

                     THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



                   Quarterly Magazine of the

                CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND


Spring, 1998                                   Volume 42 No. 2


   Published in Braille, Cassette, Diskette, and Large Print



                 Catherine Skivers, President
                      836 Resoto Street
                      Hayward, CA  94577   
                       510-357-1986 Res.


                       EXECUTIVE OFFICE:
                         578 B Street 
                   Hayward, California 94541

                         800-221-6359
                         510-537-7877
                       Fax: 510-537-7830



       Los Angeles Area Office, John Lopez, 213-780-3500
          3925 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90023


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


  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.  At these times it is available also
in Spanish. 

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


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 CORNER, by Catherine Skivers  . . . . . . . . .  3

THE SEEING EYE: A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST,
     by Connie Skeen  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5

A RADICALLY DIFFERENT TAKE ON WORK INCENTIVES FOR 
     THE BLIND, by Daveed Mandell . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8

SUMMARY OF RESOLKUTIONS, FALL CONVENTION, 1998,
     by Jeff Thom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

REFLECTIONS ON THE IMAGE OF THE BLIND, by Sheila Styron . . 12

BOOK REVIEW: ANGELA'S ASHES, by Keith Black . . . . . . . . 14

CAREER CONNECTIONS: FUNDING SOURCES, 
     by Catherine Schmitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

THE DASH BETWEEN THE DOUBLE NIGHTS, by Larry Seiber . . . . 19

DR'S MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM,
     by Charles Nabarrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

BEST ARTICLE AWARD, by Joan Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

HEARING LOSS AND YOU . . . HUH? Part I 
     YOU AND YOUR EARS, by Rustie Rothstein . . . . . . . . 27

LEGISLATIVE REPORT, SPRING, 1998, by Cid Urena  . . . . . . 30

AROUND THE STATE  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

CCB  OFFICERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

CCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 


                        FROM THE EDITOR

                      by Winifred Downing

     Change has certainly been the name of the game in the last
three months--changes of all sorts in the national ACB office
and, of course, the change in location for our CCB office with
all the attendant problems that any big move entails.  Now let's
hope that we are also approaching a change in the weather, for
I'm sure you are as fed up with rain as I am.
     Rumblings are beginning to anticipate the national ACB
convention in Orlando, Florida, July 4-11.  In that connection,
Mary Zablenski, an employee of the Chicago Lighthouse for the
Blind and the convention chair for NAPVI, sent us the following
information: 
     "As you probably know, the 1998 American Council of the
Blind Convention in Orlando will also be the site of the
N.A.P.V.I. (National Association For Parents of the Visually
Impaired) Regional Convention.  We hope this Convention will
provide mutually beneficial opportunities for A.C.B. members and
parents alike.  As parents and families become aware of your
programs,  special interest groups and activities, you may
attract a new group of young persons who are blind or visually
impaired and  interested in joining your organization.  Parents
and families, in turn, will benefit from interacting with and
observing persons who have dealt positively with blindness and
visual impairment, becoming independent, successful adults.
     We recently attended the A.C.B. Convention Committee
meeting, along with some additional meetings in Orlando on
February 14 and 15.  We met many of you and came away with a
strong commitment and feeling that this Convention will be a
very positive experience for N.A.P.V.I. families that attend."
     The California state chapter of NAPVI needs assistance in
attracting new members and reorganizing local groups.  If CCB
members could be a catalyst in this effort, we would really make
a significant contribution to the lives of blind children in our
state.
     On the national level, though one would hardly know it from
the items featured in the daily newscasts, movement is beginning
in federal legislation.  S1579, the senate bill to reauthorize
the rehab act, is being worked on again with attention to
Section 508, mandating the government to acquire accessible
technology.  There is a suspicion that an effort may be launched
to weaken this commitment; we'll have to watch for word from
ACB's new governmental affairs director, Alfred Ducharme. 
     On another front, the Department of Defense failed in a
proposal which threatened the priority of blind vendors to
operate dining facilities in establishments serving the
military.  All the agencies and organizations concerned with
blindness joined to defeat the measure so that it did not
achieve success with the Office of Management and Budget, thus
weakening its possibilities in the Congress. 
     The transit system in Washington, D.C., however, continues
to resist installing adequate detectible warning strips on its
platforms.  Now the authority wants to place the strips 18
inches back from the platform edge in direct violation of ADA
compliance regulations.  All of us who easily use MUNI, BART,
and the other transit systems in California which have met ADA
standards can readily testify to their value and sympathize with
the continuing frustration of DC residents.  
     A development in California about which we can be grateful
concerns an item addressed in one of CCB's fall convention
resolutions.  Our information on AB602 led us to fear that the
groups of children recognized as having low incidence
disabilities had been increased by two additional categories,
both potentially large enough to dwarf small populations like
the blind and deaf blind.  We now find that what really did
happen was that, in recognition of the additional costs to
school districts, a one-time grant of $1,000 was made to the
district for each student classified as being autistic or having
traumatic brain syndrome.   That our worry was not unfounded is
demonstrated by the fact that, on the national level in the
passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 13
groups are now recognized as having low incidence disabilities. 
Would that the allotment of funds had kept up with the
additional groups so recognized!
     Those of you who are familiar with Dialogue Magazine know
its column ABAPITA--ain't blindness a pain in the anatomy and
will be able to add this incident in your editor's life to the
list of stupid things that happen to blind people.  
     One weekend recently I decided to give some attention to
my shoes, most of which had been rained on repeatedly for
months.  I brushed the suede and polished scuffed toes.  I gave
particular care to a pair of hiking shoes I had bought last
fall--the most expensive shoes I'd ever purchased.  I applied
polish and buffed vigorously.  When a friend came by later, I
asked, "How do you like my shoes?"  
     Somewhat bemused, he  answered, "Well, they're okay, but
why did you do it?"  
     "Because I wanted to polish them," I answered.  
     "But you put black polish on white shoes." 
     I hadn't realized that the shoes were white.  The shoe
repair man wasn't able to remove the black polish, so I had to
dye them gray.  That was a pain in the pocket as well as in the
anatomy. 
     The deadline for the next issue of The Blind Californian
is June 1.  Would someone write an article, please, about
gardening by the blind--choosing plants and ground covers that
can easily be handled, fostering indoor plants, caring for and
identifying plants, maintaining a lawn, etc.?  
     For the fall issue, I encourage members to write about
vacation activities and trips, camping experiences, celebrations
in cities and towns to enhance the summer, and so on.   


                    THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

                     by Catherine Skivers

     By the time you read this, the executive office will have
moved from Burbank.  Our new address is 578 B Street, Hayward,
California 94541.  Our 800-221-6359 phone number will remain the
same.  The downsizing of our office will result in a substantial
savings to us; for in addition to lower lease payments, we will
realize a reduction in travel and many other costs.  
     We have been managing our office with one full-time
employee; but as soon as we relocate, I plan to hire another
employee.  The amount of work that needs to be done in the CCB
office is incredible since we deal with much correspondence and
are involved in a number of legal matters.  We do a thriving
business in our stores and make countless referrals to provide
people with information so that they can obtain assistance with
their particular problem.  I'm looking forward to getting help
from those of you who have already volunteered to work in our
new office.  You will no doubt be involved with answering the
many phone calls that come in daily. 
     And speaking of the telephone, I must explain that,
following our move to our new office on February 28, we were
scheduled for phone installation on Monday, March 2.  What we
learned, though, was that, unknown to the owners of the
building, a cable had been cut.  Repair meant no phone service
during the entire week, though I had our 800 number connected
to my home.  I regret the interruption of "the California
Connection" but we'll be back in business after March 8--before
you read this explanation; but now you know "the facts".
     The spring convention may have passed before you read this
so that you will already know about the interesting program we
have planned.  It was not possible to get a convention
announcement out to you as early as we would have liked.  For
any of you who may one day want to become president, let me
recommend that you do not move your office and plan a state
convention simultaneously.  You wouldn't believe the
complications!  I know because I am in the middle of such a
project as this is being written.
     I've had the pleasure of visiting many chapters since my
last report to you.  Also, on February 12th, my son Darryl and
I traveled to Orlando, Florida, where we attended the mid-year
meeting of the American Council of the Blind.  The program was
most enjoyable and educational.  There was an excellent
presentation on fund raising.  I have brought the information
back with me to share with our fund raising and grant
committees.  Many changes have taken place in the Washington,
D.C. ACB office.  Julie Carroll, director of the Governmental
Affairs office, resigned in December, 1997, and is now employed
by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.  Mark Richert, Julie's
assistant, has also left, having been hired by the American
Foundation for the Blind.  On my return home, I learned that
Oral Miller, ACB's Executive Director has offered his
resignation but will stay on until September 1st.  All these
changes are going to call for more support than ever from all
ACB affiliates. 
     A quilt is being made for ACB.  Each square contains an
outline of the state, the name of the affiliate, and its logo.
This is a project being undertaken by the mid-Tennessee Council
whose members have offered to make the squares--an offer CCB has
accepted.  The quilt will be on display at each National ACB
convention.
     During my report to you at the upcoming convention you will
learn more about the mid-year meeting at ACB.  You will also be
hearing from President Paul Edwards who is well known for his
excellent presentations.
     I have invited the chairs of CCB committees to review their
committees and make recommendations to me about the committee
structure and plans for 1998.  If you would like to serve on one
of the committees or you find that you need to make a change in
your current committee assignment, please contact me as soon as
possible.
     There has been much to do in CCB this year.  Though we have
accomplished a lot, I hope that 1998 will find us in a position
to increase productivity in all of our committees.  My thanks
to those of you who have worked so hard to help us move forward. 
Together, we will continue to make a difference.  


