


	THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



	Quarterly Magazine of the

	CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND


Fall, 1998 	Volume 42 No. 4


	Published in Braille, Cassette, Diskette, and Large Print



	Catherine Skivers, President
                      836 Resota Street
                      Hayward, CA  94545   
	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 
                 415-564-5798
                 e-mail wdowning@cris.com       

 


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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. 

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

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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 Hauward office for other suggested forms. Thank you.

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	TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE EDITOR, by Winifred Downing 	1

PRESIDENT'S CORNER, by Catherine Skivers 	1

REPORT ON THE ACB NATIONAL CONVENTION, 
	by Roger Petersen 	4

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS 	6

THE COMMITTEE ON ADVOCACY, by Teddie Remhild 	6

FEDERAL LEGISLATION, by Ahmad Rahman 	7

REPORT FROM THE BRAILLE AND TALKING BOOK
	LIBRARY, by Donine Hedrick 	9

PROFILE: JANE KARDAS, by Brian Hall 	10

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT, by Al Biegler 	12

AN AFFILIATE IN THE MAKING: REACHING OUT TO 
	A NEW POPULATION, by Teddie Remhild 	13

CAREER CONNECTIONS, by Catherine Schmitt 	14

LIFE MEMBERSHIPS 	19

CCB WAS HEARD AND SEEN, by Gene Lozano 	20

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE, by Melita Waters 	22

TECHTALK: SOME IDEAS FOR PAYING FOR ADAPTIVE
	TECHNOLOGY, by Frank Welte	23

JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM, by Carla Hayes 	25

HEARING LOSS AND YOU.....HUH? 
	by Rustie Rothstein 	26

BULLETIN BOARD, by Keith Black and 
	Dorothy Vallerga 	29

AROUND THE STATE 	31

CCB OFFICERS 	35

CCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS 	35

CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE 	36


	FROM THE EDITOR

	by Winifred Downing

	January 1 marks the beginning of each new calendar year, but it is September, it seems to me, that really initiates each new year.  The phone rings more frequently, the mail increases, meetings are announced, classes resume, and there's a get-busy feeling everywhere.  I'm thankful that so many of the contributors to this issue of The Blind Californian reacted to the impetus, for the vast majority of the articles reached me before the deadline, thus making it possible for me to assemble the magazine and mail it to the printers several days earlier than usual.  There is more good news about the magazine: You who read it on cassette will not need to return the tape from now on.  You deserve to keep your copy as do users of print or braille.
	I had a great summer, as I hope you did, too, actually beginning in the spring with a Campanian Enterprises tour to northern Italy.  There were lots of pluses in the experience but enough minuses that I would  hesitate to advise others to choose that tour company.  I'd expected to write about it in some detail, but there have been so many articles submitted this time that I must hold my comments to a minimum.   		The ACB convention in Orlando, Florida, called for vigor and endurance to keep up with everything that was going on and still respond to commitments I had made.  I also made my usual treck to the Oregon Shakespeare festival for three days of immersion  in theater.  That pleasure was followed two weeks later by a family reunion we'd been working on for the last year.  My children and those of my sister and brother, together with their spouses and young ones, came from all over the country to spend a day together at my daughter's home in Napa.  There were 63 of us. 
	You will notice that there is no report this time on state legislation.  Cid Urena, our capital representative, tells me that the bills passed by the legislature are now on the governor's desk and that there is, consequently, nothing to report at this time. 
	The deadline for the Winter issue of the BC is December 1.  See you all at the state convention in Ontario in November.


	PRESIDENT'S CORNER

	by Catherine Skivers

	It is hard to believe that we are already approaching the CCB Fall Convention.  It will be held at the Ontario Airport Hilton Hotel, and I hope your reservations have been made.  We have to make a projection of how many rooms we will need and how many special events will be held; considerations of this kind affect the costs of our conventions.  I hope to see many of you there.  	
	As always, our office is a busy place with plenty to be done whether I am there or working at home.  
	It has been my pleasure to attend meetings of several chapters this summer and to participate in their activities.  It was great to see first hand the energy that is in so many of the chapters.  At the end of June, for example, the San Francisco chapter held an all-day seminar on Social Security and Medicare that attracted attendance from all over the Bay Area.  Presidents of chapters and affiliates have received taped copies of that seminar; and if you are interested in receiving one, call our office to request it.  
	I appreciated the opportunity to be present at the outstanding ACB convention and was proud to have more than 60 other Californians in attendance.  Determining exactly how many were there was difficult because a number of our members are active as presidents of affiliates or are on their boards of directors.  I was your delegate and Roger Peterson was the alternate.  We both attended every general session and were busy the whole time with other meetings.  There will be a full accounting of what transpired in The Braille Forum, but I want to tell you about some of the things I observed while there.  Roger will share reporting on the convention in the next article in this issue of the BC.    
	Sylvia Munoz represented California with the National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS), and we sent David Parker to represent us at the vendors' meetings.  
	We heard the encouraging news about the many ACB scholarship winners, and a surprising number of them told us that they had thought that they were the only people who were blind or visually impaired headed for college.   They all indicated that attending  the ACB Convention was most encouraging because they saw how much we were doing and had a chance to meet so many blind people who were successfully employed.  CCB must find ways of getting out to students to give them the support they need as they make their way as blind persons.  We made a good start on August first when Chairman Al Biegler and the Scholarship Committee awarded more than $21,000 in scholarships to blind and visually impaired Californians.  The commitment and genuine interest shown by the committee was inspiring and should make all of us justly proud. 
	We enjoyed hearing about ACB's successes.  WMATA, the transit system in Washington D.C., now has two stations having tactile platform edging with full compliance promised in coming months.  Guide dog users, too, can celebrate because they have won the right to go to Hawaii with their animals.  Good news, also, in the field of education since The school for the blind in Wisconsin remains open, in spite of the attempt to deprive blind children in that state of the option of a residential school for their education.  	 
	Along with the positive developments, we learned some disturbing information.  Blazie Engineering and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic refused to attend the ACB convention but did go to the NFB gathering.  This is difficult for us to understand or accept since many of us have enjoyed working with both of these groups.  From the point of view of both fairness and business acumen, it is destructive to discriminate against a whole group of blind and visually impaired persons because they do not belong to a particular organization.  A business may believe that it has a monopoly on some products useful to our population; it is encouraging that other businesses are developing similar products--businesses that will refuse to follow unjust practices.  The general sessions included speakers on many subjects.  Representatives of the American Printing House for the Blind described the agency's many programs and services and anticipated future developments optimistically.  A Civil Rights panel dealt with the ADA, emphasizing that we must now focus on how best to use the legislation--what lies beyond the ADA.  The Federal Transit Administration representative urged us to contact that office directly when the need arises, for the agency always invites ACB to comment on any plans being contemplated.  Members of a panel on transportation spoke of all the problems in this area being experienced throughout the whole country and revealed the astonishing fact that Title 21 actually gives more money to transportation than is necessary.  Persons from the Department of Justice expressed concern with the rights of the disabled, since it is to that department that complaints of abuses are usually reported--sometimes resulting in law suits.  The telephone numbers to contact the Justice Department are 202-307-6556 or 800-514-0301.  Just as important, though less serious in tone, was an excellent talk on the significance of personal appearance and the impact of a first impression in approaching a potential employer.  
	A particularly welcome speaker was Terry Hayes Sales, this year's honored talking book reader, who had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed reading for us from some of the books she had recorded.
 	Charley Crawford talked about the importance of clients having a choice in determining what they want to do.  He also pointed out that people have a right to technology when they need it.  We must have agencies that are supportive and responsive.  
	Bob Elliot, director of the Hotel Association, was present to meet with anyone interested in talking about his association.  This was especially important because Laura Beck and Barry Winetraub, members of CCB and travel agents from California, were instrumental in getting him to the convention.  
	Always one of the highlights of any convention, whether State or National, are elections.  Three members were elected to the ACB Board of Publications including our Winifred Downing who won by acclamation.  Janine Stanley and Charles S. P. Hodge were also elected to the BOP.  Pamela Shaw of Pennsylvania was reelected to serve on the ACB Board of Directors as was M.J. Schmitt from Illinois.  Three new members were chosen: Allen Beatty of Colorado, Sandy Sanderson of Alaska and Deborah Grubb of Florida.  It is always good to see new members chosen for Board positions while retaining those who are well known and have demonstrated their valuable skills.
	On the final days of the convention, 47 resolutions were presented, covering, among other subjects, issues concerning accessibility and Federal and State laws.  The Randolph-Sheppard vendors' program and the Javitts-Wagner-O-Day Act are in jeopardy and ACB, with all of its affiliates, will need to work diligently to protect the gains which these laws ensure.  Action was taken also recognizing the importance of mobility training done by qualified teachers, not occupational therapists who have only minimal knowledge about blindness.  	
	I was busy all day and evening each day and particularly enjoyed playing the piano for a sing-a-long in the hospitality room Wednesday evening.  I'm already looking forward to the convention in Los Angeles, which we are hosting July 3-9, 1999.  I hope that many of you will have the chance to be present to see just how much goes on at a national convention.  Pam Shaw and John Horst are coming to our meeting in November to begin next year's planning.  
	I can't close this report without telling you how much I have appreciated some very fine letters and phone calls of encouragement.  It is wonderful to know people are looking forward to going to Ontario and to hear that you like what we are doing.  Keep in touch. 
	

