials due to visual impairment or physical
limitations, the Volunteers of Vacaville depend
solely on the contributions from private
organizations, individuals, community services
and from minimal fees charged to their clients. 
At present they serve over one-thousand
individuals and agencies and have grown to
become one of the largest tape libraries in the
United States.  Books cover over 28
categories--novels, mythology, science fiction,
history, westerns, travel and so forth.  They
also specialize in the transcription of
textbooks for schools, colleges and other
educational agencies.  

But the Volunteers of Vacaville is a volunteer
organization with a difference.  The readers,
monitors, duplication technicians, braille
technicians and other support staff are all
men serving sentences at the California
Medical Facility located at the state prison in
Vacaville, California.  There are currently 14
men on staff, well-trained and screened for
voice quality, reading ability and other
necessary skills.  They take tremendous pride
in their work and are encouraged by feedback
from the clients they serve.  The program
works in positive ways for both clients and
inmates.  Clients get high quality recorded
books.  For the inmates the benefit is less
tangible but extremely important.  Although
the recidivism rate is generally on the
increase, among the vol unteers in the
program, less than 15% have ever returned to
prison.  
The organization provides three vital services:
Transcription of books, Duplication of books
from the tape library, and repair of Perkins
braille writers.  

Transcription of Books:  Books in almost any
category will be accepted including
cookbooks, computer manuals, instructional
booklets for appliances, pamphlets, magazine
articles,  etc.  Only three books can be sent
each month, and You must allow 12 to 16
weeks turnaround time.  Cassettes are on
loan for 120 days; however, there is an
option to purchase books if desired.  

Duplication of Books:  The Volunteers
maintain a catalog of books already
transcribed.  Currently over 2,200 book titles
are available for loan or purchase.  

Perkins Braille Writer Repair:  Here is your
chance to get those much-needed repairs
done to your Perkins Braille Writer.  The cost
for repair of each machine is $12.00 plus
$4.00 for return postage.  Turn-around time
is, amazingly, only three working days.  There
is a 90-day warranty.  

Membership:  You can become a member of
the organization for a $20.00 subscription fee
which entitles you to several unique services. 
You receive a newsletter, The Lamplighter,
published four times a year and available
either in print or on audiocassette.  It features
information about the program, articles
written by the volunteers themselves, and
updates to the library catalog.  

Members may also send up to three books per
month to be recorded and in addition may
select up to three books per month from the
tape library catalog.  Tapes are on loan for a
period of 120 days with an option to
purchase.  In addition, just in case you still
haven't found enough reading material to
satisfy your voracious reading habit, you are
enrolled in the Volunteers of Vacaville Book
Club in which book selections are
automatically mailed each month.  You can
choose among four categories:  Best-sellers,
Mysteries, Science Fiction and Westerns. 
Book club cassettes are on loan for 60 days. 


You do not, however, have to be a subscriber
to enjoy the services of the Volunteers of
Vacaville.  A $3.00 fee per book is charged to
non-members on all transcription and
duplication orders.  

For more information about this fine
organization, you may call Trishelle Finley at
707-448-6841, Ext. 2044 or write to P. O.
Box 670, Vacaville, CA  95696-0670.  Give
the volunteers a try--you will be amply repaid. 



              THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

                           by Rob Cook

How did your summer go?  Travel much--or
did lack of
finances or planning cause you problems in
gaining a satisfying
travel experience this vacation?  

I spent nearly all of last summer traveling and
as many BSC
members know, I have managed to do
likewise again this
summer; but not without plenty of planning
and work.  I thought
now that summer is nearly gone, it would be
a great time to help
students who want to travel gain greater
opportunities in getting
where they would like to go.  Below are some
handy tips and
addresses to aid in your effort at going around
the country or overseas.

If you really like to travel and see unusual
areas, try to
decide where and when you would like to go;
then put all your
effort into finding the area resource that will
allow you a full
knowledge of the area or nation's levels of
accessibility,
general living and travel conditions and the
financial
information that will allow you to survive your
time in a strange
place.  Possibly you might already know your
best resource; it is
so wonderful to visit a place with a native of
that land and you
may just not be thinking of a new friend at
school who 
may be an exchange student.  This is how I
managed to tour
Guatemala during the summer of 1993 and it
was one of the most
wonderful and exciting vacations of my life.  

Since you are at the beginning of your travel
planning, be
diligent and take notes; remember:  In some
places things like
monetary exchange rates, lodging and food
costs all change like
the weather.  Always double check your
sources.

If you are a full time student at a large
campus, check
with the campus activities office, the outdoor
programs center,
or the campus travel agency if there is one. 
Last Easter break,
several of my Davis friends with disabilities
went to the travel
agency on campus and ended up going to
London for two weeks,
paying only $399 for the round trip air fare
from California. 
Another acquaintance from San Francisco
State went to Japan for
two months through the Education Abroad
program and paid only her
food and extras while in Tokyo.  It definitely
pays to ask your
professors, advisors and campus friends, for
the opportunities
really are there.

Another pointer is to never forget to tell the American
travel personnel that you are a current student
and disabled;
travel fares for students under the age of 35
are about two-
thirds of what the regular rates may be and
often the deals are
far better than you might think.  Once in a
country, do not forget to
consider the student rates, especially for
lodging and travel
costs.  Europe is not the only inexpensive
region that has
discounted lodging, rail and air passes. 
Whatever you do
though, investigate and work towards your
next travel opportunity
through as many resources as you may
stumble over or think of.

The following list of names, addresses and
phone numbers is a sort
of student's list of agencies that cater to
disabled travelers.
Make sure you check your academic
resources first, though, as many
schools have programs such as Education
Abroad or the American
Field Service that help students make travel
arrangements either
for a summer or for an academic year; so,
after checking with
some of these folks, remember to explore
your campus and
community as thoroughly as possible.  With
each listing is a
short description of the agency's services. 
Look into doing some
footwork to see if these services might help
you find that rare experience that students
can access at reasonable rates.

Custom Cruises, Susan Brewer, 8036
Congresswood Lane, Cincinnati, Oh  45224;
513-939-2234.  Some of the more travel
conscious ACB members might remember
Susan's tape that was sent out last year to
potential travelers of the Caribbean.  She
specializes in travel accommodations for the
blind and visually impaired and is blind herself. 
She will
tailor a trip for you or include you in an easy
to handle, pre-
arranged cruise in the warm and wonderful
Caribbean.

Escape Artists, Bonnie Lewkowicz, 510-
526-4477/  Bonnie is located in the Berkeley
area and is very well acquainted with travelers
who have visual impairments.  She arranges
trips and travel accommodations for the
members of several international disability
groups in the San Francisco Bay area and will
be happy to talk to you on the phone about
any of your interests.

Flying Wheels, 800-533-0363.  These folks
seem to deal mostly in accommodations for
the physically limited, but also seem to be in
the know about the travel conditions in many
nations.  Sometimes it pays handsomely to
check as many leads as possible before
traveling.

Global Exchange, 2017 Mission Street, No.
303, San Francisco CA 94110; 415-
255-7296.  These folks provide a variety of
informational and resource services. 
Unfortunately, they change their program
emphasis from time to time, but for many,
this has been an advantage depending
on when you call and what information you
might ask for.  If you
are concerned about conditions in
underdeveloped nations, call
and ask for details.

Mobility International USA, PO Box 3551,
Eugene, Oregon 97403; 
503-343-1284; For students under the age of
26 with an interest in  travel, these guys are
the greatest.  Trips to Russia, Hungary and
many other places of varied interests have
been on their list in recent years.  Their
requirements for applicants vary, but the
opportunities are diverse and multitudinous. 
I highly recommend
Mobility USA for the disabled traveler who is
alive with interest
in other persons with disabilities who live in
other lands; their
main concern is the sharing of disability
related information and
life experiences.

PHAB Physically Handicapped and
AbleBodied, Tavistock House, North
Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HX
England 01-388-1963.
If you're going to England, these folks can tell
you about the
current conditions in any region or community
in the United
Kingdom, as well as England.  Check with
them about costs and
resources available in the British Isles.

SERVAS Network, 11 John Street, Room
407, New York, NY 10038;
212-267-0252.  This is a sort of membership
cooperative for travelers who require lodging. 
One applies to the SERVAS group after
contacting them and they send you a contact
list of individual
families and lodgings that may be provided in
the place you will
be visiting.  I would suggest this method of
finding a family or
local resource if one is looking to travel in an
area not easily
accessed such as an underdeveloped or
formerly
Communist country.  The availability of family
lodging and
friendship in a nation which you visit is
extensive and of untold 
value, particularly  for disabled travelers.

There are many other agencies and individuals
who will help you
negotiate your travel arrangements, but the
best way to find more
opportunities is to keep investigating your
travel desires by
concentrating on a specific region and asking
more and more
questions about your potential destination. 

Here are the names and addresses of some of
the more well known
international rehabilitation, education and
disability groups. 
If you plan on going overseas and want to
check on the conditions
in the nations in which you will travel, these
folks may be able
to steer you to the right information agency
for your country of
choice: 

Disabled Peoples International, 101-7
Evergreen,  Winnipeg, Manitoba 
R3L 2T3 Canada; 204-287-8010.

Rehabilitation International, 25 East 21st,
New York, NY 10010;
212-420-1500;

World Institute on Disabilities, 510  16th
Street,  Oakland, Ca 94612; 510-763-4100. 
for Central American nations, ask for Kathy
martinez.

Your desire to travel and see the World will, I
hope, be
fulfilled.  Be patient and have perseverance in
attaining your
travel destination.  Good luck.


                 ACB CONVENTION REPORT

                  by Teddie Remhild 

The 1995 American Council of the Blind
Convention, held in Greensboro, North Carolina,
July 1-9, 1995, marked the beginning of new
concepts and new leadership which will lead the
membership into the 21st Century.

It was also a time to recognize and pay tribute to
the outstanding service and leadership of LeRoy
Saunders, President of the ACB for the past six
years.  He has led the American Council of the
Blind through years of struggle and challenge and
he leaves us with a legacy of strength, conviction
and great promise for the future.

The major event of the ACB Convention of 1995
was the election of new 
officers: President, 1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents,
Secretary and Treasurer.  There was an energetic
and exciting campaign with several very well
qualified candidates.  The new leadership of the
American Council of the Blind will be:  President
Paul Edwards of Miami, Florida; 1st Vice-
President, Brian Charlson of Watertown,
Massachusetts; 2nd Vice-President, Steve
Speicher of Lincoln, Nebraska; Secretary, Cynthia
Towers of Seattle, Washington; and Treasurer,
Patricia Beattie of Alexandria, Virginia.

With more than twelve-hundred in attendance,
the membership of the ACB also voted on several
important Amendments to the Bylaws, the most
significant being the creation of an Executive
Director for the Washington D.C. offices of the
American Council of the Blind.  The person filling
this position will be in charge of the hiring and
managing of staff, as well as making
administrative decisions.  This was a necessary
change as most eligible candidates for the
Presidency are employed full-time and are unable
to perform some of the important functions of
that office.  This new position of Executive
director will be filled by Oral Miller, who is
currently our National Representative.  He will
continue   to represent us legislatively, but will
have a new title.