             THE SEEING EYE, A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST

                         by Connie Skeen

     (This fascinating description of the first guide dog training
school and its practices was submitted by Dan Kysor.  Because of
its length, it will be divided into installments, the first
appearing here.  It is quoted as published in The Saturday Evening
Post, November 5, 1927).
     Dorothy Harrison Eustis was a Philadelphian who lived in 
Switzerland.  Initially, she was interested in scientific breeding
of German shepherd dogs for desirable character traits: alertness,
responsibility, and stamina.  She and her staff realized that the
effectiveness of the breeding program could be measured only by the
dogs' performance of responsible tasks, so a training program also
was developed.  Soon canine "graduates" were rendering outstanding
service to the Swiss Army and several European metropolitan police
units.  
   But Mrs. Eustis was unaware of the dogs' full potential until
she visited a school where she saw shepherds being trained as
guides for blinded veterans of World War I.  Deeply moved, she
wrote this article.      
   When it reached Morris Frank, a young Tennessean, he wrote to
Mrs. Eustis, saying, "Train me and I will bring back my dog and
show people here how a blind man can be absolutely on his own."  He
was invited to Switzerland, and a dog was selected and trained for
him.  Then he was trained with the dog.  Back in the United States,
he crossed and recrossed the country, putting himself and his dog,
Buddy, to the test in every conceivable traffic situation.
     Mrs. Eustis returned to the United States to establish The
Seeing Eye in 1929.  

                         The Seeing Eye
                   By Dorothy Harrison Eustis

     Because of their extraordinary intelligence and fidelity,
Germany has chosen her own breed of shepherd dog to help her in the
rehabilitation of her war blind; and in the lovely city of Potsdam,
she has established a very simple and business-like school for
training her dogs as leaders of the blind.  Enclosed in a high
board fence, the school consists of dormitories for the blind,
kennels for the dogs and quarters for the teachers, the different
buildings framing a large park laid out in sidewalks and roads with
curbs, steps, bridges and obstacles of all kinds, such as
scaffolding, barriers, telegraph poles and ditches--everything, in
fact, that the blind man has to cope with in everyday life.
     Three forces work together to make this school the model that
it has become: The German Government, the Shepherd Dog Club of
Germany and the association of war-blinded soldiers.  The latter is
a splendid organization of some 3000 men which strives continually
and successfully to keep its members in work and above pity or
charity and out of the class of beggars and peddlers.  The
government furnishes the land for the school and further grants
each blind man a subsidy for his dog's keep after he has left the
school.   
    The dogs are supplied by the Shepherd Dog Club of Germany and
are either donated or bought at the lowest price compatible with
the qualities they must have.  
    In the beginning, all schooling went on in the park; but it was
soon found that a dog might work perfectly there and be of no use
in the bustle and distraction of a city, so the park was given over
to obedience exercises and the advanced classes were moved into the
city itself.  
    From the moment a dog wears the leading harness, his
schooling is done under actual working conditions.  He must go at
a fast walk so that the slackening in his gait for an obstacle is
instantly felt through the rigid handle of his harness.  For curbs
he stands still so that his master can find the edge with his cane;
for steps, approaching traffic and all obstacles barring progress,
he sits down; and for trees, letter boxes, scaffolding and
pedestrians, he leans away from his man, who follows the pull and
so is led safely around.  He learns the direction commands of
right, left and forward, and to pick up anything his master drops. 

    He passes gradually from the lower to the higher grades of work
and is not given advanced problems before he has mastered the
simpler ones.  His head is not bothered about approaching traffic,
pedestrians or obstacles until he is ready for them.  
    As he progresses in one exercise, another is added, so that one
by one he learns always to keep to the middle of the  
sidewalk, to cross directly from one curb to another, to keep a
slight pull on the harness handle and not to dawdle.  Gradually he
is warned from pedestrians and it becomes second nature for him to
skirt them.  Finally he learns his duty in street traffic, and the
different strands of his education have been woven together into
the finished fabric, each strand in its place and  giving support
to the whole.
      Fifty or sixty dogs are in school at a time, all in different
stages of development, and they are at their studies all day long
with stated periods for recess.  Four teachers give these scholars
their education, and about fifteen dogs graduate every month.  
    Next comes the question of placing the right dog with the right
man, for different temperaments and characters need different
handling and those of man and dog must complement each other. 
Then, too, there is the difficulty of accustoming the dog to his
new master.  In the four months of school, he has become attached
to his teacher and works perfectly for him and he is puzzled and
thrown off by the exchange.  
    I should like here to recognize publicly the tact and patience
of the instructors of the school.  They are obliged to have both in
unlimited quantities.  It is hard enough to find a man who can
handle a dog well, but here are men who must handle both dogs and
men with quietness and cheeriness to bring about that harmony and
accord which are to go out with them from the school.  
    The accommodations permit from twelve to fifteen men who come
the first day of every month to stay for four weeks.  The building
is made up of simple dormitories and a combination living and class
room.  Here the blind scholars listen to  lectures on the care,
feeding and psychology of the dog, study raised maps of the streets
of Potsdam with their fingertips and memorize them.  This gives
them a clear mental picture so that later they can go to any part
of the city by the simple directions of so many blocks to the
right, left or straight ahead.   
    This is all class work, as the man's real schooling commences
with the practical work of brushing, feeding and making friends
with the dog that has been assigned to him.  On the man's arrival
at the school the dog leaves the kennel where he has lived for four
months and comes to live with his master in the dormitory.  
    (Part II of this article will appear in the next issue of The
Blind Californian.) .  


                 A RADICALLY DIFFERENT TAKE ON 
                 WORK INCENTIVES FOR THE BLIND:
        BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN POVERTY AND DISABILITY

                        By Daveed Mandell

Testimony delivered before the National Council on Disability, in
San Francisco, on May 14, 1997:
    Earlier this year when the National Council on Disability held
hearings around the country on its work incentives proposals for
people with disabilities, I felt that it was absolutely essential
to offer an alternative viewpoint, and advocate for adopting a
fairer service delivery model.   I thought that it was imperative
for the NCD to grapple seriously with the question of how to raise
the standard of living of most persons with disabilities in this
country, and offset the tremendous expenses incurred in living with
a disability.   Apparently, many other people in the disability
community share my concerns and ideas.   I was surprised and
pleased that my rather controversial comments were greeted with
vigorous and lengthy applause.