	REPORT OF THE 1998 ACB NATIONAL CONVENTION

	by Roger Petersen, Alternate Delegate 

	Bernice and I flew to Orlando on Wednesday, July 1, to have a chance to relax and get to know the hotel before the convention began.  We were greeted by 100-degree heat and humidity, which the Floridians said was unusually low but was plenty high for us, and by smoke from the wildfires that had been plaguing the state for weeks.  We chose to stay in the hotel most of the time where the only environmental problem was the cigarette smoke.  (We Californians are really spoiled, not having to say "No smoking, please," when going into a restaurant.)  After sleeping off our jet lag on Thursday, we picked up our registration materials and got into the swim.
	As usual, there was a lot of special interest affiliate
activity.  I participated to one degree or another in the work of the Braille Revival League (BRL), the Visually Impaired Data Processors International (VIDPI) and Friends-in-Art of ACB (FIA). 	BRL featured its usual fine program, some of which was joint programming with the Library Users of America (LUA).  One of my favorite items was a discussion of the history of braille codes by your distinguished editor, Winifred Downing.  BRL had elections and our own Chris Gray was elected President.  BRL is one of the national special-interest affiliates that has a chapter in California, BRLC; so, as state convention attendees know, we have similar programs on the state level.
	VIDPI presented its annual Microcomputer Seminar on
Sunday afternoon, when the convention attendees are invited to hear brief commercials from the technology vendors who are exhibiting in order to know which booths we want to be sure to visit.  In addition to the regular fare of reports from companies like Microsoft and IBM, Vidpi initiated this year a training program where anyone attending the convention could sign up and, for a fee, receive training on Windows '95 and screen access software from representatives of the screen access vendors.  This year, for $25 one could get trained in Jaws for Windows or SlimWare Window Bridge.  This is expected to be an annual offering.
	FIA, in addition to presenting its major annual event, the Showcase of the Performing Arts on Tuesday evening, held prose and poetry readings, a writers' workshop, workshops on MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) and a visual arts display and conversation with the artists.  FIA, too, held elections; the president is now Michael Mandel from New York City.  He is proprietor of a recording studio, as well as a composer and keyboard artist.  I'm hoping that after this fall's state convention, we will have an FIA affiliate in California.
	Besides the special interest affiliates, the seminars and committee meetings, the general sessions and the social activities, as if we didn't have enough to keep us busy, another organization, the National Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired (NAPVI) held its convention concurrently with ACB's.  We hope that we have developed a relationship with that organization which will continue and strengthen, giving parents and visually impaired young people the kind of support which can be realized only from association with blind and visually impaired role models.
	A few other special things about this convention are worthy of note in closing.  There was a quilt, assembled by
some folks in Tennessee under the direction of Brenda Travino composed of squares representing all the state and special-interest affiliates of ACB with logos, inscriptions, and the like typical of each affiliate.  It will be exhibited at the ACB convention each year and raffled off with the winner's affiliate possessing it for the ensuing twelve months.  Missouri was the first winner.  The Travinos also recorded a catchy rallying song for ACB, which you will be able to hear and have a chance to learn at the CCB fall convention
	For the first time, most of the general sessions and the banquet were broadcast in RealAudio to the entire world over the Internet.  Much of this material can still be heard on the ACB web site at your leisure if you have multimedia capability on your computer.  
	Oral Miller, our executive director, is leaving soon, and there were various gifts, presentations and songs for him throughout the convention.  At the banquet, he was presented with a trip for himself and Roberta to Vienna and Salzburg for the New Year celebration.  That gift and the various tributes made to him for his many years of service to the American Council represented a fitting close to a fine convention. 


 	IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

	The fall convention of the California Council of the Blind will be held November 5-8 at the Ontario Airport Hilton, 700 N.  Haven Ave., Ontario, CA 91764; 909-980-0400 or 800-654-1379.  Room rates are $62 single and double occupancy.  Please make your reservations as soon as possible, and call the CCB office without delay if you have special requests for meals, rooms, or events for which to plan.  Watch for your convention announcement and reservation form.

*****                    *****                    *****
	CCB announces a unique fund-raiser, a CD called GLOBAL SOUNDS, produced by Ann Kysor with art work by Larry Seiber.  The performers are blind Californians and others, many of whom have become favorites in their local chapters and at CCB banquets.  Send your money order or check to order a disk to the CCB office, 578 B St., Hayward, CA  94545.  Credit card orders are also welcome: 800-221-6359.  

*****                   *****                    *****
	Jane Kardas and Ahmad Rahman, Co-Chairs of the Senior Blind
Committee, along with Larry Seiber, cordially invite you to attend "Aging In The Arts" at the CCB fall Convention in Ontario. 	This hands-on workshop will take place on Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.  Larry will introduce us to the "Old Masters" technique of egg tempera painting.  Each participant will leave with his or her own work of art.  The class will be limited to 25 participants so we encourage your prompt response as availability will be on a first come first served basis.  Art supplies may be donated; but if this does not occur, there could be a charge for this hands-on experience.  Larry is a recognized artist and currently our new CCB Office Manager.  This will be a very serious water color painting class and a "First" for CCB. 
	Be sure to make plans to attend the Orientation Center for the Blind luncheon afterward to renew old acquaintances and encourage one of the best adult training centers in the country.  

                    THE COMMITTEE ON ADVOCACY

                        by Teddie Remhild

	At the spring convention in Oakland, the CCB Board of Directors voted for permanent status for the Committee on Advocacy.  The members of this committee. appointed by President Catherine Skivers, are Eugene Lozano, Mitch Pomerantz, Jeff Thom, Charles Nabarrete, and Chairperson Teddie Remhild.  The committee suggested--and the President agreed--to appoint one more person, a non-Board member. 
	The statement of purpose arrived at by the committee follows: "The purpose of this committee is to assist the California Council of the Blind in its efforts to provide, or arrange for the provision of, the most effective advocacy services possible for blind and visually impaired persons."
	To assist this committee in achieving its objective, the Budget Committee, at its Spring, 1998 meeting, voted a line item to be set aside for the Committee on Advocacy.  The Committee, the CCB Board of Directors and the President will confer on worthy and representative cases to support in fighting discrimination against blind and visually impaired individuals.
	This committee will also provide for the Council office a list of attorneys and agencies which can be utilized for referral for those CCB members or others seeking such information from the executive office.
	The Committee on Advocacy will be actively participating in many of our convention general sessions presenting programs to inform, as well as training in self-advocacy. The California Council of the Blind has been historically the foremost consumer advocacy organization of the blind and visually impaired.  Through the appointment of this committee, the CCB is affirming its ongoing mission of advocacy for all of us.  


	FEDERAL LEGISLATION

	by Ahmad Rahman

	Rehabilitation  On July 31 the House of Representatives passed, by voice vote, HR1385, The Workforce Investment Partnership Act (WIPA); and on August 8 the measure was signed by the President as PL105-22.  This important legislation incorporates the Vocational Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 as Title IV.  The revised Section 508 makes substantial improvements in the substantive requirements contained in the act and directs the Access Board to issue governing standards for the required accessible information and assistive technology which must be adhered to by all federal purchasing agencies.  The enforcement scheme requires individuals who believe that a procuring federal agency has violated Section 508 to file an administrative complaint against the offending agency.  
	Technology  On July 31, Senator Christopher Bond, Chairman of the Small Business Committee, introduced the Small Business Programs Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, which includes provisions to encourage small businesses to invest in the development and marketing of assistive and universally-designed technology for the disabled.
	Introducing the bill, Senator Bond said that small businesses play a critical role in research and development of assistive technology devices for many disabled Americans and provide the vast majority of research and development efforts that lead to viable commercial projects in this area.  Everyday examples of assistive technology at work include hearing aids for senior citizens, enhanced voice recognition for persons with multiple sclerosis and talking computer systems for people who are blind or visually impaired.  Examples of universally designed technology are closed-captioning for the deaf or for patrons in crowded restaurants, as well as accessibility ramps for individuals in wheelchairs and children in strollers. 
	Access to Consumer Electronics  The design of consumer electronics increasingly uses complex systems for the control of the appliance via "point and click" remote controls and on-screen interactive menus that provide the user with only visual feedback.  Also, touch screen operation or operation via a flat membrane keypad create access roadblocks for individuals with motor disabilities.  Information for the operation of the product, including output, alerts, icons, on-line help--especially for set top box technology--and documentation should be available in a standard text format through an access device in the appliance or through a peripheral device.  
	Typically, standards which would allow for such access through the design of the product or through compatibility standards for a peripheral device are a function of industry standard-setting mechanisms.  Congress should provide direction to these standard-setting bodies to facilitate the development of standard protocols which would achieve this functionality in consumer electronics.
	Internet Service Provider Changes  Since 1983, there has been an ongoing debate about whether Internet service providers should be required to pay access charges in order to use the local telephone network.  Such charges would compensate local telephone companies for the added costs associated with longer modem-to-modem calls, as compared to shorter voice connections.  The FCC has stated that it plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking asking for comment on some specific proposals forcreating the most efficient use of the telephone for the Internet and other information services.
	Imposition of per-minute access charges on Internet service providers could have a serious impact on people who are blind or
visually impaired who use ISPs, because of the additional on-line
time required when employing speech or braille access devices.
	Although a formal petition has not yet been filed with the FCC, several local telephone companies plan to ask the FCC for authority to impose interstate access charges on Internet service providers.  The FCC has stated that it plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking with respect to this matter to ensure efficient use of the local telephone network by ISPs and by other on-line information providers. 
	