Another important amendment passed by the
membership created an Executive committee
from among the staff, officers and the Board of
Directors.  This will be a five-member committee
consisting of two officers, two board members
and the president.  They will serve at the
president's request to make non-policy, timely
decisions needed to ensure the efficient flow of
organizational business.  

The membership voted down an amendment
which would have given the Board of Directors
the authority to choose convention sites.  The
current procedure, therefore, of hotel site
presentations at our conventions will continue. 
This year the 1997 site selected was Houston,
Texas.  The losing site was Bloomington,
Minnesota.  Next year's ACB convention will be
held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and will celebrate the
35th Anniversary of the American Council of the
Blind.  The host hotel will be the Tulsa Doubletree
Hotel and reservations are now being taken.

As in previous years, the 1995 ACB Convention
was overflowing with exciting tours, workshops,
special interest group events, convention
programs and speakers and, of course, the
wonderful camaraderie of this annual gathering. 
Tours included an overnight to a Cherokee
Reservation, day tours to the Capitol in Raleigh,
Seagrove Pottery Works, Winston-Salem and a
city tour of Greensboro.  The hospitality and
beauty of this area was quite memorable.

Speakers on the convention program included
Doctor Frederic Schroeder, Director of the
Rehabilitation Services Administration, who spoke
about the crisis in service cut-backs to the
disabled and particularly, the blind and
encouraged us to support Senator Nancy
Kassebaum's Bill which will leave in tact
rehabilitation services to the blind.  Other
speakers included Judy Peters, Executive
Director, National Industries for the Blind; Frank
Kurt Cylke, National Library Services; Mitzi
Friedlander, a popular narrator for NLS; Fred Starr
of the Thomasville Furniture Company; and
Director Carl Agosto, Gil Johnson and Susan
Spongen of the American Foundation for the
Blind. 

The most moving presentation on the convention
program was made by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond
Walsh.  Mr. Walsh was a vendor in the federal
building which was bombed in Oklahoma City on
April 19, 1995.  He was at his vending stand at
the time and related to us the moment-by-
moment experience as well as his feelings during
and since this tragedy.  In the telling, Mr. Walsh
broke  down and Mrs. Walsh then told of her
fears for his safety and her search for him.  The
audience was hushed and many shared this
couple's tears.  Raymond Walsh is still recovering
and is still plagued by the nightmares of this
horrible trauma.  

Each evening during the convention, program
speakers attended a reception in the president's
suite to meet with members in a social setting. 

Special interest events included the Friends in Art
Showcase which presented many of the very
talented and accomplished artists in a musical
program.  This is an annual highlight of the ACB
Convention.  FIA also sponsored a writer's
workshop, a poetry reading program, gospel
singing and art-related tours.  Many informative
and stimulating meetings were presented by the
Government Employees, Social Service Providers,
Blind Teachers, Blind Lawyers, Guide Dog Users,
Library Users, Visually Impaired Data Processors,
Blind Veterans, to name just a few.  Committees
presenting discussions on relevant topics were
the Women's Concerns on Relationships; Multi-
Cultural Concerns; and the Committee on Elderly
Issues which featured Mr. Robert Blancato,
Executive Director, White House Conference on
Aging.

Scholarship winners were recognized at a special
reception, as well as being introduced on the
convention program.  California was represented
by Mr. Frank Lopez, Winner of the John Hebner
Memorial Scholarship to a working person
seeking further education in later life.  Frank
Lopez is a positive role model for this unique
scholarship.  He is an instructor at a community 
college in Sacramento, teaching automobile and
diesel mechanics, now seeking to earn his
Master's Degree.  He is married, father of seven
and has been legally blind since birth.  He
became totally blind in 1989 and after many
years of working as a mechanic for the Los
Angeles Fire Department, he went back to
school, earned his Bachelor's Degree in his field
and has recently moved to Sacramento for his
new career.

The reality of the dwindling national economy and
the need for renewed dedication by ACB
members to fight for rights, services, programs
and opportunities for the blind was the
penetrating message of the 34th Annual ACB
convention.

It is hoped by the new generation of leadership of
the American Council of the Blind that increased
harmony and accord in the national community of
the blind and visually impaired will open more
doors and provide more access for all blind
citizens to a piece of the American Dream.  The
1996 American Council of the Blind's 35th
anniversary convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will
be a signpost on our highway to the 21st
Century.


            THE GOOD OLD LOW-TECH DAYS

                     By Dr. Grace D. Napier 

(This article appeared in The Blind Teacher,
June, 1995.  The president of this affiliate is
John Buckley, Department of Speech
Communications, 105 McClung Towers,
University of  Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
37996.)

Today we hear so frequently about how this
hardware or that
software makes life workable for visually
impaired professionals. 
This article, by contrast, attempts to
demonstrate how low-tech
teachers of my day were successful
professionals without today's
concept of technology.  Young visually
impaired individuals today
seem to think that one's demands would be
impossible to meet without
present day technology.  Let me tell you
otherwise!

In 1940, when I entered college, I had an old
braWllet (a
distant predecessor of the Perkins.)  The lines
sometimes ran
together.  The bottom line wrote 'crooked.  It
functioned like a
Mack truck.  I used it only in the dormitory. 
I also had a portable
manual typewriter that lacked some valuable
keys, namely, plus,
equal, subscript, superscript signs and the
hand-controlled
half-line space.  I had to roll up the platen
approximately
halfway, hold it steady with one hand while
pressing the desired
key with the other hand in order to insert the
umlaut for German
and other necessary symbols for
mathematics.  In fact,
in public high school, I did all my final copies
of algebra for two
years on the typewriter.

Also absent during college years was the tape
recorder.  I had
no audio textbooks except what the Library of
Congress network
could provide, primarily only books in
literature courses.  This
was prior to the organization of Recording for
the Blind, Inc.

I had a battery of human readers to read aloud
my textbooks. 
i took notes, but never had opportunity to
read a chapter a second
time.  Such deprivation forces visually
impaired students to
concentrate during the first and only reading
of assignments.

In class, i took all notes with slate and stylus- 
How many
visually impaired students can even operate
proficiently the slate and stylus today should
their cassette recorder fail them?

Have you ever written research papers on a
typewriter? 
It is vastly more difficult than doing the work
on a computer.  To
do footnotes, I first had to prepare the
footnote without
contractions and capital dots on the brailler
and then count cells
to determine how many typewriter lines that
material would occupy
so that I could know when to end text on the
typewriter page in
order to begin the footnote(s).  Furthermore,
i could not proofread
my own material; so the paper was submitted
with typographical
errors, I am sure.  This fact encouraged
accurate typewriter
skills.  Furthermore, I never paid a
professional typist to type a
paper for me, except my doctoral dissertation.

Do you know how to guarantee that your
bottom margin on a
typewritten page will be the same distance
from the bottom from
page to page?  I used a braille sheet as a
backing sheet.  The
backing sheet protruded to the right of my
typewriter paper.  Near
the bottom of the braille sheet, I previously
had written a line of
braille hyphens.  So as I approached the
bottom of my typewriter
page, I checked on each line to determine
whether i felt the
braille hyphens just appearing.  That was my
signal to write no
more on that typewriter sheet.

Do you know how to prevent submitting a
formal and important
paper from being blank in spots or even for
several pages because
of a ribbon problem or because of the
accidental setting of the
typewriter on stencil?  Can you imagine the
horror of hearing your
professor say, "I could read only the first
three pages of your
paper.  The remaining pages were blank!"  To
prevent that from
happening, i used carbon paper for everything
i wrote.  So if the
original were damaged, at least I had a carbon
copy on file to
replace it in an emergency.

i had very few textbooks in braille' those I had
were transcribed by volunteers working with
slate and stylus.  College professors often did
not know early enough to help me have a
transcriber complete or even start a book
before the course began.  Consequently, the
transcriber was usually behind where my
course was focusing.  Or,
worse yet, he might have the first five
chapters in braille
available to me, but the course began with
Chapter 8.  The American
Printing House did not yet have its file giving
information about
which hand-copied books were already
complete and their location
for borrowing or which titles were in progress. 
The National
Braille Association did not yet have its
capability of copying from
masters.  The American Printing House for the
Blind was not
authorized to prepare college-level textbooks
from its basic
budget.

I did not always have an ideal place to work
with a reader or others who were aware of
how a blind student's needs are different.  At
one university on the graduate level, my
reader and i were standing
by the card catalog.  I whispered to her which
words to look for: 
author's name, topic, title of book.  The
librarian rushed over to
us, scolding, "Stop talking."  I 'quietly
explained that I was
suggesting words for my reader to search for
to
find appropriate material for my studies.  She
was unimpressed.  In
Fact, she made more noise talking to us than
we had made.  When we
found something to read, we asked the
librarian where my reader and
I might work in order not to disturb anyone. 
Her response was,
"That's your problem, not mine; but you
cannot take the book out of
the library!"  My reader and I often sat on a
very busy
street with persons passing us up and down. 
(This also demands
absolute concentration!)

At another university on the graduate level,
my reader and i
looked for a place to work without disrupting
other students'
attention.  When my reader saw a sign
reading EMPLOYEES ONLY, i
said, "Let's try it!"  It was a lunch room with
a table and
chairs--very appropriate for our needs. 
Because it was midmorning,
i thought that our being there would not
interfere with employees'
lunches.  We were no sooner seated at the
table when a librarian
rushed in and evicted us.  Her solution was to
evict a medical
student from his study area with flimsy walls
so that my reader and i could work there. 
This happened every time that i used that
medical library for a research paper.  The
same student had been evicted several times
because of me, I learned later.

As a teacher, i had no Thermoform machine;
consequently, I had
to make x number of originals for specific
lessons. 
While teaching an introductory course at a
university, I commonly
had 250-60 students in my section, with
other faculty members
having similar sections during the same
quarter.  Because of the
size of the class, we administered
objective-type tests.  I
employed a student not taking that course to
hand-score them by
using the key.  When the student completed
that task, he/she read
all the names and grades to me for my braille
file.  After four
such tests, I had to compute final grades with
mean, mode and
median to establish A, B, C, D and F final
grades.  I had ten or
eleven braille sheets containing students'
names and four test
scores.  Without a talking calculator (before
the time of the one
invented by TeleSensory, Inc.), I had to go
down each
column of those 2'50-260 scores!  At the
bottom of a column, I
might have to carry 157 to the next column,
for example, doing each
column in a similar way until I had the total
sum!  As arduous as
it was the first time, I checked my work by
doing it in reverse to
assure my accuracy.  Then my reader would
enter final grades
onto the official grade forms as I dictated
each one. 

For mobility, I used Seeing Eye dogs--now
marking 55 years
with these guides.  When I received my first
dog in 1940, the only
other option was a human guide because
cane travel was not being
taught.  The long cane technique had not yet
been devised in 1940. 
Only blinded military personnel were being
taught cane mobility
during World War' II.  Civilians were not
taught until the
1960's.  If agencies for the blind supplied
canes at all, they were
very short canes.  Furthermore, no instruction
was provided in the
most efficient or safe use of the short cane.