    My name is Daveed Mandell.  I am a freelance print and radio
journalist, and a member of the California Council of the
Blind.
    I think that the NCD'S recommendations for providing stronger
work incentives under SSI and SSDI constitute the first step in a
positive direction.  However, I also feel that many
of these proposals are inadequate and simplistic.  We 
Americans with disabilities deserve far more than what
the current custodial Social Security system is willing
and able to offer us.  We need an alternative system.  These
recommendations offer little, if any, reliable economic security,
nor do they provide a substantial hand-up to equality with people
who aren't disabled.
    OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services)
Assistant Secretary Judith Heumann has often called for the United
States to implement a program that many people with disabilities
throughout the world have for decades taken for       granted. 
Almost every industrialized country provides a monthly disability
allowance for disabled citizens and residents.  Such an allowance
offsets the high costs incurred in living with a disability.  A
minimum annual tax credit, such as the one outlined in the NCD'S
recommendations, pales in comparison.  Assistive technology and
personal assistance services are necessities, not luxuries, and
they are needed both at home and  
at work.  Their costs are, in most cases, astronomical.  For
instance, the portable braille computer that I am
now using to read my testimony costs about $7000.
    Therefore, the bulk of SSA'S trust fund should be given
directly to disabled individuals, rather than to agencies--be they
public or private--that claim to serve people with disabilities. 
It is only fair that we receive a monthly disability allowance of
at least $1000.         
 It would not be a substitute for SSI or SSDI, nor would it be    
used to pay for living expenses.  Rather, it would be employed to
pay for the myriad of equipment, home adaptations, readers,
interpreters, attendants, house cleaners, shoppers, drivers, and
other disability-related needs.
    For most people with disabilities, finding and retaining work
is agonizingly slow and arduous.  It would, therefore, be cruel to
start cutting benefits if one earned more than $500.  A rule,
people with disabilities are forced to accept very low-paying jobs,
if they can get them at all.  Again, the NCD'S recommendations do
nothing to raise the standard of living for these people.
    Is the NCD really advocating for significant work incentives? 
After all, according to your suggested policies, most people with
disabilities would still be relegated to poverty.  $500 is a
minuscule sum.  Typical rent for a rundown apartment in Berkeley,
Oakland, or San Francisco is now often much higher than that.  An
annual tax credit isn't an acceptable solution either.  Simply put,
in order to survive as persons with disabilities, we need, deserve,
and depend on cash.
    Likewise, a $5000 resource limit is unsatisfactory, and hardly
counts for much nowadays.  Even $10,000 is often inadequate, and
the NCD doesn't even allow for that much.  The NCD must call for
raising the standard of living for    
people with disabilities to well above the poverty level.
    As for the PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support), it is nothing
but an energy-sapping mechanism that should be immediately
scrapped.  It siphons off, and steals energy and money from,
disabled individuals and does not allow them to hold onto a decent
amount of money in order to reach a significantly higher standard
of living than they are now allowed to enjoy.  The monthly
disability allowance should replace the PASS. 
    I know a blind Danish journalist who receives a monthly
disability allowance, plus readers, transportation, and technology,
courtesy of the government.  In return for this assistance, my
colleague pays nearly half of his income in taxes.

It is time that we Americans learned from other countries how to
provide economic security for disabled citizens and residents.  It
is time that the United States drastically changed its assistance
policies for disabled individuals, and that a truly
forward-thinking program replaced rhetoric and tired, worn-out, and
ineffective systems.  Thank you very much.


                    SUMMARY OF RESOLUTIONS, 
                      FALL CONVENTION, 1997

            by Jeff Thom, Chair Resolutions Committee

     All fall 1997 CCB Convention resolutions were adopted, except
for 97B-12 and 97B-13, which were withdrawn; 97B-19, which was
merged into 97B-20; and 97B-21 relating to braille, which was
referred to the
Braille Revival League of California.
     97B-1 seeks action by the Attorney General of
California to notify local law enforcement officials regarding the
contents of the White Cane Law and the need to enforce it.  
     97B-2 urges the enactment of legislation requiring
the Division of the State Architect to certify that plans for
transit district capital improvement projects which are funded
through state or federal funds received by the state meet
accessibility requirements.
     97B-3 seeks the enactment of legislation requiring
that, in order to sell a detectable warning or tactile signage
product in California, the product be certified by an independent
entity as being in compliance with the requirements of Title 24 of
the California Code of Regulations.
     97B-4 calls for the enactment of legislation requiring
that the occupancy certification process for nonresidential
buildings include a determination by the local building inspector
that the building meets applicable tactile signage requirements
contained in the State Building Code.
     97B-5 expresses appreciation of the California Council of the
Blind to all volunteers, including CCB members, for their work in
making the convention a success.
     97B-6 conveys the organization's appreciation for
the ou997standing efforts of the Crowne Plaza Hotel staff in
dealing with the fall, 1997 convention.
    97B-7 expresses outrage at the actions of the Chino Police
Department concerning the arrest of Mr. Jose Rodriguez, a blind
resident of Chino, and offers the assistance of CCB to help Mr.
Rodriguez obtain appropriate redress of the wrong committed against
him.
     97B-8 seeks an increase in the low incidence
disability special education budget in order to offset a decrease
in the amount of funds available per student caused by
1997 legislation that expanded the definition of low incidence
disability.
     97B-9 urges the enactment of S.B. 246 in order to increase
employment of blind and visually impaired Californians
through the adoption of a tax credit for employers hiring blind and
visually impaired persons. 
     97B-10 seeks the enactment of legislation which
would establish an independent Commissfallfall, 1997ion for the
Blind to
administer all state rehabilitation programs that provide services
to the blind and visually impaired. 
     97B-11 expresses the appreciation and gratitude of
the organization to Dan Kyssor for his outstanding work on the
Global Blind Exchange.
     97B-14 seeks the adoption of state regulations mandating that
all traffic islands be installed so as to be
clearly detectable by blind persons and providing for referral of
this resolution to the ACB in order to seek inclusion of traffic
island detectability standards in the Americans with Disabilities
Act Accessibility Guidelines.  
     97B-15 urges the Department of Rehabilitation to recommence
the use of the Rehabilitation Counsellor for the Blind
classification and recommends the addition of specified
requirements.
     97B-16 urges the State Librarian to resume holding 
consumer forums at the Braille and Talking Book Library.
     97B-17 provides that the CCB take action to ensure that the
Summer Academy Program of the California School for the Blind be
continued annually 
     97B-18 requires the President and the board of directors to
establish a plan of action to revitalize the organization.
     97B-20 urges CCB convention planners, when organizing the
convention program, to inform speakers of their ADA obligations to
provide materials in accessible formats, and, in the case of
government agencies and large private entities, to
demand that these obligations be met.