	REPORT FROM THE BRAILLE AND TALKING
	BOOK LIBRARY IN SACRAMENTO

	by Donine Hedrick

	On April 3rd I had the pleasure of speaking to a joint meeting of the Braille Revival League and the California chapter of the Library Users of America at the Oakland Airport Hilton.  Winifred Downing had set me quite an agenda when she wrote "Things I think people might like to know are: the number of braille users now, how that contrasts with five or ten years ago and then with some time in the more distant past; what you know about the typical braille patron; to what degree children are being involved with borrowing braille books; what special braille collections you may have ..."
	Since I had not looked at the Braille and Talking Book Library statistics in these ways before, I had fun doing the research for my talk.  Using the statistics from the past twenty years, I arrived at the following figures.  
    In 1976/77, there were 729 braille readers, and the books in the collection totaled 9,700
    1986/87, 601 readers and 10,246 books
    In 1991/92, 619 readers and 10,567 books
    In 1996/97, 640 readers and 11,282 books
	The percent of braille readers actually decreased from seven percent of the total number of readers in 1976/77 to 3-4% in 1996/97.  When it comes to use of the collection by children, I found some interesting statistics.  In 1977, we had 790 juvenile readers registered out of a total 10,233.  In 1997, only 521 out of the total 17,677 registered were juveniles.  However, 88 of those juveniles were braille readers which is 17% of the children up through 13 years of age.
	As far as describing the typical braille patron, I asked the reader assistants for their ideas.  What I heard from them is that "typical" means a reader who has usually been blind from birth or an early age and who has sophisticated reading tastes and normally only wants the books that he or she requests rather than having choices made by the reader/advisors.
	Concerning special braille collections at the Braille and Talking Book Library, we have only some older titles about California that have been kept as historical sources.  Thanks to the online union catalog now available to us on the Internet, we can easily locate braille titles that are available for loan or purchase from many sources around the United States and abroad, including foreign language books, tactile maps, Jewish Guild for the Blind titles, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, National Library of Australia, Seedlings Braille Books for Children, Xavier Society for the Blind, National Braille Press and many others.
	I also passed along the news from the National Library Service (NLS) about the test of online braille books via the Internet begun in mid-March.  Fifty braille titles in formatted grade 2 braille files were placed on a password-protected web site for a three-month evaluation.  Judith Dixon, NLS Consumer Relations Officer, can be contacted for more information about this project at her e-mail: jdix@loc.gov. 
	As always, it was a pleasure to see other library users who attended the luncheon.  With all of their help, support and suggestions for improvements in services, we can look forward to continued cooperation in providing great books and information to California's readers.   


	PROFILE: JANE KARDAS

	by Brian Hall

     Every month Jane Kardas tries a new experience on for size.  It's always something she's never done before.  She has parasailed, jet skied, downhill skied; and she plans soon to fly an airplane supervised by a licensed pilot.
     "I never want to feel as if I've reached an age where there's nothing new," Kardas said from her home in Ukiah.    
	She is busy now preparing to attend Ski for Light in Anchorage, Alaska this winter.  She walks for 30 minutes each day, always climbing a steep slope near her house which she has named Cardiac Hill; and she attends, as she has for the last five years, a health club three times each week.  
 	When Dan Kysor stepped down from the CCB Board of Directors to become the Council's legislative intern, Kardas embarked on one of her newest adventures.  She ran for his open seat and was nominated during a special election at the spring convention.  With no nominating committee slate opportunity opponents, she was voted into office in what had to be one of the organization's quickest campaign cycles.  
	Kardas, who is the outgoing president of the Redwood Empire Chapter, found it exciting to be elected during a general session, saying, "I found it a great honor to be voted in by such a large majority of my peers." 
     Born in El Centro, California, Kardas attended Arizona State University and the Arizona Institute for Foreign Trade in Glendale, Arizona.  Before losing her sight, she worked as a counselor in the Victim Witness program run through the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's office, attending  and assisting victims of violent crime.  Kardas's job description included counseling and informing victims and witnesses of their rights and court assisting.  Only one case does she recall in which a victim backed out of testifying at the last minute.  A woman had witnessed a murder committed by a group of bikers.  On the stand, the defendant, clad in his orange jail jumpsuit and foot shackles, kept throwing threatening glances at her; and when it was the woman's turn to take the stand, she invoked the Fifth Amendment.    
	Some of the time she worked closely with groups like Mothers of Murdered Children.  "Sometimes all I could do was give them a strong shoulder to cry on," she said.
	Now chair of CCB's Senior Blind Committee, Kardas left her paid job after becoming blind at age 52, the result of a severe asthma attack during which she suffered a total respiratory arrest and was pronounced clinically dead for 8-10 minutes.  The lack of oxygen over such a prolonged period caused the brain to swell and exert destructive pressure on the optic nerves.
     "Jane is a good role model, a person who met an overwhelming challenge later in life and turned it into something positive and productive," said board member, Teddie Remhild, who nominated Kardas for her board position.  "Before the Women's Concerns Committee she made a presentation called 'Out of the Mud Grows the Lotus,' and that's really descriptive of her evolution in life." 	Kardas remained in "total and complete blackness" for at least a year and first regained the ability to see in only black and white--ironic, because she had a home darkroom to develop her own black and white films.  In photography, Kardas appreciates the subtlety of black and white, but in everyday life she prefers the whole spectrum and has, therefore, been grateful that her ability to see color eventually returned. 
	Five years after losing her sight, Kardas attended the Orientation Center for the Blind in Albany and now in president of the OCB Alumni Association.  She is devoted to helping the newly blind and visually impaired.  Along with friends Larry Swenson and Barbara Kron, she visits the center to talk about life after OCB and to distribute CCB literature.  Kardas became a certified peer counselor and mediator.  She misses her work with crime victims but fills the paid employment void through volunteering, which she finds very satisfying.  Among her many activities are counseling for seniors, conducting workshops on topics such as elder abuse, and serving on the Lake and Mendocino County Health Board Planning Committee as a representative of the blind. 
     For six years, she has participated in Sonoma County's Barrier Awareness Day in which community leaders assume the disabilities of blind, deaf, or mobility-impaired individuals who become their guides for the day.  Her efforts helped inspire Mendocino County to initiate its own Barrier Awareness Day next year. 
     "She knows that you have to go beyond the blind community to get much done and to spread the word about issues relating to
blindness and other disabilities," commented Ahmad Rahman, co-chair of the Senior Blind Committee and president of CCB's Pyramid Chapter.
	Barbara Kron, a friend and fellow member of the Redwood Chapter, credits Kardas with leading most of the group's fund-raisers including an 18-month braille calendar now being marketed that features the work of blind artists.
     "She's a take-charge kind of person and very committed," Kron remarked.  "She's also a lot of fun to be around."
	Of her four children, her youngest son, Christopher, has become a professional shutterbug.  He  recently came back from Europe where he photographed skateboarders for a study of how the sport is practiced in countries like Germany and Switzerland.  Her son, Greg, graduated from the Culinary Arts Academy in San Francisco and has a catering business.  Kelly, her only daughter, along with her husband David Raitt, are accomplished musicians, and Kelly sings with the band.  She is the mother of two and is preparing to return to school to secure her Master's Degree in psychology.  Brad, who is the oldest of the clan, is, along with his wife Sarah, a teacher in Turlock; and he is also a DJ for the local radio station.   


	SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT

	by Al Biegler, Chair
	On Saturday, August 1, 1998 at 10 AM the Scholarship Committee met at the CCB office in Hayward to choose this year's scholarship winners.  It was a very good meeting with many well written letters to help us make our determinations.  Following is the list of students who received scholarships:
	The Mannino scholarships went to Bill Dailey, Major: Master's in public administration, and Peter Ince, Major: entertainment law.
	The Lilly Perry scholarship post-graduate award went to Hesham Mohamed Kamel, Major: computer science, and Connie Bateman, Major: teaching English to speakers of other languages.  	Upper Division scholarships to: 
Neelima Patil, Major: civil engineering, and Stephanie Enyart, Major: English and feminist studies. 
Mary Proctor, Major: social work
Mahnaci Mansoor, Major: public health, environmental and occupational health
Jacquelyn El'azzi, Major: vocational rehabilitation
Jenifer Lynn Benson, Major: special education
Anthony Ramirez, Major: sociology
Deborah Lynn Flowers, Major: Rehabilitation Counselor
Colin E. Dow, Major: psychology
Gabriel Gregg Griffith, Major: government
Daniel Charles Flowers, Major: graphic design
Diane Leslie Gunterman, Major: psychology
Jesus Perez, Major: vocational rehabilitation
Gayane Pogosyan, Major: Masters in guidance and counseling
Leonard Huffman, Major: liberal studies and special education
Patricia Susanna Prieto, Major: languages and communication
Michelle Burke, Major: multible foreign languages and international relations as a minor
Maria Sandoval, Major: occupational therapy
Johnny McArthur Nickelson, Major: Rehabilitation counselor
Tiffiany Marie Madenia, Major: music
Laura Ann Benson, Major: Christian care-giving
Toshiro Yamamoto, Major: kinesology
	I would like to thank President Catherine Skivers, her sons Eric and Darryl, Larry Seiber, and Joann Biegler for helping with the extensive reading and filing necessary to carry out this task.   
	The Scholarship Committee consisted of Dr. Martin Jones, Josie McKinney, Abby Vincent, Phil Halford, Vincent Caldron, Coletta Davis, Pat LaFrance, and Thomas Toscanalli.
	The total scholarship money awarded was $21,000.00.