In 1967, I purchased my first Perkins Brailler,
in 1974 my
Optacon.   Later, additional equipment: 
VersaBraille, Apple IIe
computer, Epson printer, talking clock/watch,
calculator,
VersaBraille dictionary, Franklin Electronic
Language Master
Special Edition (dictionary, thesaurus, etc.).

The above-mentioned career barriers are only
suggestive of
other problems caused by either lack of
appropriate technology or
unaccepting attitudes.  Nevertheless, those
hurdles were successfully overcome. 
Because of them, I firmly believe that I am a
more resourceful, resilient--more persevering
individual and professional
meeting challenges with determination and
creative
thinking--than I might be had I been born only
twenty years ago with
so many assistive devices at my disposal. 
Even today, I hear young
visually impaired college students whine about
how tough it is to
be a blind student.  I must admit that I do not
commiserate with
them!


                    RESOLUTIONS

                    by Al Gil 

Resolutions are extremely important because,
when passed by the membership assembled in
convention, they become the policy of the
organization.  The Resolutions Committee,
therefore,  has the responsibility of making
sure that every resolution submitted has the
benefit of a full hearing.  All of you, at one
time or another, have had, or will have, an
idea to convert into a resolution.  Here are
some things to think about in order to give
your resolution a better chance of passing: 

First of all, keep in mind that,  once
submitted, the resolution becomes the
property of the Resolutions Committee.  The
committee has several options: It can move
the resolution out with a recommendation of
"Do Pass"; it can move it out with a
recommendation of "Do not Pass"; it can
recommend that it be held for further study; it
can refer the resolution to another committee,
the Board of Directors, one of the affiliates,
etc.  

At each convention there are four hearings of
the Resolutions Committee.  In addition there
are many hours (most of them the wee hours
of the morning) devoted to rewriting.  As fair
as the Resolutions Committee tries to be,
don't forget that its 
members are human; and the farther into the
night the deliberation and rewriting extend,
the greater the possibility of error in the
selection of words and phrases.  In other
words the earlier you submit your resolution,
the better chance it has of passing with the
best possible wording.  

Try to be present at the hearing or have
someone who understands the resolution and
its background speak on its behalf.  I know
how difficult it is to be in three places at
once; but if you will locate the chairperson of
the Resolutions Committee, he or she will try
as hard as possible to hear your resolution
when you can be present.  I know that some
affiliates do not meet until late Saturday, and
sometimes resolutions come from these
meetings; but if you have an idea, please
don't wait until the last minute before
referring it.  We request that you help us to
make our resolutions as fine and well written
as possible.  

A total of 22 resolutions were submitted to
the Resolutions Committee during the spring
convention of CCB. 

 Resolution 95-A1 was referred to the Board
of Directors.

Resolution 95-A2 was withdrawn. 

Resolution 95-A3 calls on the president to
contact a company known as Pearl Vision and
request that it change its advertising policy. 
This company has TV ads depicting a person
who badly needs glasses as stupid.  The
implication left is that, when a person gets
glasses, his IQ will automatically increase.  

Resolution 95-A4 calls on the president to
urge the Department of Rehabilitation to
utilize the rehabilitation counselor-trainee
exam for the recruitment of counselor
teachers and Rehab counselors for the blind. 
Many excellent ct's and rcb's have been
recruited through this process.  The reason
that the recruitment has been so successful is
that, although some candidates do not have a
Masters degree in rehabilitation, they do have
the specialized knowledge in such areas as
braille, access equipment, etc.  The
department currently has a task force
studying this, and the resolution calls for CCB
to give its input to the task force. 

Resolution 95-A5 was withdrawn.

Resolution 95-A6 Calls on the president to
request that  Randolph Sheppard Vendors of
America censor the editor of their magazine
Vendorscope for one of his editorials.  It
stated that women and blacks base their
vocations more on emotion than on ability.

Resolution 95-A7 calls for the California
chapter of the American Association of
Ophthomologists to institute a policy of
referring all their legally blind patients to the
Department of Rehabilitation.  Cid Urena is
currently working with this group, and it
appears at this time that the organization
seems inclined to institute such a policy.  

Resolution 95-A8 Commends Delaine Eastin
for her firm stand on a strong educational
program at the California School for the Blind. 
There is currently a temporary superintendent
at the school.  It has been promised that there
will be a nationwide search for a new
superintendent and that the blind community
will have a part in the selection process.  

Resolution 95-A9 was withdrawn.

Resolution 95-A10 asks the president to urge
the Foundation for the Junior Blind to endorse
the recommendation of the vip curriculum
committee.  A committee was appointed to
study the Vip Program and submit
recommendations, but two of the
recommendations were not endorsed by the
Foundation for the Junior Blind.  Currently
when a student at Vip needs to go to his or
her room during instruction hours, that
student must be escorted to the dormitory by
a staff member.  Also there is a 7:00 o'clock
curfew after which no student may leave the
grounds.  It was further resolved that if the
Foundation does not endorse these
recommendations, the department should
seek another agency to operate the program. 


Resolution 95-A11 concerns the case of
Jeanna Martin former BEP vendor.  She filed
an appeal with the Department of
Rehabilitation, and an arbitration panel was
appointed.  This panel awarded Jeanna
$430,000.  The department is appealing the
decision of the panel to the court.  The
attorney general is handling the case.  Among
other things, he is claiming that the BEP is
unconstitutional.  The resolution directs the
president to take all steps necessary to ensure
that the arbitration panel be sustained.  


Resolution 95-A12 directs the president to
urge the Department of Rehabilitation to make
the computer instructor at OCB a state
employee.  In 1993 OCB decided to offer
instruction in computers.  The state budget
was tight; and as a result the department
contracted with Sensory Access Foundation
for a teacher.  The project has more than
proven itself, and the time is past due when
the OCB computer instructor should be made
a state employee.  

Resolution 95-A13 concerns a bill introduced
in the congress by Senator Kassebaum of
Kansas.  If passed, this bill would do away
with rehabilitation as we know it.  It would
give block grants to the states from the
federal government and would establish one-
stop employment centers.  State governors
would have a great deal of control over this
money, and there is no guarantee that
sufficient money would be available for
rehabilitation.  The resolution calls upon the
CCB and its chapters to participate in the
public hearings being held and take all steps
necessary to ensure that the specialized
vocational needs of the blind not be
compromised.  

Resolution 95-A14 concerns an organization
which has changed its name from the Retinitis
Pigmentosa Foundation to Foundation 
Fighting Blindness.  After considerable debate,
the resolution was passed calling on the
president to communicate to the foundation
that the names implies that there is something
wrong with being blind.  

Resolution 95-A15 was withdrawn.  

Resolution 95-A16 concerns the fact that
California has more stringent requirements
regarding curb-cuts than does the federal
government.  The feds are threatening to cut
off funds to California unless it eliminates the
more stringent requirements.  These require
putting beveled lips on curb-cuts, thus making
it easier for the blind to identify street
crossings.  The resolution calls upon CCB to
take all steps necessary to ensure that a
moratorium be placed on the Federal Highway
Administration's threat to withhold federal
funds from California until more research can
be conducted.  

Resolution 95-A17 deals with the American
Printing House for the  APH gets federal
money each year to make materials available
to educational facilities all over the country at
no cost to the facility based on a quota
system.  For years braille computer paper has
been on the quota list but has recently been
removed.  It is going to be difficult for school
districts to afford this paper especially with
tight budgets.  This resolution calls for the
CCB to contact ApH and inquire the reason
for dropping computer paper from the quota
list.  

Resolution 95-A18 concerns the lack of any
braille or large print signage at the California
School for the Blind.  The resolution calls 
upon the CCB to urge CSB to utilize braille
and large print signage as mandated by ADA
regulations.

Resolutions 95-A19 and 95-A20 were
withdrawn.  


Resolution 95-A21 calls on the CCB to take all
steps necessary to ensure that at least 20%
of the composition of the boards of directors
of guide dog schools be blind.  

Resolution 95-A22 concerns the fact that
some blind persons who have needed to go to
shelters because of disasters, abuse, etc.
have been denied admission because they
have guide dogs.  The resolution calls on the
CCB to assist with the education of the
operators of these emergency shelters
concerning the law which mandates the
acceptance of a blind person accompanied by
his or her guide dog.    


                OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE

                    by Ken Metz

From those of us who've "gone to the dogs",
a warm and sincere greeting to you all!  I'd
like to begin by thanking my co-writer of "Out
of the Doghouse", Lee Morton, second vice
President of Guide Dog Users of California for
a most interesting article in the last issue of
the BC.  Lee, I'm sure, will have many other
interesting stories to tell in future issues.  

I recently became aware of an incident which
occurred in Florida that I feel is inexcusable
and despicable.  It involved a newly blinded
gentleman who was training with his first
guide dog and a very "caring" individual
without much thinking capacity.  The blind
man was walking through a mall with his
guide dog trainer following behind observing
him when a lady decided she wanted to see
just how well trained a guide dog really is. 
She stopped just a few feet in front of the
man wanting to see the reaction and the
capability of the dog.  Reportedly the dog
attempted to indicate to the man that he
needed to swerve around an object, but, as is
the case with someone getting a new guide
dog, as well as some of us who forget many
dogs later, he did not follow his dog, causing
him to step on the lady's foot.  A short time
later the blind man and the southeastern
Florida guide dog school were hit with a
lawsuit in the amount of $80,000 because
the lady claimed that having the man step on
her foot caused her toe to be broken.  As the
lawsuit proceeded, it was found that the lady
had  broken the same toe in a previous
accident.  She later admitted that she had
stopped in front of the man on purpose to see
what the dog's response would be.  The
lawsuits was eventually dropped.  Since this
incident of almost a year ago, the blind man
passed away, and, oh yes, the well-meaning
lady's husband, backing her in this lawsuit, is
a minister in one of the local churches.  

Let's turn to something more positive.  At the
last meeting of the Guide Dog Users of
California held during the CCB spring
convention, a member of the Hawaii Council
of the Blind, Pat Blum, visited us.  She
mentioned that there is legislation in the
hopper in Hawaii which could eventually lead
to guide dogs finally being allowed in that
state.  No one knows how soon this will take
effect, but this is much farther than we have
ever gotten previously.  What the legislation
proposes is that a miscrochip be implanted in
the dog so that, through the use of a scanner,
the agricultural people will be able to obtain
veterinarian information through the
microscope.  Pat further mentioned that
Australia is even further along in opening its
doors to dogs.  

I'd like to invite any and all guide dog users
attending the fall, 1995, CCB convention in
Los Angeles to attend part or all of the GDUC
meeting on Saturday, November 11, to see
what the affiliate is all about.  Please watch
your preconvention announcement for
additional information.  Until next time when
you will hear another tale from Lee Morton,
have a great end to the summer.  We'll see
you at the fall convention.   


             WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

                 by Sharon Hutton

We have heard the expression "you can't fight city hall."  Well, maybe
you can't, but through an experience I had with the City of Ontario
several months ago, I learned that you can work with the city and really
accomplish something. 

Where I live in Ontario, California, there is a nice bus stop--you know,
one of those with the shelter and the bench.  My guide dog Taylor and
I had to cross two very busy streets, and then we did not have a
sidewalk to get from the corner to the bus stop.  There was a lot of
dirt, weeds, trash, and sometimes broken glass where we needed to walk. 
Obviously this was not a good situation for my guide dog and me. 

When our bus company put in that bus stop a few years back, I felt sure
that they would put in a sidewalk at that corner.  After some time I
realized it was not going to happen.  I decided it was time to get
Involved and try to do something about the problem.  I wrote to the city
of Ontario and to the bus company, but I received no response.  A few
months later after rain made it impossible to walk through that area
without getting out into the street, I wrote to the same two places
again but added more information.  I then sent letters to my senators,
my district representative, and anyone else that I thought could help
me.  


When I described the problem, I also pointed out that the bus stop was
not accessible for me and it was not accessible for other disabled
persons either.  Within four weeks I received phone calls from the
persons that I had written to.  They were very sympathetic to my problem
and they were looking into the matter.  They also informed me, though,
that most cities had no extra money to address a problem like the one
I described.  

A few more weeks went by, and I received a call from the County Board
of Supervisors' office informing me that street repairs were scheduled
for my area and that a sidewalk would go in at that corner.  The city
put in the sidewalk about three months ago.  I received a letter from
the city congratulating me for getting involved in the community.  This
was my first experience in trying to change something I did not like,
and it has made me feel good to know that expending the time and energy
to write those letters really helped to improve things.  I hope that
reading about my experience will encourage others to get involved.  Let
your community leaders know  what they can do to make life better for
blind individuals as well as for others with disabilities.  Together we
can work with city hall.  


                  BULLETIN BOARD
                         
                   by Ruth Dean

Social Security Administration Information.  The Social Security
Administration makes available much of its informational material in
large print, braille, cassette, or on floppy disk for the blind and
visually impaired.  For information as well as free booklets, call
the SSA's toll-free number, 800-772-1213 (Dialogue) Spring 1995).

Exercises for the Blind.  'Prescription Audios' is a 30-minute
cassette of exercise instructions by personal trainer Joyce Forte. 
The exercises are specifically for blind people and the tape brochure
comes in braille.  It costs $14.99, plus $3 shipping.  Contact:
Healthy Innovations, P.O.  Box 391090, Cleveland, OH 44139;
800-799-7436 (_Dialogue_, Spring 1995).
Computer Baseball.  The award-winning World Series Baseball Game and
Information System works with IBM-compatible computers with screen
readers and synthesizer.  Version 9 comes with 149 teams and 8
information programs.  Updates are released after each season.  The
price is $15 for new users and $5 for updates.  Contact: Harry
Hollingsworth, 692 South Sheraton Drive, Akron, OH 44319;
216-644-2421 (The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, June 1995).

Funding Sources.  'Financial Aid for the Disabled and their 
Families, 1994-96' provides up-to-date information on funding
sources.  More than 100 new programs are added to this edition.  The
book costs $38.50 plus $4 shipping.  Contact: Reference Service
Press, 1100 Industrial Road, Suite 9, San Carlos, CA 94070;
415-594-0743 (The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, July 1995)

Time Traveler.  Time Traveler is a combination talking clock, key
ring and key finder.  It tells time with a human-sounding voice,
locates your keys when you clap your hands, has a voice alarm clock
with a variety of wake-up sounds, an LCD display with large numbers,
is easy to program with instant voice feedback for each function, and
has 5 volume levels.  It is compact and durable, with batteries
included for $14.79, including shipping and sales tax.  Contact: M.S. 
Global Imports, 15732 Los Gatos Blvd., Suite 104, Los Gatos, CA 95032
(Dialogue, Spring 1995).

RFB Name Change.  Recording for the Blind has changed its name to
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.  Almost 60% of the
organization's current borrowers are dyslexic, and it is expected
that this percentage will increase.  (The Matilda Ziegler Magazine,
July 1995).

Choco-Braille.  Chocolate Experience, Inc., P.O.  Box 540974,
Flushing, NY 11354; 800-669-6665, sells chocolate bars with braille
messages.  Sugar-free bars are also available.  Print and computer
disk catalogs are available.  Call Judy Geva (Our Special,
July-August 1995.)

Washable Plastic Braille Labels for Clothing.  Some students at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a plastic that
will hold braille and be totally washable.  The braille can be
applied with a slate or braille writer.  When the label is placed on
the desired spot, a warm, dry iron will affix it.  National Braille
Press was enthusiastic about this plastic and will probably undertake
its production if the demand for it is great enough.  (Our Special),
which is produced by National Braille Press, would like to know how
much people are willing to pay for the plastic, how many labels they
would like in their first order, and whether the plastic should come
color-coded or blank for individual labeling.  Contact: Jeanne F. 
Neale at National Braille Press, Inc., 88 Saint Stephen Street,
Boston, MA 02114.  (Our Special), July-August 1995).

Jury Box Accessibility.  _Into the Jury Box: A Disability
Accommodation Guide for State Court_ seeks to help courts overcome
barriers and enhance juror access.  It can be obtained for $15 from:
ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law, 1800 M Street
NW, Washington DC 20036; 202-331-2240.  (Dialogue, Summer 1995).

Student Aid Cassettes.  Student aid cassettes are available, free of
charge through the U.S.  Department of Education.  Contact: Student
Aid Cassettes, Federal Student Aid Information Center, P.O.  Box 849,
Washington DC, 20044-0084 (Lifeprints, Spring 1995).

Talking Compasses.  The Columbus Talking Compass by Robotron 
Proprietary Limited is a hand-held compass with speech output in
several languages.  The cost is $125 with $5 additional for shipping
and handling.  Contact: John Panarese, Technologies for the Visually
Impaired, 9 Nolan Court, Hauppage, NY 11788; 516-724-4479.  The
Talking Wayfinder LC is an electronic compass, produced by Precision
Navigation, Inc.  The technology was originally developed for the
U.S.  military.  All major and interim points are spoken.  It has
auto voice mode for automatic voice readings of direction change and
auto mode shut-off option.  For additional information contact:
Precision Navigation, 1235 Pear Ave., Suite 111, Mountain View, CA
94043; 415-962-8777 (Dialogue and Lifeprints, Spring, 1995). 

Cool Paws.  Cool Paws are dog booties made of heavy-duty canvas and
nylon.  They contain granules which, when soaked in water, expand and
form a cool, gel-like layer which acts as insulation.  Self-adhering
straps go around the dog's ankles to ensure a snug fit yet do not
restrict motion.  Cool Paws come in 5 sizes.  For further
information, contact: Peggy Thomas at 602-968-4491 (Dialogue and
Lifeprints, Spring, 1995). 


           REPORT ON STATE LEGISLATION

                   by Cid Urena 

As we come to the end of the first year of the 1995-96 legislative
session, I am writing this report with mixed emotions.  In the first
place we have not been able to obtains authors for three of our
resolutions: 94-B-1, which would make it possible for uninsured 
pedestrians to buy accident insurance 
as protection 
from uninsured drivers; 94-B-3 which would have provided a yellow
pages access to blind telephone users; and 94-B-5 which would have
provided public utility bills in formats other than print.  

Nonetheless, neither President Mitch Pomerantz nor myself have given
up on these three resolutions.  We are negotiating with the
appropriate authorities to see if we can bring about these changes
without legislation.  Obviously, either one of us will give a report
on these three resolutions at the Fall Convention.

Resolution 94-B-8, the division for the blind, continues to be one of
our main objectives at present.  As you may have heard, we attempted
to have a bill concerning the division authored by the Health and
Human Services Committee.  As you also may know, that did not work. 
Soon after the hearing where the division for the blind proposal was
presented, we were able to interest Senator Henry Mello in helping us
with this project.  So far the Office of Senate Research has sought
information from a number of states that already have separate
agencies for the blind.  The same office has  made inquiries into our
own state services for the blind.  We have had several meetings on
this subject and are hopeful that we will be able to prove what we
have tried to do for many years, and that is to demonstrate that when
the blind are served within their own agency the rehabilitation
process improves immensely and the blind benefit commensurately.

Resolution 94-B-12 (which became ACR 11, author Assemblyman Fred
Aguiar), would require enforcement of the architectural barrier
access standards as written in Title 24 of the California Statutes. 
We are happy to report that this measure passed both houses.  We are
also happy to report that the procedure has begun in the capitol
building to implement signage on offices and committee rooms. 
Nevertheless we must all keep watch to see that signage is put in
place or changed (if not according to the standards) in all public
buildings.  CCB members should keep us informed, preferably in
writing, if signage is missing or not accurate.

Resolution 94-B-17 dealt with food stamps.  We were unable to find an
author to carry this bill.

There is one successful bill to report.  That is SB 181 [chapter
203], author Senator Ruben Ayala.  This bill amends Sections 48915.5
and 56361 of the Education Code to clarify the definition of blind
and visually impaired student to exclude pupils eligible for special
education based on a specified learning disability pursuant to
Section 56338 of the Education Code.  This clarification will prevent
the misuse of special education funds which are earmarked for the low
incidence students.  Specifically, this bill eliminates charges which
do not relate to education.

The following material is taken from Chapter 307, revised by the
passage of SB 181 which amends the Welfare and Institutions Code and
is presented for your information:    

(1)  For the regions where the lowest [average] rent equals or
exceeds $400 per month, the payment schedules shall not be reduced. 
This region shall consist of the following counties:

(A) Alameda  (B) Contra Costa (C) Los Angeles  (4) Marin  (E)
Monterey  (F) Napa  (G) Orange  (H) San Diego  (I) San Francisco(J)
San Luis Obispo  (K) San Mateo  (L) Santa Barbara  (M) Santa Clara 
(N) Santa Cruz  (O) Solano  (P) Sonoma(Q) Ventura  

(2)  For counties where the lowest [average] rent is below $400 per
month, the payment schedules shall be reduced by 4.9%.  {This}
applies to the following counties:

(A) Alpine  (B) Amador  (C) Butte  (D) Calaveras  (E) Colusa  (F) Del
Norte  (G) El Dorado  (H) Fresno  (I) Glenn  (J) Humboldt  (K)
Imperial  (L) Inyo  (M) Kern  (N) Kings  (O) Lake  (P) Lassen  (Q)
Madera  (R) Mariposa  (S) Mendocino  (T) Merced  (U) Modoc  (V) Mono 
(W) Nevada  (X) Placer  (Y) Plumas (Z) Riverside (AA)
Sacramento  (AB) San Benito  (AC) San Bernardino  (AD) San Joaquin 
(AE) Shasta  (AF) Sierra  (AG) Siskiyou  AH) Stanislaus  AI) Sutter 
(AJ) Tahama  {K) Trinity  (AL) Tulare  (AM) Tuolomne  (AN) Yolo  (AO)
Yuba 

{This} pament schedule shall commence on the first of the month
following approval and implementation by the Social Security
Administration but no earlier than December 1, 1995.