              REFLECTIONS ON THE IMAGE OF THE BLIND

                        by Sheila Styron

    As a little girl, I was deeply conscious of the impression I
created as a blind child living in the sighted world.  I don't have
many carefree childhood memories of times when I didn't feel the
need to try harder than sighted children to gain social acceptance
and anything else I wanted.  Now, as an adult, I am still tuned in
to how little is understood by the public about guide dog and
blindness issues.
    Most people I encounter are well-meaning.  Yet, before I am
able to establish true friendships and working relationships with
them, it is often necessary to assure them that I am capable of
doing such things as my own hair and makeup, or that it's not so
amazing I can cook pasta, and that this is because I'm not, in
reality, very different from them.  I believe that some of these
misperceptions occur because the sighted cannot imagine how they
would cope with life's details, never mind its main themes, if they
themselves were to become blind.  Maybe it isn't fair, but I still
consider it necessary to try harder than my sighted peers in order
to gain equality and acceptance as a blind person in the sighted
world.  I believe that the blind must exhibit well-developed social
and mobility skills, good grooming habits, an over-achiever style
work attitude, intelligence, enthusiasm and other positive
attributes too numerous to mention here.  We must do all these
things and more if we want to become key players in a world where
the fact that we are blind continues to blind the public to our
potential.  The blind have no choice but to succeed within the
guidelines of a highly visual culture where image is everything and
appearances really do count.
    So, as blind people living in the sighted world, we should ask
ourselves some serious questions about the role we play in
determining how the sighted public views us.  First, are we doing
everything we can as blind individuals to create a positive image
for ourselves, and second, how can we inspire all of society to
adopt more positive images of the blind?
    Let me address some of these issues from the perspective of
nearly 27 years as a guide dog user.  I have heard it said that no
outfit is complete without a little dog hair.  Although it is
impossible to live with most dog breeds and not end up wearing some
of their fur, there are very few good excuses for inadequate
grooming of oneself, one's clothing and one's guide dog.  I am
aware of access issues which have surfaced between some dog guide
users and cab drivers, many of which I believe would not exist if
guide dog handlers always made certain that both they and their
dogs were well groomed.
    Last year I participated in two events for the purpose of
promoting dog guide legislation, access and public education.  One
of these was California State Guide Dog Day which took place in
Sacramento, and the other, The Western Restaurant and Hospitality
Show which was held in Los Angeles.  I was proud to be a part of
both these endeavors, and I know we accomplished some positive
results.  However, during the course of Guide Dog Day, I petted
several guides who were not well-groomed, and at the restaurant
show, I was informed by some vendors that all guide dogs didn't
seem to display the same level of good manners when they were in
the vicinity of food.  If a blind handler is willing to visit a
state Senator with an ungroomed guide, what kind of message is this
ambassador from the blindness community 
sending our government representatives? And if guide dog handlers
allow their dogs to beg for food at the west coast's largest
restaurant trade show, how can we expect to maintain and improve
access in these and other situations?  Especially now
with the proliferation of unregulated service dogs receiving
protection under the same laws as guide dogs, it is more important
than ever to uphold and enhance our image as blind guide dog
handlers.
    Today, In 1998, I maintain that the constant burden of proving
our competence and worth as blind members of society is still with
us.  I recognize that we, the blind, are underemployed and often
still asked to ride in the back of the bus, so to speak.  Sometimes
we are even excluded from situations where we should have equal
rights.  Yet, whatever the injustices remain to be conquered, I
firmly believe that it is we ourselves who hold the power to
determine our own image in the minds of the public and, ultimately,
our status in the world. 


                  BOOK REVIEW: ANGELA'S ASHES 

                         by Keith Black 

     This fairly long book by Frank McCourt won a Pulitzer Prize in
1997.  Though it is McCourt's first book, it has been on the best-
seller lists for many weeks.   I read a recorded version prepared
by Simon & Schuster Audio Books which is narrated by the
author in a charming Irish accent.  It is also available from the
NLS collection as RC42805.
     The story describes the author's life from early childhood to
the age of nineteen.   He tells of how his father Malachy and his
mother Angela came from Ireland, met in New York City, and were
married there.   Frank, their first child, was born in the early
1930's.  Unable to find work, the family moved back to Ireland when
Frank was three years old.   His childhood and adolescent years
were plagued by dire poverty and the weakness and ineffectiveness
of both parents.   There were six other children, three of whom
died very young.   
    Frank had to become almost a substitute parent to his three
surviving brothers to compensate for the many failures of his
father and mother.  As he says, "It was, of course, a miserable
childhood.   Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is a
miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is a miserable Irish
Catholic childhood."  
     McCourt describes his life by enumerating the major factors 
that made his early years so dreadful: near starvation; a
shiftless, but loquacious, alcoholic father who never quite made it
home with his earned wages, having stopped at a pub on the way; a
pious but defeated mother; pompous priests and bullying
schoolmasters; mistreatment by the English; and, above all, the
dreary, endless rain in Ireland.   
     We learn by way of background that his father, as a young man,
joined the IRA and throughout his life maintained a love for
Ireland and an abiding hatred of the English.   As a girl Angela
tried various jobs but was generally unsuccessful.  She was sent to
America to live with an aunt in the hope that a change of scene
would improve her luck, but instead she met Malachy.    
     Most of the book consists of descriptions of the family's life
in the city of Limerick, which, despite its poetic name, was not a
very happy place especially when one was cold, wet, and hungry. 
Still Frank tries to look for the good side of people and
situations as he grows up.  He keeps a fairly strong devotion to
his Catholic faith, especially the reliance on the intercession of
the saints.   He finds many kind and generous neighbors and
relatives and gets special encouragement from one schoolmaster.  
Some of the men he meets provide sound advice and moral support and
act as a positive influence.  And Malachy and Angela, in spite of
their personal shortcomings, insist that their children stay in
school and strive for a better life.  Frank starts to work after
school at age eleven and then gets a full-time job at fourteen.  
He puts his education to good use by writing business letters for
a money lender and reading for a blind man.   
     In the course of his tale, the author deals with the 
conflicts in Ireland:  the strife between Catholics and
Protestants, between Northern Ireland and the Republic, between the
English and Irish people traditionally, and between the poor and
the better off.  We hear about the indignities of the dole and the
public health care system, the struggle between modern attitudes
and traditional morality, and varying degrees of suspicion and
bigotry.  Still there is a wealth of warmth in the story.   
     Frank's objective is to escape from Limerick and go to
America.  When he finally accomplishes his goal, things are not
idyllic, but his will to succeed is strong: surely there will be a
favorable outcome.                                             The
name of the book is somewhat misleading because it sounds as if
Angela dies.  My wife would not read past the second tape for dread
of this sad expectation, but even the tenderhearted among you
should take courage and read the book to find out what Angela's
Ashes really are.
     In the NLS catalog, you may find some asterisks after this
title because there are certainly occurrences of strong language
and descriptions of sex, but I feel both are used appropriately
from the point of view of a child in difficult circumstances and
with considerable Irish humor.   I hope you will thank me for
recommending it. 