     	AN AFFILIATE IN THE MAKING: 
	Reaching Out to a New Population

	by Teddie Remhild

	The American Council of the Blind has a committee known as the Committee on Aging and Blindness.  It has, however, become increasingly apparent that it is not enough to simply appoint a small committee to address the multifaceted issues of an exploding population in America today.  This is a 50+ age group experiencing new vision loss in later life.  It is a burgeoning population which has not been recruited actively by the American Council of the Blind. 
	The Committee on Aging and Blindness has been chaired by Teddie Remhild.  The other committee members are John Sutton, Ph.D. of Maryland; Betty Gayzagian of Massachusetts; Freddie Peaco of Washington, D.C.; Paula Marshall of Louisiana and Roy Ward of Virginia.  In July it held a business meeting, open to all interested ACB members, at the annual ACB Convention in Orlando, Florida.  The room overflowed with interested individuals who unanimously supported the creation of an affiliate specifically organized to meet the needs of this unique group. 
	The enthusiasm expressed at this meeting was impressive.  Concerns were expressed regarding the many who wish to become active advocates in their communities and on the national level but who have not been able to connect with an appropriate group in the ACB organization to foster and direct their activities.
	A subcommittee, therefore, was appointed to explore the requirements and strategies that would lead to the creation of a new affiliate.  Subcommittee member are Roy Ward of Virginia, Jean Sanders of Florida, Vera McLean of Alabama, and Betty Gayzagian of Massachusetts.
	The tentative plan is to schedule an organizing meeting open to all potential members to be held during the ACB Mid-Winter gathering, February 12-15, 1999 at the Westin Hotel in Los Angeles.  At this meeting, we will select a name for our new affiliate, establish initial dues, vote on a constitution and by-laws and elect a provisional Board of Directors and officers.  Thereupon, a charter request will be made to the ACB Board of Directors.  Dues will start at $10.00 per year, and we hope to have a beginning paid membership of at least 100.  All questions and suggestions are welcome and should be directed to Teddie Remhild, 200 N. Gilbert St. #3, Anaheim, CA 92801; 714-533-6051.  Also any of the committee members mentioned above can be contacted.
	The need and the potential are out there and we are looking forward to working with this new affiliate.  Be sure to attend the meeting to launch it in February.  


	CAREER CONNECTIONS

	by Catherine Schmitt

	Editor's note: The author of this article accesses the screen using large print.  Readers who cannot follow this approach will need to use speech and/or braille to search the web.  Even for those who lack that ability, however, the article is useful, since they can, once they know of the possibilities that exist, get sighted help in seeking the information they require.)
	Like many other experiences in today's world, searching for a job has become high tech.  There are many job-search and company websites on the Internet now.  These websites are accessed via the World Wide Web (WWW).  Incorporating the information from websites into your employment preparation and job search process could lead you to a job.  
	It is estimated that there are over 500 websites which list job openings and provide occupation-related information.  This article will list a few of the websites that can get you started on the journey.  The websites being shared are ones with which the author has had experience but not necessarily the "best" sites.  The websites that are most beneficial for you may not be useful to someone else.  The greatest asset you have is the ability to explore a variety of sites and to determine which ones are for you.
	In order to access the World Wide Web, you will need the appropriate computer configurations, modem and a web browser (such as Netscape).  The degree to which a website is accessible to you will depend upon the site itself (how text and graphics are utilized) and the type of assistive technology that you are using.  The image of a globe, marked with a grid, tilted at an angle with a keyhole cut into the surface is used to signify that a website contains accessibility features.  At some sites, there is a button that says "click here for text only" (no graphics).  In addition, the University of Minnesota Disability Services office provides information for job seekers with disabilities at http://disserv3.stu.umn.edu/CSS/no-css.html.    
	You will also need to know what type of position you are seeking, and you should have prepared a resume and cover letter utilizing suggestions from previous Career Connection columns.  The Riley Guide at http://www.jobtrak.com/jobguide/ also has information on how to create a resume and cover letter.  For information regarding the trends for over 500 detailed occupations within more than 240 detailed industries, check out the Industry-Occupation Matrix (http://stats.bls.gov/oep/nioem/empiohm.asp).  
	When looking at job-related websites, you will want to ask yourself if the site contains information relevant to the type of position you are seeking and if the information (and job listings) are up to date.  When you find a website that you like, "bookmark" it so that you can easily return to it by just clicking on the site title through the menu bar.  You will find the "bookmark" feature from the menu bar.  
	Job-related sites may list job postings, allow you to e-mail your resume and cover letter to a particular company, upload your resume (and possibly cover letter) to a "jobbank", or create a resume on a company or organization's searchable resume database "Jobbank.  Also, searchable resume databases may be sponsored by one company or open to employers seeking candidates in one or more professions.  These sites are searched by key words or phrases, so it is a good idea to have company and industry "buzz" words in your resume.  Test out your resume.  If no replies are received after a period of time, you may want to modify your on-line resume or try another site.  
	For more comprehensive information on the utilization of job-search websites, contact the West Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (voice: 304-766-2680; e-mail: whipp@rtc2.icdi.wvu.edu; website: www.icdi.wvu.edu) for free copies of their two publications available in alternative formats, "Job Hunting on the World Wide Web" and "The One Minute World Wide Web Manager."  Listed below is Appendix B:  Features of the Job Search Systems (from "Job Hunting on the World Wide Web" publication mentioned above) which will assist you in organizing important features of the websites you visit.

                              Appendix B
                        Features of Job-Search Systems
                                                            
	The following chart lists major features of several job-search systems and provides space for you to save information on other systems you explore.  The systems included are not necessarily the best; they are merely the first ones that the author located with a range of features.  They also contain a reasonable number of jobs in the areas selected.
	The date in the first column shows when the system was checked.  These services change, so check back occasionally to see if improvements have been made to render the system more useful to you.
	Note that items marked "Yes" in the Information Returned column may not be provided for all jobs.  The jobs that were used for the search are taken from the list of the 50 Top Occupations for people with disabilities who have received services from state vocational rehabilitation agencies.  The five jobs were selected to represent a range of skills and education--they are not the top five jobs.
	The Speed and Accessibility columns in the chart have been left blank.  These are assessments you must make based on your experiences with the system.

*Walls, R., & Fullmer, S.L. [in press]. Competitive Employment:      Occupations After Rehabilitation.
  Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin. 

SERVICE:  America's Job Bank 1
URL:   www.ajb.dni.us
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED:   10-June-97.
JOBS FOUND: Accountant: 774   Carpenter: 1781   Programmer: 4292    Janitor: 928   Secretary: 2151.

SOURCES OF LISTINGS:  State Job Service.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
  FULL TEXT:  No.
  COMPANY:  No.
  JOB TITLE:  Y
  DESCRIPTION:  No.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  LOCATION:  State, City.
INFORMATION RETURNED:
  JOB TITLE:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  No.
  POSTAL:  Yes.
  EMAIL:  No.
  VOICE PHONE:  No.
  FAX:  Yes.
  DESCRIPTION:  Yes.
  QUALIFICATIONS:  Yes.
  LOCATION:  Yes.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  WEB LINK:  No.
  MULTI-STEP:  Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK:  No.
E-MAIL OR AGENT:  No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION:  No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES:  Yes.

SERVICE:  Best Jobs in the USA
URL:   www.bestjobsusa.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED:  30-June-97.
JOBS FOUND: Accountant 26   Carpenter: 1   Programmer: 1012 
  Janitor: 1   Secretary: 4.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Employers.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
  FULL TEXT:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  Yes.
  JOB TITLE:  Yes.
  DESCRIPTION:  Yes.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  LOCATION:  State
INFORMATION RETURNED:
  JOB TITLE:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  Yes.
  POSTAL:  Yes.
  E-MAIL:  Yes.
  VOICE PHONE:  Yes.
  FAX:  Yes.
  DESCRIPTION:  Yes.
  QUALIFICATION:  Yes.
  LOCATION:  Yes.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  WEB LINK:  Yes.
  MULTI-STEP: Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK:  Yes.
E-MAIL OR AGENT:  No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION:  No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES:  No.

SERVICE:   CareerPath
URL:   www.careerpath.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED:  19-June-97.
JOBS FOUND: Accountant: Many   Carpenter: Many   Programmer: Many   Janitor: Many   Secretary: Many.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Selected News papers
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
  FULL TEXT:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  No.
  JOB TITLE:  No.
  DESCRIPTION:  No.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  LOCATION:  City
INFORMATION RETURNED:  The contents of the newspaper ad are 
  returned.  This may include any of the above.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK:  No.
E-MAIL OR AGENT:  No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION:  No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES:  Yes.