If by the time this material reaches you, President Clinton has
neither signed nor vetoed any bill relating to SSP which would give
the states the authority to reduce benefits below the 1983 level
[present level] I would recommend that every one of us write to the
President asking him to veto any such bill.
       
In conclusion, let me give you the current rate for SSP/SSI. 
Individual SSI benefit, $458, individual SSP benefit, $211.40, total
SSP/SSI $669.40; couples living in their own home SSI benefit, $637,
couples living in their own home SSP benefits, $598.18, total SSP/SSI
$1,285.18.

I believe this is enough bad news for this report.  But remember, we
don't give in!  We must do whatever is necessary to overcome the
current trends which seem designed to injure those most in need.  I
hope that the next round will be better.  With the help of all of you
we will have a better chance. 


              PROFILE: COLETTA DAVIS 

                   by Brian Hall
 
(Editor's note: Brian has agreed to do a series of profiles on CCB
board members; and, when he has finished these, perhaps he will go on
to write about other prominent members of the organization.)

Coletta Witcomb-Davis prepares to step down from the California
Council of the Blind's Board of Directors, but she is not singing her
swan song. 

The words "chanteuse" and "Coletta" aren't usually uttered in the
same sentence.  She rarely seeks the spotlight, grounding her
reputation instead on quiet powers of negotiation and an impresario's
attention to detail.  

The native Hawaiian confronts visual and cultural pigeonholes with a
smile.  After eight years on the CCB Board of Directors, she will
retire in November, having fulfilled the office's maximum engagement.
Directors may serve no more than four two-year terms. 

As a young woman, Coletta's one desire was to become a night club
singer.  She sang operas and oratories with the Honolulu Symphony
Chorus, performing the second lead in one opera and serving as the
Chorus's Coordinator. 

"She's very talented," said CCB Second Vice President Cathie Skivers,
an ex cocktail pianist.  "She's always there, willing to help." 

Some of that musical spirit rings out at state conventions, after
hours, near the end of Talent Showcases when scheduled acts have
finished their rehearsed material and the audience is thinning.  As
performers pack up props and instruments, five-foot-tall Coletta will
suddenly grab the neglected microphone and use her trained soprano to
rouse the room in a sing-along of Broadway tunes, determined that the
crowd gets every penny's worth and extracts every possible drop of
enjoyment.  

Most of her close friends are musicians.  Of Italian, French, German
and Portuguese decent and upbringing, she has been surrounded all her
life by "Good music."  From her Hawaiian childhood, she carries a
love of entertaining and cooking for guests at her Anaheim home,
which features a piano and organ that she and friends freely play in
turn. 

She plays the organ and sings with the Braille Institute Chorus in
Orange County where she also guides tours. 

Despite her show biz streak, Coletta, 62, is perhaps best known to
CCB members as a specialist at pulling together people and large
events.  She was the Coordinator for two fall state conventions--her 
proudest achievement--bringing the southern California convention for
the first time to Orange County in 1991 and again in 1994 for the
council's 60th anniversary. 

A resolution from the County Board of Supervisors commended her 1991
effort.  Conventioneers lauded the anniversary edition's smoothness
and punctuality amid heated presidential and board elections.  All
the while, Davis sought little recognition and gave credit to others.

"I think a lot more important things can get done behind the scenes,
if you're not out there praising yourself and worrying about who's
going to take the credit," she said.  "Just do the job.  Give the
organization the credit." 

Coletta has coordinated three national conventions for the Council of
Citizens with Low Vision.  She founded CCB's affiliate to CCLV in
1987, has served twice as president and currently as vice president
for programs.  To the alumna of Cannon's School of Business and the
University of Hawaii, the partially sighted have a hidden disability
that demands public education. 

"People don't think we're blind or even visually impaired," said
Davis, a director on CCLV's national board. 

Her 20/400 sight renders her legally blind due to cataracts.  Often,
her works can go as unnoticed as her disability.  Coletta is not
prone to public pronouncements and personal glorification.  

She explains that she isn't shy but does what has to be done to help
"because life is about helping people." 

She believes more is learned by listening.  Immediate Past President
John Lopez describes her as more doer than talker. 

"Although She plays her politics well, Coletta is always very honest,
diplomatic and courteous.  She prefers to stay in the background and
isn't self centered," Lopez said. 

The first taste of hostessing and coordinating big-time political
affairs came when she married union leader Walt Witcomb in 1954. 
Witcomb was Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Masons and Brick
Layers International.  The couple attended and threw parties that she
insists were strictly business, rubbing shoulders with Hawaii's
movers and shakers.  As Democratic activists, the couple assisted the
Party with labor issues. 

Coletta co-founded the United Way in Hawaii and has met Presidents
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Carter.  The Witcombs had sidewalks laid
outside the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in
Honolulu so patrons no longer had to walk in perilous street traffic. 
The concrete industry and union donated the materials; the Kiwanis
Club poured the cement. 

Running as an unknown In 1976, she was elected founding president of
the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Hawaiian
affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.  She said she won by
default though she held the office through 1982.

"The blind community didn't know me because I had always 
been mainstreamed.  I hadn't really been around anybody who was blind
until 1975," Coletta said.  "It didn't bother me, but some people
thought I was a Mainland haole even though I was born and raised
there." 

She first encountered other visually impaired people close-up while
taking classes at Hoopno, the state agency for the blind on whose
advisory board she sat. 

She served as Political Chairman of the State Commission on the
Handicapped.  Governor George Ariyoshi chose her as co-chairman for
United Nations Week during the International Year of the Disabled in
1981, and she became the first person with a disability on Hawaii's
United Nations Executive Board.  

Then a widow, Coletta left the islands after meeting retired police
officer and Hughes Aircraft security lieutenant, Gil Davis, at an ACB
convention.  The couple married in 1986. 

Coletta chairs the Legislative Committee for the Orange County
Chapter, CCB and meets with federal representatives for the
Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America.
 
She readily yields her CCB board seat to offer younger candidates a
chance.  As three-time chairman of the CCB Scholarship Committee, she
feels strongly about grooming, training and giving youth more
responsibility.  She plans to remain active locally, statewide and
nationwide. 


EAST BAY COULD LOSE BUS SERVICE: CCB MUST ACT NOW!

                 by Daveed Mandell

If AC Transit has its way, bus service in the East San Francisco Bay
Area will be cut to shreds.  There wil be no service on weekdays
after ten o'clock at night.  Some buses will stop running as early as
seven, eight, and nine o'clock.  On weekends, only 20 or so basic
lines will run in urban areas.  Service to outlying neighborhoods
will be gone.

AC Transit has lost badly-needed state and federal mass transit
subsidies, and it has a deficit of some $12-$15 million.  Governor
Wilson refused to give $4 million to the company.

Some community groups have formed to try to recoup the money from the
private sector, and to put several county bond measures on the
ballot.  But observers aren't optimistic.  It appears that AC Transit
is determined to go ahead with its drastic bus service cuts, starting
in December.  Yes, this could be a done deal.

However, it might be possible to turn the situation around.  We in
the CCB must act now to preserve bus service in the East Bay and
throughout the Bay Area.  Unfortunately, there are at least eight
separate transit providers in the Bay Area, each looking out for its
own interests.  We who depend on public transit are caught in the
middle of the fray.  All Bay Area chapters are encouraged to work
together as one large region, and join coalitions to save public
transit.  

To this end, in mid-August, several CCB members participated in
public hearings held by AC Transit in the cities of Richmond,
Oakland, and Hayward.  The Board of Directors heard hundreds of
people as they told their stories about how they would be affected by
losing bus service.  I testified on behalf of CCB's Bay View Chapter. 
Sandy Bishop, President of the Alameda Chapter, testified on behalf
of that group.  Yet, we must always remember that we are one
organization.  We must present ourselves to the community as such.  I
hope we will start working regionally to get our message across to
the public and the media.

Here, then, is my testimony before AC Transit, delivered in Richmond
on Monday, August 14th:

My name is Daveed Mandell.  I am a freelance radio journalist. 
However, today, I'm testifying on behalf of the Bay View Chapter of
the California Council of the Blind. 

We are very much disturbed at the prospect of having to contend with
AC Transit's proposed drastic cuts in its bus service.  As it is now,
blind people are already vulnerable.  We depend entirely on public
transit to get around.  Twenty years ago, AC Transit was one of the
top-rated transit providers in the nation.  That's not the case
anymore.  For the past several years, you have already begun to cut
away at the fine service you used to provide. 

What you plan to do in December is no surprise to us; but we're
concerned, because you will be leaving blind people stranded, both
weekday evenings, and all day on weekends.  That prospect frightens
and angers us. 

I will give one example.  Many of us who live in outlying areas, or
in the hills take the number 7 bus that goes up the Arlington. 
During the evenings, and on weekends, people living there won't be
able to go anywhere.  Is this what you really want?  We don't think
so.

And then, there's the matter of BART.  Now BART runs till midnight or
thereabouts.  But what good is BART, if we can't catch a bus to get
to or from the station?  We ask you to think your proposal through
again. 

This brings up another example of one of your proposed cuts.  During
the evenings and weekends, people won't be able to get from Solano
Avenue to El Cerrito Plaza BART, and back.  There are many other
similar examples throughout your service area.

Finally, we resent being put under curfew.  We are not small children
who have to be in bed at a certain time.  Most people cannot live
their lives by your rigid schedules.  While we understand your budget
predicament, we believe that you must refine your proposed cuts. 
Perhaps you might make more use of feeder vans and minibuses from
outlying neighborhoods to the major cities. 

We ask you not to leave us high and dry, unable to get to and from
where we need to go in order to work, play, study, and, in all other
respects, live our lives.  Don't leave us in the lurch.  Please
remember that freedom of movement is not a privelege:  It's a right. 
Please don't abridge that right. 

Most people in this country drive cars.  We blind people cannot
drive.  We depend on reliable service from AC Transit, and we hope we
can count on your company in the future.  Thank you.  


                      AWARDS

On Wednesday, October 18, the Los Angeles County Commission on
Disabilities will present its 1995 Access Awards to Judith Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitation Services;  State Senator Diane Watson, Chair, Senate
Health and Welfare Committee;  Mitchell Pomerantz, 
President, California Council of the Blind;  and Von's Markets.  The
Awards will be presented at the Commission's Fourth Annual Awards Luncheon
in the Grand Hall at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135
North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, at 11:30 a.m.  The Luncheon is one of a
series of events recognizing October as Disability Awareness Month.

The Commission, which is celebrating its nineteenth year, is 
particularly proud of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Minority Community Training Project it has conducted for the past
several years.  
Through that project, which has been selected for a 1995 National
Association of Counties Achievement Award, we have reached out to
community members and helped them acquire the tools they need to
exercise their rights as persons with disabilities.