               CAREER CONNECTIONS: FUNDING SOURCES

                      by Catherine Schmitt

    "I can't get a job because I don't have the technology I need
to work, and employers won't pay for it.  So what am I to do?" 
This type of thought may represent more of an attitudinal barrier
than a reality.  Opportunities do exist to provide technology and
training assistance for the visually impaired Californian.  This
article will focus on the resources that are available to
individuals who have a good prospect of a job or need equipment
assistance to retain employment.  
    After reviewing the resources, please contact the appropriate
representative to learn more about the specific program of
interest.  It takes initiative, hard work and follow-through to
take advantage of any one of these programs.  Many of the programs
will seek information from your applicant.  The following steps
will help the process feel a little less overwhelming: 
    1)  Acquire a letter from your employer or prospective employer
indicating the type of employment and the need for equipment. 
    2)  Seek demonstrations and written quotes from two or three
vendors. 
    3)  Create a file for vendor quotes and for each program to
which an application is being submitted.  
    4)  Make copies of everything sent to each program and keep
record of dates and items submitted.  
    The time from application to receipt of equipment will vary
based upon how long it will take for the organization to receive a
completed application and supporting documentation and the internal
selection process.  The programs listed below are in alphabetical
order and contain an outline of the program requirements and
process.  Multiple programs may be combined to meet one person's
needs.  
    Career Services Loan Program, Braille Institute.  Purpose:
Short-term (approximately 90 day) loan program of equipment, for
example, a CCTV.  The loan may be during the job search or
employment stage.  
    Criteria and process: client of Career Services at Braille
Institute; attainable educational or employment goal and plan.
    Career Services Subsidy Program, Braille Institute.  Purpose: 
To provide a 50% subsidy (up to $7,500) for a technology-related
need to secure or maintain employment.  In 1998 there is a total of
$175,000 and technical support available to program recipients.  
    Criteria and process:  verification of legal blindness;
resident within one of Braille Institute's service areas, a letter
from the employer stating a "firm commitment" to new or continuing
employment for the applicant; completion of Braille Institute
Subsidy program application; a letter from source contributing the
other 50% of funding which may be the employer, another
organization or individual applicant; two written vendor quotes
(stating all expenses including tax); one day of interviewing,
after completed application is submitted, with subsidy committee. 
Once accepted, individual notifies other contributing source and
activation by source is initiated prior to subsidy funding program
activation.  The process takes about six weeks from submimission of
application to receipt of equipment.  Braille Institute has
approved 49 subsidies totaling approximately $150,000 in 1997.  For
information on the loan program, interested individuals should
contact their local Braille Institute; and for information
specifically pertaining to the subsidy program, contact Nina
Barsky, Career Services Program Coordinator, at (213) 663-1111,
extension 300.
    CEA Program, California Council of the Blind, Committee on
"Employment Assistance.  Purpose:  Low-cost loan program for
visually impaired individuals interested in furthering their
employment efforts.  An appropriate no-interest payment plan is
agreed upon by the program participant and the CEA committee.  No
limit on the loan amount requested.  There is a one-time 5%
administrative fee added to the loan amount requested.
    Criteria and process: California resident; completed
application; written vendor quote; verification of employment or 
a "good prospect" of employment; TRW will be run to review credit
history; CEA committee will review completed application; one to
two month process.  The CEA application may be obtained from the
CCB office at 800-221-6359.  For additional information, contact
Marion Fischer, Chair of the CEA committee at 562-866-2131.
    Equipment Loan Program, Blind San Franciscans.  Purpose:  To
provide equipment loan to blind individuals who are in need of
assistance to ensure employment.  Apply for the loan prior to job
offer.  Loans are paid back in 2 to 3 years at the discretion of
the Board of Directors. 
    Criteria and process: resident of San Francisco Bay Area;
written proposal highlighting personal qualities directed to the
Board of Directors including the following in the proposal: onset
and disability condition, last grade attended in school, adaptive
equipment needed for employment, total price of equipment (exact 
model number and price including tax) and monthly income with name,
address, and phone number (home and work if applicable); copy of
PASS Plan if one will be used.  For an application contact Blind
San Franciscan, Inc. at 415-563-4896.  Proposals should be sent to
1591 Jackson Street, Suite #8, San Francisco, California 94109.  
    PASS Plan, Social Security Administration.  Purpose:  To
provide equipment and services which will enable an individual
receiving SSI to become gainfully employed.  Earnings from
employment, or another source, may be applied to an approved PASS
account in lieu of SSI monthly amount deductions.  Income may be
used for equipment, services, professional development necessary
for employment, or any other item which directly impacts employment
position.
    Criteria and process: individual must create a PASS Plan
(written plan) stating how the amount earned that would have been
deducted from the monthly SSI check will benefit and enable the
individual to obtain or maintain gainful employment.  A specified 
dollar amount, items or services to be purchased, and time period
of plan must be stated.  Employment payment stub indicating average
monthly amount is necessary.  Approval by SSI representative is
required.  Request information on creating a PASS Plan and other
work incentives for SSI recipients and and for discussion with your
SSI representative.  Several organizations in the community
sometimes assist individuals in writing PASS Plans, but such
assistance is not required.  
    Equipment Purchase/Loan, Department of Rehabilitation. Purpose:
To meet a prospective or current employment-related need. 
    Criteria: status as a Department of Rehabilitation consumer;
equipment needed to obtain or maintain employment stated in IWRP;
work evaluation (DR approved) and/or 3 vendor quotes indicating
sort of equipment; approval by DR counselor and supervisor. 
Discussion with individual Department of Rehabilitation counselor
and CAP advocate in local area will provide best indication of
funding approval.    
    Low Vision Products, Health Insurance Program.  Purpose: To
provide assistive devices to individuals who have problems with low
vision.  It may be necessary to spend time inquiring from the
insurance company or your eye-care provider, but the results may be
positive.  
    Personal note:  My eye-care provider told me about the low
vision assistance provided through my health insurance plan.  The
plan contributed 50% of the total cost for a portable CCTV.  I paid
the remainder.  
    Keep on asking questions.  That is the way answers are found. 
Speak to different individuals within an organization and inquire
if others have benefited from the services.  If yes, ask how the
person did it and what advice he/she has to offer.  Good
luck! 


              THE DASH BETWEEN THE DOUBLE NIGHTS

                         by Larry Seiber

     Not often in the course of our lives do we come across a story
so inspiring that it changes our way of looking at things.  I had
just such an experience while browsing through a book store.  It
came in the form of a cheaply printed pulp paper magazine called
Kentucky Explorer, published by an obscure, back-room, home-run
publisher.  Its slogan was "Published for Kentuckians Everywhere." 
While browsing the table of contents and being acutely aware that
I am not a Kentuckian, I noticed articles such as "Scenes of Old
Louisville," "A 1903 Visit To Letcher County Caves," "A Look At
Kentucky's 1927
Post Offices," and any number of articles of Kentucky folklore.  My
eyes focused on one article, however, which really captured my 
imagination.  It was titled, "On The Trail of James Heady."  My
mind conjured up thoughts of some kind of colorful Daniel Boone or
Davy Crockett-type mountain man, wandering the hills of Kentucky at
the turn of the century.  What I found was a fascinating biography
of a memorable man, James Morrison Heady,  "Kentucky's Almost
Forgotten Blind Bard."
    The book's author, Ken Thompson had recently retired from his
work in Louisville and moved to a little farm in the rural
community of Elk Creek about 30 miles southeast of Louisville. 
Shortly after relocating, he happened to read an article in a 
local county newspaper about Joe Bowen of Taylorsville giving a
small party in honor of the late James Morrison Heady (1829-1915),
a poet who had lived near Elk Creek a hundred years  earlier.  How
curious it seemed that such a poet should have come from a town
that today consists of "only a dozen houses, a Baptist church, and
one junk yard!"  It was really curiosity, then, that Thompson
attended the little celebration where Bowen had on exhibit several
old newspaper clippings and a portrait he  had painted of James
Morrison Heady.  
    So far so good, but now the plot thickens.  So intrigued with
the bits and pieces of the Heady story had Thompson become that he
began to research Heady's life and times, ultimately producing a
book which is both touching and unique--Beyond the Double Night. 
After reading the review, I was as fascinated and curious as
Thompson must have been when he first started investigating this
most unusual and gifted man.  
    James Morrison Heady was blinded as a youth and lost his
hearing when he was forty years old.  At sixteen he entered the
Kentucky Institution for the Education of the Blind, now known as
the Kentucky School for the Blind.  Later he also attended the Ohio
School for the Blind.  In his exhaustive efforts to find more
information about Heady, Thompson stumbled onto a gentleman named
Buck Jewel who had been Heady's neighbor.  Though he was only
fifteen years old when the poet died, his recollections were vivid. 
Heady's father had planted cedar trees along the road to the house
so that Heady could take measured walks, gently touching the trees
as he passed by.  Using this carefully prepared route, Heady walked
four miles every day of his life.  
     Through diligent effort Thompson discovered a number of old
newspaper articles pertaining to Heady, along with several books of
his poems, some short stories and an unpublished mystery.  At the
University of Louisville, Thompson found that, before the onset of
deafness, Heady had produced and performed a number of musical
compositions.  Thompson also came upon a copy of an article
published in the New York Times in 1914 documenting the fact that
Heady had been an inventor and designer, producing a self-opening
gate, adjustable chair, special coffee pot and other  items.  His
two most important inventions were the Diplograph and Talking
Glove.  The Diplograph was an embossing machine on which he
embossed a large personal library.  In his late thirties, just
before losing his hearing, he invented the Talking Glove.  He had
metal letters of the alphabet sewed onto the fingers and palm of a
glove so that words could be spelled out by having a person press
on the letters.  In this way Heady could identify up to 200 words
per minute.  Endless practice, though, caused the edges of the
metal letters to cut his fingers so that replacement with buttons
having print letters painted on them was necessary.  Inked letters
on the glove were eventually chosen as the permanent replacement. 
Thompson was extremely moved when he discovered a relative in
Pennsylvania who gave him not only photocopies of the Headys'
family album, but also one of
the Talking Gloves.  She had two of them--one a new one probably
never used, and the other the well-used one which Thompson quickly
chose.  
    Heady also built a working model of a steam-powered embossing
press for the Kentucky Institute for the Blind.  
    In reviewing biographies, writing letters to colleges and
universities and interviewing relatives, Thompson discovered that
Heady, when in his sixties, corresponded with Helen Keller, who was
then only eight years old.  The autobiography of Samuel Gridley
Howe, the man who developed a method for teaching the deaf-blind,
linked Heady to Laura Bridgman, the first documented deaf-blind
person to obtain an education.  Heady became Helen Keller's friend
and life-long confidant.  In her biography,  Thompson found
reference to a letter written from a very young Helen referring to
Heady as, "My Dear Uncle Morrie".  She wrote from the Perkins
School for the Blind in Boston, October 1, 1888, "I am very happy
to write you because I think of you and love you.  I read pretty
stories in the book you sent me about Charles and his boat, and
Arthur and his dream, and Rosa and her sheep."   Heady's most
important work was his writing of Double Night, which he dedicated
to Milton, who was blind, and Beethoven, who was deaf.  Thompson's
book title refers to Heady's deafness and blindness as Beyond the
Double Night.  