SERVICE:   CareerSite
URL:   www.careersite.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED:  25-June-97.
JOBS FOUND:  Accountant: 48   Carpenter: 0   Programmer: 114 
  janitor: 3   Secretary: 8.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Employer.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
  FULL TEXT:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  No.
  JOB TITLE:  No.
  DESCRIPTION:  Yes.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  LOCATION:  Fill in blank
INFORMATION RETURNED:
  JOB TITLE:  Yes.
  COMPANY:  Yes.
  POSTAL:  No.
  E-MAIL:  No.
  VOICE PHONE:  No.       
  FAX:  No.
  DESCRIPTION:  Yes.
  QUALIFICATIONS:  Yes.
  LOCATION:  Yes.
  DATE POSTED:  No.
  WEB LINK:  No.
  MULTI-STEP:  Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK:  Yes.
E-MAIL OR AGENT:  Yes.
ON-LINE APPLICATION:  Yes.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES:  Yes.

1 America's Job Bank is a service of the Public Employment Service in all states. Applications are typically sent to the local Employment Service Office which sends them to the employer.

                      Job-Search Systems I've Used          
Service:
URL:
Date Information Collected:      
Jobs Found:
Sources of Listings:
Search Capability:
  Full Text:
  Company:
  Job Title:
  Description:
  Date Posted:
  Location:
Information Returned:
  Job Title:
  Company:
  Postal:
  E-Mail:
  Voice Phone:
  Fax:
  Description:
  Qualification:
  Location:
  Date Posted:
  Web Link:
  Multi-step:
Accessibility:
Speed:
Resume Bank:
E-Mail or Agent:
On-Line Application:
Other Job Resources:

Additional Job Search sites identified include:
http://www.100hot.com/jobs/
www.umich.edu/~socwk/alauffer/grntsetc.html
www.nonprofits.org
www.tripod.com/work/goodworks
www.geocities.com

Internship listings:
http://www.wm.edu/csrv/career/stualum/iintern.html
http://www.idealist.org/IS/intern_search.html
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ubikk/env7.html
http://www.nassembly.org/
http://www.state.gov/www/careers/rinterncontents.html
http://www.nebhe.org/minority_intro.html
http:www.nebhe.org/coline_interns.htmlhttp://interns.org/
http://fas-www.harvard.edu/~fasocs/IEP/intern/most.htm
http://www.clark.net/pub/stc/biblio.txt
http://lokl.sonoma.edu/SAS/crc/internships.html
http://www.infoseek.com/Titles?qt=internships&col=WW&sv=N4&svx=nssb
http://www.now.org/organiza/intern.html

If you are currently attending or have graduated from a postsecondary institution, you can contact the school to see if there is access to job listings via the school's website.  In addition to job search websites, you can also learn about position openings through professional association websites, listservs and newsgroups.  The key to accessing information is to explore, explore, explore!  

	Reference: The West Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Job Hunting on the World Wide Web, Institute, West Virginia, 1997.


	LIFE MEMBERSHIPS

The CCB office is in the process of updating the Membership files.  The following is a current list of Life Members. If your name does not appear here, please call the office to correct the error. 
	CCB Lifetime Members

Beatrice Bell					Allan Jones
Florence Bier					Tom Kellis
Carol Blake					Al Nabhan
Michael Castner				Margaret Nickerson	
Mercedes Chang					Mitch Pomerantz
Jack Cheslow					LaRue Reeves
Diana Colburn					Mack Riley
John DiFrancesco				Gerard Rossi
Ferne Fitzpatrick				Donna Sanchez
George Fogarty					Birdie Sanders
Doris Garnick					Lila Shafer
Gerry Glass					Mary Slusher
Joanne Gilmore					Sharlene Wills
Allen Jenkins 					


	CCB WAS HEARD AND SEEN

	by Gene Lozano   

	On May 6, 1998, the California Building Standards Commission convened for the final 1997 Title 24 Code change submittals public hearing in Sacramento.  In attendance were over one
hundred individuals representing a variety of special interest
groups, including the California Council of the Blind (CCB).  The CCB had approximately 45 members from Alameda, Bay View, ACB Capital, and Silicon Valley chapters, as well as some of the
organization's staff who remained in the audience throughout the day-long hearing.  
	The hearing proved to be exciting and victorious for the disabled who were present despite the fact that the 1997 code  change process was not fully accessible for most of the disability community.  The CCB representatives told the commissioners that their staff had failed to make the entire contents of the print and its World Wide Web page versions of the code change submittals' monographs accessible to the blind and visually-impaired, who ultimately could not participate completely in the public comment periods.  Additionally, the CCB offered to work with the Commission's staff in bringing about a process for insuring that the next code change cycle would be accessible to the blind and visually-impaired.  
	During the hearing, the CCB and the other disability groups
demonstrated that the changes proposed by the California Hotel/Motel Association (CHMA) and the California Lodging Industry (CLI) would reduce access for persons with disabilities in this state.  The CCB commented on all items that had been submitted for action by the commissioners.  Special attention was given to items 15, 22, 27, and 30, items that would have a
devastating impact on the blind and visually-impaired if passed by the commissioners.   
	The following proposed code change items were in response to the California Hotel/Motel Association and the California Lodging Industry's Code Change Petition.  Immediately following the proposed code change is the action taken by the commission.  
	Item 15, proposed change: Amend Title 24, Chapter 10, Section 1004.14 to permit: 1. The installation of electronic locks and similar non-key mechanisms on the doors of hotel/motel guestrooms, offices, and other facilities.  b. The requirement that locking hardware for accessible door passage mounting heights be raised from a maximum of 44 inches to a maximum 48 inches.   
	Action taken: Sent back to the Division of State Architect for further study and recommendations for how to provide accessible electronic locking mechanisms and similar non-key locking technology. 
	Item 22, p0roposed change: Adopt an exception to Title 24, Chapter 10, Section 1024.5; detectable warnings at hazardous  vehicular areas permitting the exception of hotels, motels, and restaurants from: 1. The use of detectable warnings to separate walkways from vehicular areas in front of, or adjacent to, existing construction.  2. Having the base of detectable warning domes flush with the grade of the adjoining walking surface in front of, or adjacent to, new construction.  
	Action taken: Disapproved the reduction of the requirement for detectable warnings at hazardous vehicular areas at hotels, motels, and restaurants.   
	Item 27, proposed change: Clarify that Title 24, Chapter 11, Section 1114B.2.5 does not require auxiliary visual alarms in bathrooms within hotel and motel guest rooms and suites.  
	Action taken: Disapproved the clarification that auxillary visual alarms are not required in bathrooms within hotel and motel guest rooms and suites.  
	Item 30, proposed change: Repeal Title 24, Chapter 11B, Section 1115B. 5, Identification Symbols for Bathrooms, while retaining Section 1117B.5.9, Requirement for the installation of permanent raised print and Braille room and space identification signs.
	Action taken: Disapproved the repealing of the identification symbols on bathroom doors.  
	The commissioner's decisions on these items are final and there will be no changes made to sections 1004.14, 1024.5, 1114B.2.5, and 1115B.5 as currently written.  However, we must maintain our vigilence to ensure that, if and when these items are reintroduced in future code change cycles, they can be disposed of quickly.  
	In closing I wish to express my appreciation and thanks for
everyone who participated in this response to the code change cycle.  You played a significant role in retaining Title 24 as the most stringent accessibility standard in the United States.  A special thanks to President Catherine Skivers for her work in the recruitment and transporting of members from the Bay Area who attended the May 6 hearing.  My gratitude, too, to the members of my committee, the Committee on Access and Transportation: Tom Karnes, Barbara Rhodes, and Sandy Bishop.  I look forward to working with all of you in the future on these and other accessibilty and transportation issues. 


	OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE

	OUR RESPONSIBILITY
	by
	Melita Waters
	President, GDUC

	Because access is a constant concern to all of us, we have fought for and gained privileges (rights) in the form of statutes (laws).  With these statutory rights come responsibilities.  If we are going to be afforded a right, we will have to be responsible for the consequences of that same right.

	Let's take a look at this hypothetical situation.  I and my Guide Dog along with my friend from out of state (who also uses a Guide Dog) are planning to attend a seminar 250 miles across the state.  We are going to lodge in a rather nice hotel just across the street from the seminar facility.  On the one hand, the hotel cannot deny us lodging because we have our Guides with us.  The hotel also may not require us to sign "pet liability agreements" or charge us deposits because we have our Guides with us.  On the other hand, we have the responsibility to attend to our dogs' needs adequately, and to prevent our dogs from doing any damage to the premises.  We are responsible for cleaning up after our dogs and for taking care of accidents responsibly should they occur.  The statutes that give us a right also impose a duty on us.  This blade is double sided.  Both we and the hotel have something required of us.

	Last week I had to deal with just such a circumstance.  The hotel was requiring me to sign just such an agreement.  However, they were going to be magnanimous and waive the deposit that was required of other pet owners.  When I took the time to explain that my Guide is not a pet and that they could not require me to sign such an agreement and that it was not their option to waive a deposit because they could not charge me one, they promptly did some homework and backed down most gracefully.

	Now let's look at that same set of circumstances but changing two factors.  Let's assume that seminar is a convention and that it is for CCB members, many of whom have Guide Dogs that will be accompanying them.  All of the same statutes apply.  But let's say that the hotel wants the organization to put down a deposit or perhaps pay a fee to assist the hotel staff in the cleanup because of the Guide Dogs in attendance.  The hotel cannot, by law, demand such a thing.  But, if the organization refuses to pay the deposit/fee, the hotel doesn't have to accept the organization's convention.