This year, as we continue that program, we will also be conducting
training for high school students with disabilities.  Last year, the
Commission raised the funds needed for this project;  in 1995 we must
raise additional monies to continue the training and enhance the
Tainter Memorial Internship.  As always, the proceeds from the
Luncheon will be used to further these projects.

At the luncheon we will also be awarding the Bill Tainter Memorial
Internship, which was established in 1993 to honor the late activist. 
The Internship affords the recipient the opportunity to work with the
County of Los Angeles, with a monetary award in support of that
activity.  Recipients of the Tainter Internship need not be students; 
they must, however, be persons with disabilities, who want to pursue
a career in public service.  

Judith Heumann, as a role model and through her advocacy;  Senator
Watson as a compassionate and caring leader;  Mitch Pomerantz through
his leadership and Von's as an innovative employer helping young
people with disabilities transition from school to the work force--
each one has enhanced and improved the lives of persons with
disabilities.  We welcome this opportunity to recognize these
accomplishments and hope you will join with us in honoring the
recipients by helping underwrite the cost of the Luncheon and the
internship.  Your participation will ensure the success of the
luncheon.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the
Commission office at 213-974-1053 (voice) or 213-974-1707 (TDD).

 If you would like to nominate someone for the Tainter Memorial
Internship, please contact Demetria Edmondson at the Commission
Office.


                 WAS SALLY RAPED?
       CHARACTERISTICS OF ACQUAINTANCE RAPE

     by Millicent Collingsworth and Lisa Gaeta

Sally has just started a new job. She's been working at the new firm
for only two weeks.  One of her co-workers, Bob, was very nice to her
from the beginning.  June, her office mate, warned Sally to be
careful.  Bob was known as 'the welcome wagon' around the office. 
Bob was always helpful to Sally.  He gave her important information
and never made her feel stupid or inept in her new position.  To a
certain extent, she came to depend on him.

After work one day, Bob asked Sally out to dinner.  Sally wasn't sure
why she felt uncomfortable about the offer.  Bob was a nice guy--
handsome, funny, sensitive.  She was just being silly.  She felt that
she owed something to him because he had been so helpful.

After dinner, Bob wanted to go dancing.  Sally really wanted to go
home but was reluctant to hurt his feelings.  After all, he had been
very charming all evening.

While at the club, they continued drinking.  By this time, Sally was
really tired and wanted only to go home.  After a great deal of
persuasion, Bob agreed to take her home.

When they arrived at her apartment, Bob asked to come in for a cup of
coffee.  Sally said no, but he was insistent.  

Once inside, Bob took off his shoes and jacket and made himself
comfortable on the sofa.  By this time, it was getting very late and
Sally had an early morning at the office, but she did not want to
seem inhospitable.  At one point, Bob commented on how tired she
looked.  Hoping he would take the hint, Sally told him that it was
way past her bedtime and she needed to get some sleep.  At that
point, Bob began to massage her shoulders, telling her she was too
uptight and needed to relax.  When she told him she was uncomfortable
with this, he became defensive and acted hurt.  Sally didn't want to
alienate him, so she let him continue touching her.  She became even
more uncomfortable when he began to kiss her neck, but Sally giggled
as she asked Bob to stop, saying he was tickling her.  Bob ignored
her request and began to rub his hands over her body.  Finally, Sally
asked him to stop.  Bob told her she was leading him on.  If she
didn't want it, why did she invite him up to the apartment in the
first place?

Sally was scared.  She felt frozen by Bob's angry words as he began
to take her clothes off and have intercourse with her.
 
Was Sally raped?  Yes! This is one form of 'acquaintance rape' or
'date rape.'  She wasn't attacked by a stranger.  He didn't break
into her home.  She wasn't beaten up or cut or shot or killed.  All
the pain was on the inside.

       Common Patterns in Acquaintance Rape 
                         
Testing: This is commonly the first or second step in most date rape
situations.  The perpetrator will test the potential victim by
violating her space, standing too close, inappropriately touching, or
asking personal questions, etc.  He may even cross other boundaries
to determine if the person will set limits.  Bob was clearly crossing
Sally's boundaries when he gave her a massage.  However, other
testing occurred previous to that when Sally wanted to go home but
was talked into allowing the date to continue.  Often the chosen
victim does not even realize what is happening at first because it is
subtle and gradual.

Desensitization: This happens when the person begins to tolerate the
boundary intrusion.  She gets used to and comes to accept the
invasion.  She no longer has a reaction to the boundary intrusion. 
Sally got used to going along with what Bob wanted to do instead of
responding to her own needs and desires.

Isolation: The perpetrator's goal is to get his victim alone.  It is
usually in some isolated place that the date rape occurs.  Bob
couldn't rape Sally at the office or the restaurant or the club, but
her apartment gave him the opportunity.

Not Listening: Most of us have experienced someone like this.  This
type of person is either not listening to what you have to say or
doesn't care about your feelings.  He may say things like: 'You don't
mean it,' 'You know you want it too,' etc.  His attitude is something
like: 'Your words say NO but your body says YES.'

Anger: Anger can be used as a dominant display or to intimidate
potential victims.  If you try to set boundaries with this type of
person, you will often be met with an outburst of anger.  If he cools
down right after the outburst, it may be a defensive reaction. 
However, if he hangs on to the anger he could become violent and
dangerous.
 
Power: This type of person is often referred to as a bully.  He
enjoys making others squirm and feel uncomfortable.  He uses his
position to put others in situations where they are unable or
unwilling to defend themselves.

No one has the right to have sex with you against your will.  You
have the right to prevent it from happening and one way  to do this
is to learn how to set boundaries clearly and firmly.  You have the
right to say no when you mean to say no and yes when you mean yes. 
You do not owe anybody sex for anything that person may have done for
you.

Sally was unclear with her boundaries from the beginning.  She was  
reacting and responding to Bob the way she had been taught all of her
life.  She was respectful even when her intuition was telling her
something was wrong.  But times are changing and women are learning
now that they can and should trust their intuition.  By the time
Sally was firm with Bob and asked him to stop, she had already gone
quite a way down the road of confusion.  She was not sure that it was
okay to ask him to stop.  She was not sure of herself.

Remember: There are many levels of self defense.  Setting boundaries
and using verbal skills are two important steps to ensuring personal
safety.  In the next issue of The Blind Californian we will talk more
about how to develop important and necessary skills in setting
boundaries and using verbal negotiations to protect yourself.


                FEDERAL LEGISLATION

                by Cathie Skivers

President Pomerantz has asked me to write the column on Federal
Legislation heretofore so ably done by Winifred Downing.  Win will now
be doing the work as Editor for the BC and so I am pleased to take on
this assignment.  The fine job Win did with this portion of our magazine
will be hard to duplicate and I want to take this opportunity to thank
her for the help she has given me in beginning my new job.  

Before adjourning for a month until after Labor Day, The House of
Representatives passed the Appropriations Bill which cut many programs
of interest and concern to blind, visually impaired and disabled
persons.  Seven programs were cut from IDEA.  They seriously impact the
education of blind and visually impaired students.  The programs deleted
by the House Appropriations Bill are; early child education, technology
application, innovation and development, special studies, personnel
development, clearinghouses and regional centers.  Funds for the
American Printing House for the Blind were cut by 40% from $7.7 million
to $4 million.  Most of this money has been used to provide books,
supplies and adaptive materials for blind and visually impaired pupils. 
The Senators are scheduled to begin work on their appropriations bill
after Labor Day.  We can help by writing to our Senators and asking them
to restore funds to these programs and to the APH.  The names and
addresses of California Senators are:  Barbara Boxer, 112 Hart Senate
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510;  Senator Diane Feinstein, 331
Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-0504.

The House did not take up HR 1617, Employment Consolidation, before its 
recess.  This is the Bill which would lump all employment programs into
a One Stop Service Program, which we have heard much about and which is
covered elsewhere in the BC.  The Senate Bill 143, introduced by Senator
Nancy Kassebaum, would retain part of Title I of the Rehabilitation Act. 
SENATOR BOB DOLE attached this measure to HIS Welfare Reform Bill in the
hope of increasing its chances of acceptance.  IT should be taken up
after Labor Day.  The results of this action are not yet known.  Please
contact your Representatives and Senators to tell them that Senate Bill
143 is better than House Bill HR 1617.  We cannot urge you strongly
enough to listen to the Washington and California Connections and to
read carefully the legislative portions The Blind Californian and The
Braille Forum.  These things will help you in drafting much needed
letters to your representatives and senators.  

HR 2002 has passed both the House and Senate.  This is the House
Appropriations Transportation Bill for FY 1996.  It cuts $622 million
from public transportation, $310 million of which are from operating
subsidies.  While this measure helps highway funding, it drastically
reduces bus and rail transportation.  This Bill will go to conference
committee when Congress returns after Labor Day.  

The White House Conference on Aging advanced a series of Resolutions
which  would become the basis for National Policy on Aging.  These
Resolutions are available on tape from ACB; you will find the material
useful in making recommendations to your Senators and representatives. 
You can obtain the tapes by calling ACB at 1-800-424-8666 between the
hours of noon and 2:30 pm Pacific time. 

While the House Bill would retain Free Reading Matter through the post
office, funds were cut for post offices as was the case for most
departments.  they were told to continue Free Reading Matter but no
dollar amount was pledged to support this program.  

We are trying to find a means of disseminating federal and other
legislation to you in a more timely manner.  It would be helpful to hear
from chapters and special interest affiliates as to the degree of
concern in your groups.  Would you like a tape recording of updates on
federal legislation?  Would your group be interested in becoming part
of a team to work on national legislation?  If so, please let President
Pomerantz know and contact me as well.  We have never needed the support
and help from our CCB members more than now.  Please join in preserving
the programs so fundamental to the education and well being of blind,
visually impaired and disabled persons.  These programs and services
were put in place over the last fifty years and represent the hard work
of those who went before us among the organized blind.  California has
demonstrated its ability to take leadership in legislative matters.  We
know what to do and how to do it; but we need all of you.  So come be
part of the legislative process by which we try to protect blind
citizens.


           TECHGALK: TASMANIA TO TARZANA

               by Kenneth Frasse snf
                     dan kysor

CCB's Global Blind Exchange service
Accesses the State, nation, and world

As 6:00 pm approached on June 21, 1995, the excitement rose as final
preparations were put in place establishing the California Council of
the Blind as the first service organization of the blind to place a
fully-accessible electronic information bulletin board system upon the
internet.  The GBX team had researched for over a year and had worked
feverishly to anticipate all the potential needs of users, as well as
predict all the compatibility issues and Software/hardware bugs that we
might encounter with the new system.  In spite of all this work and
preparation, most of these issues were still intensely present in our
minds when the final connection was ready to be made.  In most major
electronic endeavors, it is highly unlikely that implementations and
operations occur as desired the first time, and we were reasonably sure
that we were not exempt from this phenomenon.  To our astonishment and
glee, however, the bits and bytes did their work, and the connection was
established without incident!  Blind and visually impaired individuals
in the State, the nation, and the world were immediately able to
communicate through the system.