There is a harp that once with dirges thrilled,
But now hangs hushed in leaden slumbers,
Save when the hand by grief untimely chilled,
Steals o'er its chords in faltering numbers.
It hangs in halls where shades of sorrow dwell,
Where shadowless darkness weaves the shrouding spell
Of dead delights and long-gone years.
Go bring it me, sweet friend, whoe'er thou art--
The sweeter still, if blithe--and e'er we part, 
Of all its pity, all its tears.
As fitful shadows round me gather fast,
And solemn watch my thoughts are folding,
Comes Memory, Panoramist of the Past,
The rising morn of life unfolding.
Now fade from view all living toil and strife,
Time past is now my present; death, my life;
All that exists is obsolete;
While o'er my soul there steals the pensive glow
Of sainted joys that young years only know,
And past scenes, looming dimly, rise and throw
Their lengthening shadows at my feet.
                               from Double Night and Other Poems 
                                         by James Morrison Heady.

    Heady refused to let his blindness or his deafness limit his
life.  He walked with certain purpose and enjoyed horseback 
riding and other physical activities in spite of a number of
accidents.  It was said that he had a hundred broken bones in his
lifetime.  At the age of eighty-six he experienced another fall
during an evening walk resulting in a four-month stay in the
hospital.  One morning,while he was in the hospital, his sister and
a life-long companion brought him his morning mail and
tapped out on his glove the names of those who had inquired about
his health.  He learned that a publisher had requested that he
condense an article that he had submitted for publication.  He
replied with a smile, "They asked me to condense this book of 
mine; I'll do it if I am not condensed first."  With those last
words James Morrison Heady quietly passed into the Spirit land that
he had written about.

I asked the whispering wind, I asked the murmuring
tide, I asked the voice of years, But none to me replied; From
nature mute, I turned and asked my yearning soul, "Where
is the spirit land the spirit's final goal?"  Then from its
depths, an answer seemed to come, "Where dwells thy Maker
is the Spirit home."
                                from "Where Is The Spirit Land?" 
                                          by James Morrison Heady

    So, what have I learned from this inspiring story of a deaf-
blind man who lived so many years ago in another time?  Well,
several things:  I was reminded how wonderful life is and also how
brief.  All of us could probably accomplish much more than we do. 
All of us are limited in some way; however, we should concentrate,
not on the limitations, but rather on the areas where we are
gifted.  
    When I first read Thompson's book review in The Kentuckian I
sat down and wrote a letter telling the author how much I
appreciated his effort to inform the public about James Morrison
Heady.  I asked him for permission to share his research with the
readers of The Blind Californian.    
    Some time had passed and then one day a surprise package
arrived at my post office box.  I was very much moved to find a
complimentary copy of Ken Thompson's book Beyond the Double Night.
Needless to say, I shall always treasure it. 

    (Beyond the Double Night is available from Buggy Whip Press,
Box 459, Taylorsville, KY, 40071, $15.95 plus $2.00 shipping.) 


      DVR'S MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM 

                     by Charles D. Nabarrete

    The Department of Rehabilitation's management of the Business
Enterprise Program demonstrates a clear reason for a separate
commission for the blind.   
    At the January 14, 1998 meeting of the Blind Advisory Committee
(BAC), the State auditor's office presented its report regarding
the audit of the Business Enterprise Program (BEP).   The title of
the report clearly reflected the conclusions which were contained
in the audit, "Poor Management Limits the Effectiveness of the
Business Enterprise Program for the Blind".   The BEP was
established in California pursuant to the federal Randolph-Sheppard
Act.  The objective of the program is to provide employment
opportunities for blind persons as independent vendors at federal,
state and municipal facilities.  The Randolph-Sheppard Act,and the
implementing state legislation require that blind vendors be given
a priority in the operation of cafeterias and snack bar facilities
in these governmental buildings and that the revenues from the sale
of food or drink by vending machines go to the BEP.   In California
the BEP is administered by the Department of Rehabilitation (DR). 
The principal auditor who spoke to the BAC described the procedure
used by the State Auditor's office to fulfill its statutory
obligation to perform an independent audit of the BEP.  The
auditor stated that all facts and conclusions contained in the
report were verified and substantiated by established audit
principles.  He believed that the report was factually unassailable
and that the conclusions were logically based on the facts.   There
were three main conclusions reached by the State Audit office
regarding the DR management of the BEP.
    The first conclusion was that the DR had not made a high
proportion of the blind and visually impaired clients of the DR
aware of the BEP, and that DR had not pursued possible
opportunities for vendor locations.  The report noted that a few of
the counselors who had been interviewed indicated that they were
not aware of the BEP at all.  Further, the report noted that, until
recently, DR did not promulgate information regarding the BEP
unless such information was requested by a client or counselor. 
The report was also critical of the DR's efforts to develop new
locations for cafeterias, snack bars or roadside locations.  The
audit also noted that efforts of the DR to collect all vending
machine revenues that should be going to the BEP were inadequate,
since only a small percentage of those revenues are presently
reaching the BEP.  As a consequence of these problems, the report
concluded that several potential locations for vendors were being
lost and that the viability of the program was threatend by the
loss of potential revenues for the BEP in the future.   
    Second, the audit report was very critical of DR's provision of
training to vendors, and fiscal controls of the BEP.  The report
considered the initial six-month training of prospective vendors to
be good, but criticized DR's provision of training and education to
the vendors while they are operating locations, since the training
is not sufficient to allow vendors to be prepared to take over
larger cafeterias at other locations.  The report noted that
several Business Enterprise Program Counselors (BEPC) did not
monitor closely enough the filing of monthly profit and loss
statements from vendors.  As a result, DR has made loans to vendors
who are far in arrears of required payments or have defaulted on
previous loans.  It was also reported that DR had allowed private
businesses to use BEP equipment and had failed to maintain proper
control over other equipment.  The report noted that, as a result
of these problems, the fiscal integrity of the BEP was endangered
and that Federal matching funds had been lost.
    Third, the audit criticized the failure of DR to clarify the
status of vendors as independent contractors as opposed to being
considered employees of DR.  In 1990 a private retirement
consultant questioned the status of the retirement plan for BEP
vendors as a result of the consultants' concern that the vendors
were not independent business persons.  If BEP vendors are
ultimately found to be employees--and the audit report cites many
factors which indicate that this may be the case--the retirement
plan for BEP participants would be in jeopardy, and there would be
major tax consequences for the State.
    The BEP audit demonstrates the inadequate management of the
program by DR.  In its initial response, DR acknowledges that
implementing the report's recomendations would strengthen the BEP
but also stated that it considered the BEP to be outmoded and out
of step with present day considerations.  In my opinion, this
report is a strong argument for removing all programs for the blind
and visually impaired from DR.  Experience in other states, where
programs for the Blind are administered through a separate
commission, demonstrates that the services to the blind are more
effectively provided through that mechanism.  In order to protect
this most important program and other similar programs for the
blind, those services should be removed from DR and placed under
the control of a commission with the sole responsibility of meeting
the needs of the blind as proposed by the California Council of the
Blind. 
    The report is long but complex and should be read by all
interested persons.  Copies in accessible formats are available
from the State Auditor's office or by calling the Services for the
Blind office at DR for further information.          