	How do we deal with such an event?

	The first thing that must be done is to get the demand in writing.  Once the demand is out in the open like that, it can be dealt with.  We know that if we are denied the facility for our organization's seminar, our refusal to pay that deposit/fee is the reason.  Secondly, and even more important, we must police our own.  We must make certain that we all know how to cleanup after our dogs, and that we do so; that we get assistance to attend to accidents if they happen, rather than walking off from them without acknowledging them; and that we do our best not to have our Guide Dogs be a nuisance or a problem.  I am not speaking to GDUC members only.  There are many Guide Dog Handlers in the organization who are not members of GDUC.  The responsibilities apply whether or not one belongs to GDUC.  Irresponsible Guide Dog Handlers make a black mark on the reputations of all of us.  We must cultivate a reputation for leaving a facility in as good condition as we found it.  Such a reputation will make a request for a "cleaning deposit" ludicrous. 

	We have all fought long and hard for the access rights that we have acquired.  The law gives us the rights and the duty; we make our own reputation.  Let's not allow those rights to be eroded by not holding up our end of the bargain!


                            TECHTALK
      Some Ideas for Paying for Adaptive Technology 

                         by Frank Welte

	Thousands of blind people around the world have demonstrated the positive value of personal computers and other adaptive hardware and software to improve the quality of their personal and professional lives.  Many others would gladly use adaptive technology but lack the financial resources they need to purchase such things.  Too many of us turn to the state's Department of Rehabilitation as our sole source of help in getting necessary devices though there are, in fact, a number of other ways by which one may acquire adaptive equipment on the cheap.  Here are a few suggestions that you may find helpful:
	Loans  The California Council of the Blind offers low-interest loans for the purchase of adaptive equipment.  Interested persons should write to the CCB office at 578 B Ttreet, Hayward, CA 94541 to request a loan application.  The letter should explain the request and specify the amount of money desired.  For further information call the CCB office at (800)221-6359 or call Marion Fisher, the chairman of the loan committee, at (562)866-2131.
	Blind San Franciscans, another non-profit organization, also offers loans--zero-interest loans--for the purchase of adaptive technology.  To apply, write to Blind San Franciscans, Inc.,  1591 Jackson, Suite 8, San Francisco, CA 94109, attn. Board of Directors.  The letter should include the following information: name, address, daytime phone number, evening phone number, description of disability, highest grade of school completed, and the requestor's annual income.  Then should follow a detailed explanation of the purpose of the loan, an estimation of the way in which the requested equipment will improve your employment status, and a description of all items to be purchased including exact prices and model numbers.  For further information call Blind San Franciscans at (415)563-4896.
	College students can use guaranteed student loans to pay for adaptive equipment as well as to meet other education expenses normally covered by student loans.  For example, an undergraduate student could apply for a $2,500 loan which does not require payment until six months after graduation.  A student with a disability who needs a $12,000 Braille display could also apply for a $14,500 loan under the same provisions to pay for normal school expenses and the Braille display as well.
	Grants:  The Braille Institute of America offers grants to blind Southern Californians to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of adaptive equipment required on the job.  For further information about this program, contact the Braille Institute at 741 N. Vermont Street, Los Angeles, CA 90029-3594; 213-663-1111.
	Donations:  The Texas Center for the Physically Impaired donates refurbished computers to disabled persons who demonstrate a willingness to put in the time and effort needed to learn how to use the computers.  The computers are 386- and 486-based machines running MS-DOS version 6.2.  The organization offers  tutorials in accessible formats to help recipients get up to speed with their computers.  The Center does not provide adaptive hardware or software.  Although some people might turn up their noses at the thought of using older technology, they should keep in mind that many blind persons use older computers quite successfully, even in this time of resource-hungry graphical user interfaces.  By the way, this article is being written on a vintage computer running DOS.  You can contact the Texas Center for the Physically Impaired at 11330 Quail Run, Dallas, TX 75238,  attn: Robert Langford, Ph.D; 214-340-6328, Fax:  214-340-
0870, E-mail: robert.langford@ntpcug.org.
	In spite of the old saying, "Charity begins at home.", many of us may overlook the wealth of resources we can call upon in our own communities to help us obtain the devices we need.  Many newspapers and radio or television stations have donation campaigns during the Christmas season to give money or equipment to people to enhance their lives.  Donation requests are usually solicited just prior to Thanksgiving so that they can be awarded before Christmas.  Local service organizations, such as Lions and Rotary clubs, are often willing to help individuals purchase needed items like adaptive technology.  While in high school, the author acquired his first 4-track tape recorder through the generosity of a local business club.
	If you would like additional advice on financing or other matters relating to adaptive technology, contact the California Assistive Technology System at 800-390-2699, or check out the CATS web site, http://www.catsca.org.
	What creative ways have you come up with to fund your purchases of needed devices?  We welcome your comments and suggestions regarding this and other "TECHTALK" articles: Frank Welte, 1432 San Carlos Ave. #6, San Carlos, CA 94070-2205; 
650-508-8329; e-mail fwelte@crl.com
	Join us again next time when "TECHTALK" continues this series on techniques for financing the purchase of all those gadgets we've been telling you about for years.


	JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM 

	by Carla Hayes

	(The following article is taken from The Blind Teacher, Volume 22, March, 1998, No. 1, the newsletter of the National Association of Blind Teachers.)                       
     Usually, students learn a lot from their teachers, but sometimes, the process works in reverse. Here are some interesting facts that I have learned from my students during several years of teaching school and Sunday school.
	1.  You should never end a sentence with a proposition.
	2.  French, Spanish and Italian are called Romance languages because they sound romantic when you speak them.
	3.  2, 4, 6 and 8 are even numbers. Wrong answers to arithmetic problems are odd numbers.
	4.  Lost Angela is a city in California near the Specific Ocean.
	5.  Miguel de Cervantes wrote "Donkey Hotey."
	6.  An antecedent is something that you dump on your yard to stop weeds from growing.
	7.  According to a three-year-old boy, the giant in "Jack and the Beanstock" said, "Fee, fi fo, fum! I smell an English muffin!"
	8.  Latin America consists of all the countries in South America that still speak Latin.
	9.  The Archangels were the guardian angels that protected Noah's ark during the Great Flood in the Bible.
	10.  One of the greatest presidents of the United States was Harry Ass Truman.  (Note: The little girl who told me this had a southern accent.)
	11.  If you have a headache that starts in one part of your head and moves to another, it is called a migrating headache. 
	12.  Many famous fairytales were written by the hands of Christian Anderson.  
	13.  In order to become President of the United States, a candidate must have at least 270 electrical votes.
	14.  The Umpire State Building is a very tall building in New York City.
	15.  Fluoridated toothpaste is made in Florida.
	16.  When you speak figuratively, you use lots of numbers and statistics.
	17.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son."
	18.  A pronoun takes the place of a noun and a proverb takes the place of a verb.
	19.  Once, President Clinton got in trouble for white water rafting.
	20.  The Lord led the people out of Egypt in a pillow of cloud by day and a pillow of fire by night.
	21.  One of the most famous tourist attractions in Paris is the Awful Tower.
	I know that some of these statements may be hard for you to believe, but as one of my young pupils once told me, "Fat is stranger than friction."
	("Dynamic Communication:  Seven Principles for Getting Your  Point Across." is a two-cassette audio course that will help you to improve your oral and written communications skills.  This course features music, sound effects and interactive exercises for added education and motivation.  The cost is $20.  Make checks payable to M.C. Hayes and send to Lengua-Learn  Communications, 230 Robinhood Lane, McMurray, Pa. 15317.)