The user-friendly, speech synthesis and electronic braille compatible
menus, as well as extensive file libraries, numerous public message
forums, and live teleconferencing are attracting blind people from
everywhere.  At the time of this writing, GBX has 14 countries and 48
states communicating with the system, and approximately 60 to 100 new
users subscribe each week.

In addition to our recognition as a premier international service, the
GBX staff has been working diligently at developing and enhancing the
service that we provide to our own CCB membership.  A complete and
dedicated CCB area is available off the main menu.

Both chapters and affiliates are already posting announcements and are
actively participating in on-line discussions.  In addition, legislative
documents, newsletters, magazines, and general interest files are all
available now in the GBX file libraries.  There are many more features
available, and the GBX staff is anxious to launch into more on-line
activities, but let's take a brief peek at this thing called the Global
Blind Exchange.

We know that electronic media systems can be a little intimidating, and
so we wish to explain some of the basic features.  GBX is extensive, so
we will restrict our discussion to just the major features within the
main menu.

First of all, you need to connect to GBX.  This requires that you have
either a computer or some other electronic device with a RS232 serial
port such as a Braille 'n Speak, Keynote Companion, Braille Mate, Versa
Braille, etc; you will also need a modem and some connectivity software
such as Procomm or Commo.  There are two manners through which you can
connect to GBX.  Either you can dial the system directly over the
telephone line, or you can dial through a local Internet carrier.  In
the case where you dial directly, you will pay for the long distance
telephone charges, even though GBX itself is free of charge.  In the
case where you dial through a local Internet carrier, you will not pay
for any actual phone charges.  We will describe the two scenarios
separately here.

Dialing Directly:: If you are dialing directly, all you need to do is
invoke your connectivity software and dial the GBX direct line, 1-916-
568-6359.  After the system connects, just answer the prompts and
questions, and you will have full access to the system.

Dialing through an Internet Carrier: If you are using an Internet
carrier, dial, at the Internet prompt one of two possibilities.  the
first is: TELNET GBX.ORG, and the second is: RLOGIN -8 GBX.ORG (The Dash
eight ensures proper file transfers).  You will then follow the prompts
and questions as you would if you had dialed in directly.

Let's take a look at a little less technical, but more interesting,
aspect of GBX--the GBX Main Menu.  Once connected, this is what you will
eventually see:

                   GBX MAIN MENU


A  for Account services and customization
E  for Private e-mail
F  for File libraries
G  for GBX staff support
H  for Help and global commands
L  for Linking to other internet sites and services
M  for Message forums
N  for Newspapers
S  for ACB State affiliates
T  for Teleconferencing
V  for Vendors and retailers
W  for Who's on line
X  for exiting GBX

MAIN MENU  Please select:

Now let's review what these features actually mean.  A, for account
services, is the option that you would choose to specifically configure
how the various GBX features work for you, whether it be how you review
your electronic mail, or whether it is how you read messages and
download important files.

E is for sending and receiving private electronic mail through GBX, or
over the Internet to anyone who has an e-mail address.  An example of
an Internet e-mail address is: KENNETH@GBX.ORG.  Anyone who has
internet, or who dials in directly to GBX can send this individual mail
by addressing their mail message to this address.

F is the option that you would choose to enter the many file libraries
of GBX.  Within this option, you will find libraries containing files
on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the most recent demos of speech
synthesis and large print programs, American Council of the Blind files,
utilities, and much, much more.

If you choose G off the main menu, you will find a message forum for
reading information and writing questions directly to the GBX support
staff.  Here, your questions will be addressed by one of the several
folks who are assisting with the GBX operations.  Questions such as
proper protocols for downloading and uploading files through the
Internet connection can be addressed here.

choosing H will give you a selection of help alternatives.  From here,
you can download the help manual on GBX, or you can browse specific
sections of the help manual on line.  Also, here you can learn the fast-
key, global commands for getting around GBX quickly.

L is a very powerful and interesting option.  choosing this option will
give you choices that allow you to go to other Internet sites.  some of
these sites are the National Library Service, the American Council of
the Blind, CD Connection (where you can search for and order music
compact disks), the Disability Shopping Mall, and many other places
around the world!

choosing M enters you into the numerous message forums of GBX. Here, you
can read and write messages on topics from guide dog concerns and blind
vendor policies to international subjects and midi music interests. 
This is a particularly popular area for GBX members throughout the
state, nation, and world; it really brings people together who might
never have talked to each other!

N is a temporarily inactive section.  As most of you know, many
individuals have been trying fervently to make news papers accessible,
but these efforts have been hampered by disagreements on the standard
for this electronic text.  The GBX staff intends to fight for this
access, and the news papers listed in this section are initial
publications targeted for GBX.

S is an option that we recently incorporated into the GBX main menu. 
Here, individual state affiliates of the American Council of the Blind
can set up their own message forum and file libraries to use within
their own state since no long-distance charges are associated with the
use of GBX.  Of course, there is already a section for the CCB.  Once
you have chosen S off the main menu, you can then enter C for all the
messages and files that pertain to CCB.  Remember that GBX now spans the
nation and the world, so we knew that CCB members would wish for an area
where they could find state and chapter files as well as talk to friends
within just the state.

Choosing T off the main menu will enter you into the live
teleconferencing option of GBX.  This is an area where you can type live
to any other individual who has also chosen teleconferencing, and they
can type messages back to you.  You can even leave a message for a
friend somewhere in the state, nation, or world telling that person when
you will be on GBX in the teleconferencing area, and your friend can
join you at that time!  You can see that this feature can be set up for
scheduled meetings regarding various topics such as the ADA or the RSA's
Order of Selection.  Soon, we will have private rooms for these sorts
of discussion so that not everyone who is in teleconferencing will have
to participate - in each discussion, only those who wish.

The option V is for vendors and retailers of products and services. 
This area allows you to shop, as well as directly ask vendors about
products or services.  Any vendor can establish their own area here for
this purpose, but GBX requires sponsorship for this area.

W is simply a feature that allows you to see who is on line at the same
time that you are.  Just enter W at the main menu, and the system will
tell you who is with you; who knows, it might even be someone you know!

Choosing X will exit GBX.  In fact, choosing X at any menu will
generally exit you from that menu to the previous one that you were in.

So now you have had a brief tour of the main section of GBX.  We hope
that everyone who can access GBX will, and that he or she will give us
input on how well it suits that person's needs and interests.  So far,
we have had excellent reviews, and we plan on moving ahead.  GBX's next
move is to seek independent funding from CCB; in this fashion, GBX will
remove the necessity to have CCB operations monies to support it.  We
plan on having vendors and sponsors support GBX through their access to
GBX file and message features, and we will be actively seeking grants
near the end of the year.  Additionally, we are constantly trying to
upgrade and modify GBX to suit the needs of all the CCB membership,
chapters, and committees, so we would never turn down an offer that came
from the membership to support GBX!  If this is a consideration for any
one reading this article, you may contact Kenneth Frasse at the
telephone number or address at the end of the BC, or you can contact
Kenneth or Dan through GBX.

As far as the next technical steps for GBX, we plan on establishing the
means to link to world-wide web pages.  this technology would allow GBX
to connect to ACB's informational pages, as well as newspapers and much
more around the world.

We hope that you enjoyed this tour of GBX, and we invite those of you
attending the CCB convention in the Fall at the LAX Holiday Inn to come
to our live GBX presentation on Thursday, November 9th.  The Technology
Committee will be holding a mini-conference on technology from 1:00 to
5:00 in the afternoon, and the admission is free.  Thank you all for
your attention and support.

  
TIME WILL TELL

by Cathie Skivers

On June 14, my son Darryl Skivers drove Dorothy Vallerga, President of
the Braille Revival League and me to South San Francisco.  I testified
there on behalf of CCB on the One Stop Employment Service Program.  CCB
had representatives who testified from San Diego to Redding, California. 
We were joined in South San Francisco by Jane Kardas, President of the
Redwood Empire Chapter; Larry Swenson, their First Vice-President and
Barbara Kron, President of the OCB Alumni special interest group.  You
would have been proud of the testimony of these three speakers who
recounted their experiences in OCB and how much the center and special
services meant to them and other blind and visually impaired persons who
attended there.  Telling of their own personal experiences got much
attention from the committee listening to them.

My testimony followed pretty much along that of President Mitch
Pomerantz' seen elsewhere in this issue of the BC Before attending the
June 14 meeting, I contacted Mrs. Pat McKeever, staff member of the work
policy force, to arrange for the time when I would make my presentation. 
She also answered my questions as to the makeup of the five member
committee which would be hearing testimony on this date.  This gave me
an idea of who we would be taking to and how best to get our points
across.  Testifying before legislative bodies and other committees is
not new to me.  I set about determining how best to present my material
which I wanted considered.  This took the form of a packet.  A copy of
my testimony, a copy of the article signed by almost all of the major
organizations of and for the blind, a braille alphabet card from ACB and
a braille alphabet card from CCB and a CCB brochure were put into
individual envelopes and given to each member of the committee and to
the staff member of the group, Mrs. McKeever.  At the conclusion of my
testimony, she complimented me on the contents of the package and said
that she would take the information back to Sacramento and see that the
full committee of twenty-four members would receive copies of it.  

It is a good idea, whenever possible, to hand in a written copy of your
presentation at hearings.  Also, it is important to follow up on the
results of such hearings whenever possible.

On August 29, I spoke with Mrs. McKeever.  This may be of interest to
you.  There are seven work teams in the One Stop Career Center Project. 
This is to ensure that all issues are addressed at the time of grant
applications for implementation of this state's plan.  These teams are:
administrative, capacity building, communication marketing, electronic
infrastructure, governance, performance indicators and service delivery. 
A Task Force meeting will be held on August 30 in Sacramento at which
time five of the seven committees will make their reports.  The two
which will not report at that time are committees on administrative and
electronic infrastructure.

Mrs. McKeever says that if the Task Force accepts the recommendations
made by the five work teams, then the staff of the work force policy
will be able to begin to start writing the implementation and the actual
application for California's grant.

Four meetings will be held in October for the purpose of hearing public
comments on the draft of the One Stop Implementation Proposal.  The
first of these hearings will be held October 3, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
at the Oakland Airport Hilton.  The following three cities have not
determined their sites for these meetings as of yet:  Los Angeles,
October 5;  Sacramento, October 12; and San Diego, October 18.  On
October 19, the Task Force will hold a meeting in San Diego.  Listen to
the California Connection for the dates and times of the meetings in
these cities.  Meanwhile, I have asked to be put on the list of speakers
in Oakland, and hope to come up with some meaningful and helpful
testimony at that time.  If you can get to these hearings, please do so. 
It was interesting to those of us who attended hearings on this project
to note that CCB was the only organization of its kind to testify and
that almost no other disability groups were represented.  Community
colleges in every city were out in force.  Written input is welcome as
well as testimony, so if you do not feel comfortable about public
appearances, you can put your two-cents worth in by writing down your
thoughts and turning them into the committees.  How effective all our
letters, testimony and comments will prove to be, only time will tell.