                       BEST ARTICLE AWARD

          by Joan Black, Chair, Publications Committee

    Since 1997 was the first year for which this award is to be
given, the members of the Publications Committee had two tasks. 
First, they had to select the criteria to be used in making the
award and then they had to decide on the recipient, neither of
which obligations was easy to meet.
    There is a lot of variety in the material submitted to the
BC--reports on conventions and resolutions passed; legislative
news; columns such as "Profile," "Career Connections," "Techtalk,"
"Bulletin Board" and "Around the State;" and one-of-a- kind
articles dealing with a wide range of topics.  The committee had to
decide which type of article would be considered.  Our decision was
that every piece submitted deserved to be a candidate.  People who
write reports of meetings, conventions, and legislative activities
perform a most necessary service to the organization and we felt
that they should be given an equal chance at special recognition if
their presentation merited it. 
    Our choice was not limited to material that had been published
in the BC, either.  The rule here was that any article written by
a visually impaired Californian could be considered. The Braille
Forum, Dialogue Magazine, The Braille Writer, and The CCCLV News
Letter, were all possible sources of articles. 
    At the committee meeting during the Fall Convention, we added
some other guidelines including quality of content.  We also took
a preliminary vote coming up with four articles chosen as
finalists.  These were:  "An Adventure in Barrier Awareness" by
Jane Kardas, "Career Connections" by Catherine Schmitt, "A New
Adventure" by Charles Nabarrete, and "The Howes of Boston" by Joan
Black. 
    As each person voted, he or she elaborated on the reason for
the choice in terms of the selection criteria and overall reaction.

    The winner is Charles Nabarrete for his article which describes
his adventure in performing his nephew's wedding ceremony.  The
piece was fresh, well written and witty, but the committee was also
impressed with the depiction of blind people as having the
ingenuity to improvise solutions in novel and unexpected
situations.  Congratulations, Charles!
    This is a new year and the editor of the BC and the
Publications Committee invite all of you to join in the competition
for 1998. 
 


               HEARING LOSS AND YOU ... HUH?      
                  Part I: You and Your Hearing

                      By Rustie Rothstein, 
                  Helen Keller National Center

    There are no less than 80 different syndromes that can cause
dual hearing/vision loss.  Add to that the statistics of hearing
and vision loss because of aging, and deaf-blindness becomes a
major problem for a lot of people!  
    The term deaf-blind does not necessarily mean that a person
becomes totally deaf and totally blind, but indicates a range of
hearing and vision impairment experienced by an individual.  There
are a variety of techniques and advancements in technology
available to help alleviate the effects of deaf-blindness, but they
are not widely known.  
    Several factors make the situation worse than it need be. 
First, most professionals in the field of hearing loss do not
understand the impact even a mild to moderate hearing loss can have
when a person is also blind or visually impaired.  Second, many
people think that it is "just natural"  to lose some hearing as we
grow older.  While it is true that many people do become
hard-of-hearing as they age, that fact does not mean that the
problem should be ignored.  Anyone who has difficulty hearing
should receive whatever treatment or training is appropriate,
regardless of age.  
    Third, many people who experience hearing loss try to hide it. 
They don't always realize that their hearing loss affects, not only
their lives, but also, because of their limitations in
communicating, all those around them.  
    In this series of short articles, I will cover a variety of
topics related to hearing loss: How we hear and causes of hearing
loss, how hearing and hearing loss are measured, how to select a
hearing aid and what to expect it to do, how assistive
listening devices work differently from hearing aids, and how one
can cope with hearing loss.  
    Additionally, I am available for consultation at any time.  In
my role as a regional representative (deaf-blind specialist) for
Helen Keller National Center, my services are free to anyone who
has a dual hearing/vision impairment.  You may reach me at my
office or arrange for a personal visit.  I will also make myself
available at CCB conventions whenever possible.  For the last few
conventions, I have had a room all day on Friday where individuals
can come and ask me questions about their individual hearing
problems and where I can demonstrate a variety of devices that may
be of benefit to those who are hard of hearing.  Come by and see
the devices I have; I will also have a model of the ear and tactile
audiograms. 
    How We Hear  Sound is made by air vibrating.  Vibrations of
different frequencies produce different sounds.  These vibrations
(sound) are collected by the outer ear and travel through the
auditory canal to the eardrum.  The vibrations cause the eardrum to
vibrate.  
    In the middle ear are three bones: the malleus, the incus, and
the stapes, more commonly known as the hammer, the anvil, and the
stirrup.  These bones span the middle ear, touching the eardrum on
one side and the oval window of the cochlea on the other.  They
pick up the vibration from the eardrum and pass it on through the
oval window to the inner ear.
    The cochlea is a snail-shaped chamber, filled with a jelly-like
fluid.  Inside is the organ of Corti, an extension of the auditory
nerve.  Hair cells in the organ of Corti respond to the vibrations
from the middle ear as they pass through the fluid of the cochlea
by changing the vibrations into electrical impulses.  These
impulses are carried along the auditory nerve to the brain, where
they are interpreted as sound.  Hair cells in different parts of
the organ of Corti are stimulated by different frequencies or
pitches of sound.  The electrical impulses carry information not
only about pitch, but also loudness and timbre.  
    Hearing Impairment  Hearing impairments are divided into three
types:  conductive, sensorineural and central.
    A conductive impairment is present when the outer and/or middle
ear cannot conduct sounds to the cochlea.  This can be caused by
damage to the eardrum, blockage of the auditory canal, blockage of
the middle ear by fluid, or because the bones in the middle ear
cannot move freely.  Common reasons for these impairments are ear
wax build-up, middle ear infections, and a disease called
otosclerosis.
    A conductive hearing loss causes the sound reaching the cochlea
to be diminished, thus softer.  Simply amplifying the sound (making
it louder) helps this type of impairment.  Medication can usually
lessen the possibility of middle ear infections which could cause
permanent damage.  Operations may repair damage to the eardrum or
middle ear bones, thereby improving hearing.  A conductive hearing
loss usually causes a loss at the same decibel level across all
frequencies, up to about 60 dB.  
    A sensorineural impairment is present when there is damage to
the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve.  This type of impairment
may be caused by genetic defect, infection to an embryo during
pregnancy, incompatibility of the Rh blood factor between a mother
and child, use of some medications, and diseases such as scarlet
fever or meningitis.  In the case of a sensorineural hearing loss,
sound intensity may be diminished along with sound being distorted. 
Depending on the site of the impairment, amplification may be
helpful with this type of loss, but hearing may still be severely
distorted.  A sensorineural hearing loss may be of different
severity at different frequencies.  
    A central hearing loss occurs when damage to the brain
precludes proper processing of auditory stimuli.  This type of loss
can be caused by a stroke, a tumor, or head trauma.  A person could
have this type of loss and have no impairment in the ear itself.
    Chart: Pathologies That May Cause Hearing Loss  Outer Ear: wax,
growths, decreased elasticity of the ear drum.   
Middle Ear: middle ear infection, head trauma, growths on middle
ear bones, damage to the ear drum.
Inner Ear: head trauma, drugs (e.g., aspirin, Lasix, etc), heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, noise trauma, tumors,
kidney failure.
    In the next article for this column, I will discuss hearing
tests, the way hearing loss is measured, examples of the way
different hearing losses may effect an individual, and what to ask
the doctor about hearing loss.  If you have specific questions or
topics you want me to cover, please let me know.
    Feel free to contact me at: Helen Keller National Center,
Southwest Region Office, 18345 Ventura Blvd., Suite 505, Tarzana,
CA 91356-4245; Phone: 818-757-8921 TTY: 818-757-8922 E-Mail:
HKNCSWReg@aol.com 