	HEARING LOSS AND YOU.......HUH?
	Part II, Testing Your Hearing 

	by Rustie Rothstein, Helen Keller National Center 

	If you think, or someone close to you thinks, that you are having problems hearing, you should see your physician.  You can consult your internist or ask for a referral to an ear, nose, and throat specialist (an ENT or otologist).  The ENT may refer you for a hearing test.  The person who tests your hearing may be an audiometrist (someone who just tests hearing) or an audiologist.  An audiologist will test your hearing, but he/she is also a professional who specializes in the rehabilitation of persons with hearing loss, and who prescribes hearing aids.
	Before sending you to get your hearing tested, your doctor may look in your ears, up your nose, and down your throat checking for obvious signs of illness or problems that could be affecting you hearing, such as ear wax build-up.  He may also ask if you are taking any medications that may affect your hearing.  (It is always a good idea to ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medications you are taking may have any side effects you should watch for, or any interactions with other medications you are using.)
	There is a variety of different hearing test.  In Part I, I discussed different parts of the auditory system.  Some of the tests examine specific areas of the system to help isolate where a problem is occurring.  Some of the most common tests are Pure Tone Thresholds, Speech-Reception Thresholds, Speech Discrimination, Bone Conduction, and Impedance.
	The first three tests are done while you are sitting in a soundproof booth or quiet room.  You will be given a set of headphones so that your hearing in each ear can be tested individually.  The audiologist or audiometrist will go into an  
adjoining room where he/she can observe your reactions to the tests.  The Hearing Threshold Test, also known as the Pure Tone  Test, will test your ability to hear tones of different pitches (or frequencies).  Frequencies are measured in Hertz (Hz), and you will be tested at 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz.  At each frequency, you will be presented with tone at 
-10 dB; it will be made progressively louder until you signal that you detect the sound.  The loudness of the sound is measured in decibels (dB).  The results of this test show your hearing thresholds or the quietest level at which you can detect sound at each frequency.
	The Speech-Reception Test will test the lowest decibel level at which you can understand 50% of a list of words.  The words have been selected from lists developed specifically for this type of testing.  Some of the lists have common, one-syllable words while others have "balanced" two-syllable words in which the two syllables are equally stressed, e.g., airplane, hotdog, playground.  For the test to be reliable, you must know all of the words on the list.  The test begins when you are presented with words at a level where you can easily hear and understand them.  Then the decibel level of the words is lowered until you can understand only half of the words.  That is considered to be your speech-reception threshold. 
	The Speech Discrimination Test measures the maximum percentage of words that you understand at the most favorable intensity (loudness), designated in decibels.  For this test, you may be read a list of simple questions, and you will exhibit your understanding by your answers.  Your SDT score might be, for example, 80% at 35 dB.  This score is the one that most closely relates to how you hear in "real-life" situations.   
	The Bone Conduction Test measures the difference between how you hear "normally" through your ear, as compared to a sound being sent through the bones of your skull.  One form of this test uses a tuning fork first held next to the ear, then held against the bone just behind the ear.  The test may also be done using regular headphones compared to a vibrator positioned behind your ear.  This is one of the tests used to identify what is causing a hearing problem.  If you hear better through your bones, you have a conductive hearing loss; if you hear the same through your ear and through your bones, the hearing loss is sensory-neural.
	Impedance Testing tests the pressure in your middle ear.  The pressure affects the ability of the tympanic membrane, the ear drum.  If you have a middle ear infection, there may be a fluid build-up in your middle ear causing a higher than normal pressure on your ear drum, pushing it outward.  This will diminish the sound that is conducted into the inner ear, again helping to pinpoint where a hearing problem may be.
	MEASURING HEARING  As stated earlier, sound and hearing are measured in terms of both loudness and pitch.  Loudness, or intensity, is measured in decibels (dB), while pitch, or
frequency, is measured in Hertz (Hz).  When the audiologist or audiometrist tests your hearing, he/she will record the results of the Pure Tone test graphically on an audiogram.  Audiograms are all written in the same way, so that it is easy to compare an older one with a more recent one.  Frequency is shown horizontally, with the 125 Hz at the far left, continuing at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, ending with 8000 Hz on the far right.  Loudness is shown vertically on the left side starting with -10 dB at the top, with markings every 10 dB to 120 dB on the bottom.   	Your test results are indicated on the audiogram by red circles indicating the thresholds for your right ear, and blue Xs for your left.  If you are given bone conduction test, this can similarly be marked on the audiogram.  If you are additionally tested with hearing aids or other amplification, the audiogram can graphically show how much improvement the amplification provides.  
	When your testing is completed, you may be given a number that is an average of your thresholds across the frequencies, called a pure-tone average.  This is given in decibels, e.g., 40 dB.  You might want to ask what the dB levels are at each of the frequencies tested to get a better idea of your hearing across the full range.
	Hearing loss is usually discussed in ranges: normal, mild, moderate, severe, and profound.  Although the decibel levels may vary from one audiologist to another, you will find a relatively universal description below. 
	Your hearing is considered within normal limits if your scores fall between -10 and 25 to 30 dB.  
	You have a mild hearing loss if your scores fall between 25-40 dB.  This type of loss will cause some difficulty understanding normal speech.  You might need a hearing aid in specific situations.
	You have a moderate hearing loss if your scores are between 40-55 dB.  This type of loss will cause difficulty understanding loud speech.  You will frequently need a hearing aid.
	You have a severe hearing loss if your scores are between 55-80 dB.  With this degree of hearing loss, you will probably understand only amplified speech, and a hearing aid will be needed for all communication.
	You have a profound hearing loss if your scores are greater than 80 dB.  This type of loss will make understanding even amplified speech difficult.  
	You have probably realized that your hearing at various frequencies is likely to be different; the above definitions are very general.  Your overall hearing loss will be described as the average of your thresholds levels. 
	In Part III, I will cover what to expect from hearing aids (what they do and don't do), how to select a hearing aid, and  how to make the most of your hearing.  If you have specific questions you want answered 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; 818-757-8921; TTY:
818-757-8922; E-Mail: HKNCSWReg@aol.com


	BULLETIN BOARD Fall, 1998

	by Keith Black and 
	Dorothy Vallerga

	The holidays are just around the corner and we all face the
inevitable addressing of envelopes and all that it entails.  Why
not let B AND B eliminate some of this hassle?  Send your list of names in braille, typewritten or computer-generated print, or on
tape (with names, street names and city names spelled out) along with $6.50 for each 30 labels, to B AND B, 347-A Laurel Ave., Hayward, CA  94541.  
	Labels will be printed 1, 2, 3 across, top left to bottom right.  Label 1 will be used to return your order to you and thus identify the top of the page.  Lists of less than 30 (29)  addresses means we'll be sending you some blank labels.  Consider using these for letters or occasional cards you mail out or even Free Matter labels.  Or how about the bills that get lost in the mail or come in without a return envelope?  You name it, we'll provide an address label for it.  And next year, if you order the same exact list, we'll send it to you for only $3.50 or $3.50  plus 20 cents for each label that must be changed.  Labels are self-sticking,  each sheet being 8 1/2" x 11", 3 columns of 10 labels, each label being 1" x 2 1/2".   
	The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas, in 8 hand-copied braille volumes is available for $30 from Gloria Broderick, 613 E. Orange Grove Boulevard, #2, Pasadena, CA 91104. 
	***** ***** *****
	Hello everyone! My name is Phyllis Schockner.  I am visually impaired from ROP.  Two years ago I started a company called Outa Sight Products to develop new, low-tech items to help solve problems for visually impaired people.
	I want to introduce just a few of the things we sell.  The first need we addressed was for clothing tags--we call ours Smart Tags.  They are flexible and have room for 12 braille characters so that, with abbreviations, you can list more than just the color of the garment.  Once sewed or pinned in place, these tags can go through the washer, dryer, dry cleaners or ironing and the braille will not be harmed.  We also have reusable tags to label almost anything--like cans, boxes, even things for the freezer. 
	Ask also about our Smart Plugs.  These new inventions are ours exclusively.  They are just two of the 150 items we have for sale.  Offerings range from great tasting Sugar-Free Foods to Cool Paws boots for guide dogs and cleaners for computers.  Just give us a call for a free large print catalog.  The braille version is 84 pages and costs $7.50, and the two tapes that comprise the recorded edition cost $5.00 as does also the computer diskette.  These fees will be redeemed with your first $25 order.  You are also invited to visit our speech friendly web  site at www.outa-sight.com and, of course, you can download the catalog or view it online.  Call us at 888-876-4733.   
	***** ***** *****
	From Dialogue Magazine, Spring, 1998: TEACHERS AID: a comprehensive handbook for blind teachers, by Carla Hayes is now available.  It is designed for teachers who have lost vision and would like to continue teaching, blind students who are preparing to become teachers, blind teachers who would like to improve their skills, and those who are training blind teachers.  This practical, informative book is available on two indexed, four-track cassettes for $35.   To purchase this book, make checks payable to:  C. Hayes, and mail to 230 Robinhood Lane, McMurray, Pa 15317.  For more details you may call Carla Hayes at 412-941-8184. 
     The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) maintains a Careers and Technology Information Bank (CTIB) for first-hand information about job experience and assistive technology from people who are blind or visually impaired.  The CTIB is a network of 1,950 blind and visually impaired people who use assistive technology at home, work, and school.  It provides a unique  opportunity to obtain information and advice from successfully employed professionals.  Contact Careers and Technology Information Bank, American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; 800-232-5463 (leave a message); 212-502-7642; E-mail techctr@afb.org, web site http://www.afb.org.  
     Revolution Enterprises, Inc. produces Advantage graphite canes.  Folding and rigid canes in 36 to 60 inch, and custom lengths are also available.  Contact Maressa Fox, Revolution Enterprises, Inc., 12170 Dearborn Place, Poway, Ca 92064; 619-679-5785; fax 619-679-5788.  
	***** ***** ***** 	From The Matilda
Ziegler Magazine, September, 1998: Jett Enterprises, 1998 "No Frills, Just Priced Right" catalog has unique gifts, talking products, and specialty items for guide dogs and everyday living.  U.S. residents only can call 760-778-8280 for a free tape or 3.5-inch diskette for $1.  Those who have a previous Jett diskette catalog can return it and have a new one sent free.  Contact Jett Enterprises, 3140 Cambridge Court, Palm Springs, CA 92264.
	Telsets sells telephones and services, inclding the model 25000 desk telephone, a rugged, reliable, traditional telephone.  This phone is easy to use because it has few fetures.  It is made in America and comes with a five-year warranty.  Contact Telsets, P.O. Box 1577, Temple City, CA 91780; 800-835-7387; fax: 626-294-2031.