               WHAT IS VOLUNTEERING?

               by Bernice Kandarian

In the early 1980's I moved to Washington, DC where the only people I
knew were also blind or visually impaired.  I had not realized what a
support system I had had in Los Angeles which enabled me to enjoy
everything from brunch at Hermosa Beach to entertaining out-of-town
guests at the Hi Pockets Restaurant where talent scouts hung out to ogle
the servers performing between waiting tables.  I soon learned about an
agency called Volunteers for the Visually Handicapped (VVH).  It was
through VVH that I was put in contact with several volunteers who read
for me at work and at home--teaching me how to identify familiar items
and department stores which change names across the Mississippi.  These
volunteers not only provided a valuable service, but also became great
friends, most of whom have stayed in touch with Roger and me since we
have been living in northern California the past nine years.

Life in Mountain View was challenging and there was no local CCB chapter
for several months until Chris Gray, Roger and I got one organized. 
Judy Barnes also moved into town from the Washington, DC area and since
the four of us had all benefitted from VVH we decided to start such a
program as a benefit of chapter membership.  The chapter flourished,
partly as a result of this volunteer program, and is now the largest
chater in CCB.

One question we have been interested in for many years is "What
motivates a person to volunteer?"  The following example illustrates how
complex and far-reaching the dynamics of volunteering can be from the
point of view of the volunteer.

A recent volunteer came to us as a person who is temporarily on Workers
Compensation from a work related injury.  Being young and energetic and
coming from a fast-paced profession, she wanted to keep busy.  She was
also volunteering in a literacy program.  In March we needed some
drivers to take two vans of CCB members to Sacramento for a Legislative
committee meeting to establish the necessity for a separate Department
for the Blind.  The volunteer recruited the literacy student she was
tutoring.  Neither one had knowledge of the legislative process, so they
spent several of their tutoring sessions doing library research.  

Subsequent to these experiences, the student gained confidence in
herself and was able to obtain a job with her former employer at an
increase of several dollars per hour. The volunteer is working her way
through the system with her Workers' Compensation case, having learned
that with persistence and patience and knowledge of governmental
process, it is possible to achieve change on one's own behalf.  And her
feelings of being alone and depressed have abated.

Some feel it is necessary to pay for readers and other assistants, but
we have found that a volunteer is likely to have a higher skill level
and to be more dedicated and reliable than a person who is paid, at
least in the pay range that we can afford.  Our volunteers are often in
a much higher financial bracket than we are.  They are not in it for
money, but for some other kind of reward.  Sometimes we find out what
that reward is and sometimes we don't.  But we, as the blind or visually
impaired beneficiaries of volunteer services, can find all sorts of ways
to give while we are receiving.


            AROUND THE STATE AND NATION

At the meeting of the CCB Board of Directors August 26-27, President
Mitch Pomerantz appointed an ad hoc committee to come up with
suggestions for future convention sites and for some a possible
resolution to a situation which has constitute a problem for some CCB
members.  With conventions held twice yearly, once in the northern part
of the state and once in the southern part, elections have routinely
occurred in the south.  The ad hoc committee asks for your input
concerning these matters.  The chair is Teddie Remhild, 
818-559-2313.  Other committee members are Coletta Davis, 
714-630-8098; Ken Metz, 510-458-2028; and Jeff Thom, 916-429-8201.  You
may present your opinions in writing as well as by telephone; address
your letters to the CCB office. 

              **     **     **     **

In the winter, 1995, issue of the BC appeared a list of the VCR's
available to be borrowed by members of the California chapter of the
Library Users of America.  The address and telephone number of Peter
Pardini, who is the person to contact for the VCR's, is changed.  You
can contact him at 214 Villa Garden Drive, Apt. B., Mill Valley, CA
94941; 415-381-9211.

              **     **     **     **

Here is an announcement sent by the Pyramid Chapter, California Council
of the Blind, 12915 S. Jarvis Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90061; 310-603-3358;
President Tony Toscanalli Thomas, 310-604-9469.  The  chapter held its
annual barbecue fund-raiser on August 26, 1995 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m at
the VFW post 5304 in Compton, California.  The success of the event must
be attributed to the efforts of the chapter members and the cooperation
and support of the community and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  

The Pyramid chapter has tentatively scheduled its annual luncheon fund-
raiser for December 2.  The location and other details will be announced
later.  If you have any questions, call Ahmad Rahman at 310-327-0463. 


           **     **     **     **     

Low Vision Products for Sale: TeleSensory Voyager XL CCTV System--
includes 19-inch black and white monitor and camera unit;  4-16 times
magnification; sharp, clear screen; three years old and in very good
condition;  price $1500

Zoom Text Plus screen magnification software--earlier version of
program;  works in both DOS and Windows environments;  excellent and
easy to use;  comes with large screen manual; proof of registration to
be transferred upon sale; price--$250

If interested, please phone Velanche Stewart at 805-594-1242 or 
05-546-9296.


           **     **     **     **     

Distress Sale: Need cash!  Will consider all offers for the following
items:

Artic Business Vision Speech Package:  includes Business Vision Software
version 3.04, the Internal Synphonix synthesizer, works in any PC, XT,
AT or other IBM compatible computer.  A turbo pedal which allows foot
switch control over fast forward or reverse review listening.  Has
taped, DISK and print instruction manuals.  If purchased today, would
cost $895.00 without the cost of the turbo  pedal.  Will take $400.00
or best offer.  If purchased by someone living in my general area, I
will be glad to install the speech system in his/her computer. 

I also have for sale, several taped or brailled tutorials and manuals
for computers.  For example, WordPerfect, Lotus, Dbase and DOS.  Will
sell each for about $20.00.

Contact Doug Rose, Voice Phone: 805-499-8377; FAX: 805-499-6222; Call
by voice before faxing; Internet E-Mail Address: drose@rain.org. 

           **     **     **     **     

For Sale: One Romeo Braille Printer, (ARb--40) in excellent condition. 
Never been used.  Will sell complete with box of paper and all Braille
and printed manuals.  Will deliver within a reasonable geographic
distance.  Am anxious to sell equipment.   beautiful piece of machinery,
and perfect for anyone who needs to make Braille copies of documents for
permanent keeping.  Machine currently retails for approximately
$4300.00; I am asking $2500.00 or best offer.

If interested, please call Essie Hall at 213-292-1654.  Any other
specific information can be provided upon request.

           **     **     **     **     

Vista Nova Home for the Blind, 531 Prescott Street,
Pasadena, CA  91104; 818-791-1913 or 818-791-5854.  Vista Nova Home for
the Blind in Pasadena has vacancies.  Vista Nova provides a culturally
enriching and independent home environment.  Residents must be 18 years
or older, legally blind and ambulatory.  Rents range from $420-465. 
This includes the cost of maid service and utilities.  Volunteers are
also available to assist with transportation and errands.  For more
information, call Thelma Johnson 818-791-1913.

)Note: below is the brochure circulated by Vista Nova.

Vista Nova Home for the Blind opened its doors in 1966.  The home was
the vision of a group of blind and sighted persons who identified the
need for a residential facility that promoted independent living and
that provided enrichment to people who are blind.

Located in the heart of vibrant Pasadena, Vista Nova Home provides
furnished apartments to 17 residents.  Each unit has a private bathroom
with amenities.  The home also has a large lounge and a pleasant dining
room in which three meals a day are served.  Home attendants provide 24
hour security and weekly cleaning service.  Vista Nova's close proximity
to public transportation and various groups that include the Braille
Club, Senior Center and Braille Institute provide easy access for
residents desiring to join in activities for the visually impaired and
blind.

Volunteers are an important element of life at Vista Nova.  The interest
and participation of volunteers is always welcomed.  Vista Nova
volunteers assist residents with personal errands such as  reading mail,
banking, transportation to appointments and leading a weekend social
group.  

Vista Nova does not provide nursing care.  To qualify for admittance,
a person must be 18 years of age or older, legally blind, ambulatory and
in good health.  Couples are also eligible for residency.

Vista Nova Home is privately funded.  We depend on the support of the
community to insure continued quality care to the blind.  Annual
memberships are $10 dollars.  Life memberships are $200 dollars. 
Persons interested in establishing a charitable trust or bequest to the
home should inquire into Vista Nova's Planned Giving Program.

You are invited to visit Vista Nova at any time.  General membership
meetings are scheduled on the first Sundays of May and November.

Several women in the CCB have expressed an interest in having a bi-
annual newsletter put out by the Women's Concerns Committee.  The
committee has discussed this, and has agreed to publish a two-track
cassette newsletter twice yearly if articles are submitted on cassette
to Cherrie Handy-Pomerantz at 1344 North Martel Ave. #102 Los Angeles,
CA 90046.  Articles must be submitted by December 1 and May 1.  Please
keep in mind, that this newsletter will be possible only if people
contribute articles.                     CCB OFFICERS

President:  Mitchell Pomerantz; 1344 North Martel Avenue, 102; Los
Angeles, CA 90046

First Vice-President:  Chris Gray; 549 Giuffrida Avenue; San Jose, CA
95123

Second Vice-President:  Cathie Skivers; 836 Resota Street; Hayward, CA
94545

Secretary:  Kenneth Frasse; 8200 Lake Forest Drive; Sacramento CA 95826-
2958

Treasurer:  David Parker; 1600 Florida Street; Vallejo CA 94590 

                 ----------------


            CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Ruth Dean, Chair; 1535 Westgate Ave.  4; Los Angeles, CA 90025

Dona Cook; 15545 Blackfoot Road; Apple Valley, CA 92307

Brian Hall; 5722 Abraham Ave.; Westminster, CA 92683

Bernice Kandarian; 2211 Latham St.  #120; Mountain View, CA  94040

Maria Lopez; 3925 E. 6th St.; Los Angeles, CA  90023

Daveed Mandell; 2720 Del Monte Ave.; El Cerrito, CA  94530

Lee Morton; 4229 Loma Rivera; San Diego, CA  92110

Cathy Schmitt; 167 Rockwood Street; Irvine, CA 92714

Connie Skeen; 3250 Maple Avenue; Oakland, CA 94602

Winifred Downing; Editor, ex officio; 1587 38th Avenue; San Francisco,
CA 94122

                           CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Ruth Dean, Chair; 1535 Westgate Ave.  4; Los Angeles, CA 90025

Dona Cook; 15545 Blackfoot Road; Apple Valley, CA 92307

Brian Hall; 5722 Abraham Ave.; Westminster, CA 92683

Bernice Kandarian; 2211 Latham St.  #120; Mountain View, CA  94040

Maria Lopez; 3925 E. 6th St.; Los Angeles, CA  90023

Daveed Mandell; 2720 Del Monte Ave.; El Cerrito, CA  94530

Lee Morton; 4229 Loma Rivera; San Diego, CA  92110

Cathy Schmitt; 167 Rockwood Street; Irvine, CA 92714

Connie Skeen; 3250 Maple Avenue; Oakland, CA 94602

Winifred Downing; Editor, ex officio; 1587 38th Avenue; San Francisco,
CA 94122






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