                LEGISLATIVE REPORT, SPRING, 1998

                          by Cid Urena

    Greetings once again from Sacramento!  At this time I am going
to give you a brief rundown on what has been happening so far this
year.  First of all, we have not been successful in introducing new
legislation for the CCB.  The problem was caused by a combination
of uncontrollable factors--mainly the loss of CCB secretarial staff
right at convention time, the move from Burbank to Oakland, and my
surgery.  This put us off track at a critical time, meaning that
our bills were presented during the second week of January.  
    The other factor was that legislators were allowed 30 bills
each for the entire two-year session.  They had, then, only 8 or 10
openings at most in January of this year.  We simply ran out of
time and bill slots.
    We now have, however, three or four bills which were drafted 
by the legislative council (without bill numbers or authors) which
we should be able to present at the beginning of the next session
(1999).  
    I wish to make a comment.  For a number of years I have
requested that information regarding legislation which the CCB
plans to introduce or support be provided to the capitol
representative immediately following the fall convention.  It is
important that I receive resolutions, bills, proposed authors, etc.
as soon as possible so that I can get to work right away.  Even
with the increased use of computers and e-mail, it is very
difficult to obtain the information required in a timely manner. 
I hope everyone involved in this process will be encouraged to get
in requests for legislation as promptly as can be achieved.  That
way the resolutions committee can have these requests completed
promptly by the end orf the convention instead of having them come
to me in different formats over an extended period after the
convention.  In view of the numbers of resolutions which are voted
on at the convention, it might be wise to consider a cut-off date
for handing items relating to legislation communicated to the
resolutions committee.
    By the time you receive this BC, you will have learned through
the California Connection the bills which we will be supporting or
opposing. 
    I am including here the Senate Research Report given in early
1996.  It concerns the forming of a Commission or Division of
Services for the Blind.  You may draw your own conclusions.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 
SENATE OFFICE OF RESEARCH
Elisabeth K. Kersten, Director
January 12, 1996
MEMORANDUM TO: Senator Mello           Attn: Samantha
FROM: Ken Hurdle
RE: Separate Division of the Blind in the State of California

    This is in response to your request that I research the
possibility of establishing a separate Division of the Blind in the
State of California and what other states are doing in this area.
    This issue is one in which there are two definitive opinions: 
--The visually-impaired are best served by having their own
separate agency (the visually-impaired community); 
--The needs of the visually-impaired are best served by being under
a larger organization (vocational rehabilitation agencies).  As a
result, there is no single delivery method that is universally
accepted or practiced.
    I have provided an overview of this issue for your use.  If you
have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at
445-1727.  KAH:abm
Attachment: Compliments of Leader, SENATOR HENRY J. MELLO, Senate
Majority, 1020 N Street, Suite 565, Sacramento, California 95814;
916-445-1727.
    THE STUDIES  Several studies have been commissioned to study
the issue of the placement of rehabilitation services for the
blind.  Most studies of this issue have been commissioned by
organizations or agencies advocating a separate agency for the
blind and are generally dated.  The studies include: 
--Structural and Functional Issues of Rehabilitation Programs
within Umbrella Agencies;  Sita Misra and Richard A White, 1990. --
The Studies of Service Delivery Systems in Rehabilitation of the
Blind and Visually Impaired, Review and Analysis, Kenneth Hopkins,
1991.
--Response of the Texas Commission For the Blind to the Health and
Human Services Coordinating Council, Questionnaire on
Restructuring, 1988.
--State Programs for the Blind, Organizational Structure and
Effectiveness, 1984 Update.
--Report to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives,
President of the Senate, Minority Leaders of the Senate and House
of Representatives, The State Board of Education Commission to
Study the Delivery Services to the Blind by the  Division of Blind
Services,  1994.
    What have the Studies Found?  --The efficient transmittal of
all of the specialized skills required to cope with blindness
requires the specialized attention of experts whose own unique
training and experience has been focused on those who are visually
impaired.
--single agency for the blind elevates the status and visibility of
the agency.
--accountability for program results is strengthened since
accomplishment of specific objectives for a defined target
population can readily be measured.
The cost of rehabilitating blind persons is not affected by
administrative structure; in general, the cost of rehabilitating
blind persons is high.
There is no evidence to indicate that combined agencies are more 
cost-effective.
Higher actual and perceived consumer satisfaction.
    Copies of the studies are available upon request.
    RECOMMENDATIONS  Satisfaction with the different governmental
structures is as varied as the structures themselves.  Satisfaction
seems to relate to management philosophy and policy rather than
organization structure.  High quality, cost-effective services are
also a result of these factors.
    If California is to consider changing the present structure for
services to the blind, I would recommend the following:
--Study the impact of the current organization on the degree of
efficiency and levels of current services.
--Evaluate the cost versus benefits of the levels and types of
program offerings and the organization's ability to provide needed
services in a timely and efficient manner.
--Evaluate the potential overlap or lack of coordination with
agencies with complementary functions such as health, social
services, aging, etc.
Establish clearly defined goals, appropriate objectives and
quantifiable performance measures for the current system to compare
with the new organization.
Study the effect of block grants from the federal government on the
provision of services currently, and in a separate agency.  If you
have any further questions, please let me know.


                        AROUND THE STATE

    Two sessions have been scheduled for blind and visually
impaired children and adult at Camp Wawona in Yosemite National
Park.  The adult session, which is integrated with sighted campers,
will be Friday, May 15 through Monday, May 18.  The children's
session for ages 9 through 19 begins Sunday, July 26 and lasts
until Sunday, August 1.  Campers must be legally blind and in
otherwise good physical and mental condition.  Some sighted and
partially sighted volunteers will be included.  
    Vegetarian meals served in the dining hall are $5 each;
however, each cabin has cooking facilities, and groceries can be
purchased in Wawona.  The cost of three nights lodging is $33.  A
deposit for lodging must be received by April 1.  
    The first 30 reservation requests received will be given
priority consideration for the 15 or more camperships to be awarded
at camp.  Transportation from both Fresno and Madera will be free. 

    Camp Wawona is situated at the 5,000-foot level of the Sierra
Nevada mountains high above the Yosemite Valley and adjacent to the
wilderness area.  The Camp has been approved for excellence by the
American Camping Association.  It is integrated for both visually
impaired and sighted adults, as well as racial and ethnic
background.  For more information and reservations call 209-
459-4457 Monday through Friday between 4-30 and 5-30 p.m.  
    We are considering plans for Winter camp next year.  Contact us
if interested.
Joe Ring, Camp Coordinator 

*****          *****           *****            *****         

    The California School for the Blind announces their student-
operated business, Lucky Touch Fortune Cookie Company!  Lucky Touch
is currently taking orders for a variety of fortune cookies with a
braille message. Special messages are available for Mother's Day,
graduations and other holidays, or you can create your own
customized message.
    Small cookies with braille inserts are only 40 cents each or
three for $1.00. Surcharge for customized inserts for small cookies
$2.00 for fifty cookies.  A minimum order for customized small
cookies is 50.  Giant cookies with braille inserts are also
available for $6.00 each.   
A surcharge for customized inserts is $1.00.  Shipping and handling
for all orders is $6.50 per order.  A new line of chocolate-dipped
cookies is also available; call for information and pricing.
    To order, contact the Lucky Touch advisor, Judith Lesner, at
510-794-3800, extension 300, or write to Lucky Touch at the
California School for the Blind, 500 Walnut Avenue, Fremont, CA
94536. 


                             CCB OFFICERS

President:  Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota Street, Hayward, CA 94545

First Vice President: John Lopez, 3925 E. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA
90023 

Second Vice President: Jeff Thom, 7414 Mooncrest Drive, Sacramento, CA
95831 

Secretary:  Kenneth Frasse, 141 Del Medio Ave., Apt. 223, Mountain View,
CA 94040

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

                        CCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Jerry Glass, Redlands
Brian Hall, San Pablo
Dr. Martin Jones, San Francisco
Dan Kysor, Sacramento
Patricia LaFrance, Temple City
Charles Nabarrete, West Covina
Roger Petersen, Mountain View
Mitch Pomerantz, Los Angeles 
Teddie Remhild, Anaheim
Eugene Lozano, Sacramento  

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


                      CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Joan Black, Chair: 4925 Coke Ave., Lakewood, CA 90712; 562-630-2304

Bernice Kandarian, Vice Chair:  2211 Latham St. #120, Mountain       
View, CA 94040; 415-969-1688

Ruth Dean: 1535 Westgate Ave., #4, Los Angeles, CA 90025; 
310-826-8106

Winifred Downing: 1587 38th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122; 
415-564-5798

Brian Hall: 2724 21st St., San Pablo, CA 94806; 
510-235-7790

Maria Lopez: 3925 E. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90023; 213-268-4526

Daveed Mandell: 2720 Del Monte ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530;   
510-236-8715

Teddie Remhild: 200 N. Gilbert, #3, Anaheim, CA 92801; 714-533-6051

Catherine  Schmitt: 348 S. Prospectors Road, #9, Diamond Bar, CA 91765
909-861-1653

Connie Skeen: 3250 Maple Ave., Oakland, CA 94602; 510-532-7687



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