	AROUND THE STATE 

	SKI FOR LIGHT EVENT, from Gene Lozano, Publicity Director, Sierra Regional Ski For Light: Sierra Regional Ski For Light, a cross-country ski program which is based on Ski For Light International, Inc., invites you to share your love for cross-country skiing with 50 other spirited people at the seventh annual event Saturday, March 6, through Monday, March 8, 1999 at Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Ski Resort in Truckee, California.  
	The program consists of one-to-one instruction and guiding of blind and visually impaired skiers by experienced sighted skiers.  If you have never skied before, you will receive thorough training in the safe and proper techniques of cross-country skiing.  The blind or visually impaired skier and sighted guide ski beside each other
in preset tracks.  The guide instructs on skiing techniques, changing terrain and tracks, while giving interesting information about the countryside.  Emphasis is placed on recreational skiing and taking home a healthy way of life to use beyond the Sierra Regional Ski For Light experience.  
	During the evenings there will be social events.  Included in all the fun is the opportunity to meet 50 interesting people from all over California and adjoining states.  
	The total cost for the 3 days is $160 for those who need to rent skis, and $135 for those with their own skis.  This includes room (double occupancy, 2 nights at Best Western Tahoe Truckee Inn), breakfasts(2), dinners(2), trail passes, equipment rental, and registration.  (Single room occupancy is available for an additional $75).  Ground transportation between Sacramento and Truckee will be provided.  There will be rooms reserved at the La Quinta Inn for out-of-town participants for the preceding Friday, March 5.  If you need a room at the La Quinta Inn, there will be an additional cost of $30 (double occupancy).  However, you are also free to make your own lodging arrangements for March 5th. 
	Please give your serious consideration to this opportunity to share in skiing and socializing with a fun-loving group of people.  You may obtain participant applications and have your questions answered by contacting: Sierra Regional Ski For Light,
Betsy Rowell, VIP Application Coordinator, 9608 Mira Del Rio Dr. Sacramento, CA 95827; 916-362-5557; E-mail:  betsy@unlimited.net.  Completed applications must be received no later than December 1,
1998, together with a deposit of $25.  (Applications received after the deadline will be considered as space permits).  The application will not be processed unless it is accompanied by the
$25 deposit.  Make checks payabl to Sierra Regional Ski For
Light '99.  Final payment is due February 5, 1999.  Some scholarships are available.  Please do not make your travel arrangements until you receive confirmation of your acceptance.  Remember, special travel arrangements are being made and more details will be furnished in the acceptance packet.                          

	***** ***** *****
	Update from Ahmad Rahman on the Pyramid Chapter:  The most significant project the Pyramid Chapter is involved in is the Dial-A-Taxi Program.  On May 26, 1998, we presented to the Compton City Council a proposal which it subsequently approved along with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).  They allocated $92,000 to fund the project, and currently, bids are out to taxicab companies for contracts to provide the service. 
	The Dial-A-Taxi Program will be an economical taxicab service designed to provide door-to-door delivery for eligible Compton residents over 60 and to disabled individuals at least 18 years of age, unless accompanied by a registered adult attendant. 	Service will be provided within the Compton city boundaries and certain satellite destinations.  The Dial-A-Taxi will operate seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
	On May 29, our chapter participated in the 37th Congressional District, Dialogue on Social Security, 2nd Annual Senior Briefing.  Over 500 seniors and disabled persons attended the event, chaired by Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald.  The keynote speaker, Max Richtman, Executive Vice President, of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Washington, D.C.  Other guests included Renee Baiseri, Transamerica Occidental Medicare, who talked about
fraudulent Medicare claims; Eurado Rosario, R.N., who spoke about fraud in home nursing; Attorney Jerry Smilowitz, Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, discussed telemarketing fraud; and Attorney Ralph Plummer, L.A. D.A.'s Office, major fraud division, dealt with real estate fraud.  Ahmad Rahman gave a presentation on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
	The purpose of this briefing was to provide information on how to protect social security, and to highlight the fact that $20 billion were lost last year because of Medicare fraud.  It also provided important information on the proliferation of fraudulent schemes against seniors and the disabled and what to do to protect against these crimes.
	Our year had kicked off with a visit to our January chapter meeting by Mollie Lesick, a nurse health-care counselor, who discussed beneficial lifestyle changes in easy doses.  That visit fired us up for the "Save the dream march" on February 23. 	A coalition of more than 3,000 demonstrators marched from the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Figueroa Street to the Ronald Reagan State Building at 3rd and Los Angeles Street.  Some of our members walked the 5 miles to the rally site.  Those that were unable to walk met us there.  The speakers included the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke, and many other community leaders.  The march was to oppose proposition 209 from spreading nationally and to force California to comply with federal law.  Also, the march was in opposition to propositions 226 and 227.
	Finally, we would like to thank all those who supported our annual barbecue fund-raiser held August 1st.  We served over 150 dinners.
	***** ***** *****
	One of the most important programs serving blind and visually impaired people is often one of the hardest to understand and navigate is Social Security.  There are so many
rules involved in deciphering all the jargon and strictures in SSI, SSDI and Medicare.  
	Undaunted, the San Francisco Chapter took up the challenge and tackled these subjects, and more, during an all-day workshop held on Saturday, June 27, at the Rose Resnick Lighthouse in San Francisco.  Some fifty CCB members and friends had four hours of lecture and discussion as representatives from the Social Security Administration, an advisor from the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP),  and a Benefits Counselor from the Berkeley-based Center for Independent Living did their best to unravel and explain the enigma of what Social Security offers--and denies--to blind people.
	The workshop covered a lot of ground in a relatively short time.  Guest lecturers managed to explore in detail most of the salient rules governing SSI and SSDI, including an extensive explanation of Blind Work Expenses and Impaired Work Expenses.  The Benefits Counselor also talked about how to prepare and submit a Plan for Achieving Self-Support, or PASS plan. 
	Participants learned that the Social Security Administration won't always tell you what you really need to know as a blind person in order to make your way successfully through the system.  It's important to seek advice from a knowledgeable advocate or Benefits Counselor who is familiar with the specific rules related to blindness.  
	The sometimes delicate relationship between Medicare and HMO's was explained by the representative of HICAP, a statewide organization of trained, registered volunteers.  The group is supported by the State of California under the Welfare Institutions Code.
	Rounding out the day, the Chapter distributed quite a few pamphlets and information packets in accessible formats from the Social Security Administration, the Center for Independent Living, and HICAP.  For a fee of $10 the workshop included a box lunch, as well as morning pastries and coffee.  Several attendees said that the confusing world of Social Security regulations would be much less daunting for them because of what they had learned.  
	Tapes of the workshop are available from the CCB office in Hayward.  Submitted by Daveed Mandell.
	***** ***** *****
     Avon's Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk is a revolutionary new fund-raising event and will be the largest event of its kind ever undertaken in the fight against breast cancer.
     It will consist of three spectacular days of walking along California's coastline from Santa Barbara to Malibu.  Some two thousand men and women will join together to walk fifteen to twenty-six miles each day from October 23rd through October 25th, and my guide dog Shyla and I want to be a part of this exciting and challenging Walk.
     Each walker, however, must raise a minimum of $1700 to support the work of the Avon Breast Health Access Fund, which is administered by the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.  The net proceeds of the Walk will be distributed to community programs around the country to help with education, early detection of breast cancer, low- or no-cost detection services and post-diagnosis services.  
     I believe that participating in this event will allow me to demonstrate that blind women can be--and are--a part of a caring society.  As a Life Member of the CCB, I consider it my responsibility to be as active as I can be in supporting worthwhile causes.  If you are willing to make a pledge on my behalf, make your check or money order payable to Avon's Breast Cancer 3-Day and send it to Avon's Breast Cancer 3-Day, c/o LaSalle Bank, 135 S. LaSalle St., Dept. 4495, Chicago, IL 60674-4495.  Or, you may send your pledge directly to me, Sharlene Wills, 1027 S. Wooser St., #6, Los Angeles, CA 90035.  Please be sure to include my Walker ID, which is #2264, on your pledge check.  Thank you for your involvement. 
	***** ***** *****
	Outreach to Blind Community, Orange County, CCB Seminar  Imagine. You're a blind or visually impaired person, recently moved to Orange County and looking for services to foster your independence.  Or you're just beginning to deal with vision loss.  Maybe you're a CCB-er, encountering peers who struggle to cope with the many challenges faced by most of us.  Now, imagine you are a provider of some service which is frequently or even occasionally used by people who are blind or visually impaired.  You may be familiar with the concerns and the capabilities of people with disabilities, or you may not.  Sometimes you see or hear about needs that you or your agency/service just isn't able to address.  Perhaps if you knew there was an organization like CCB to refer people to, you might consider letting people know about CCB.
	Mutual education, sharing awareness was the theme on Saturday, June 6 at the Anaheim Holiday Inn, as the Orange County CCB Chapter hosted a seminar.  Our goals were to bring all such groups together, provide networking, and begin to learn what unmet needs there are in the Orange County community.  Identifying such needs is one way to begin to see if there is anything at all that we can do to help ourselves and others.  We believe that having a purpose, even in a very small arena, is crucial in building a local chapter.  
	There were eight speakers throughout the day from a diverse cross-section of agencies and programs, from the common to the more obscure.  We were especially gratified that four of them are CCB members.  Orange County's own Nelly Glaze spoke from the perspective of a Rehab Counselor of the Blind and Steve Emerson represented the Long Beach V.A. services to blind veterans.  Whittier Chapter President Melanie Brunson represented the Dayle Macintosh Center and discussed independent living center services such as advocacy and housing referrals.  Since the idea was to invite people less familiar with CCB, we enjoyed an informational presentation of CCB by our First Vice President, done in that special John Lopez way.
	After socializing over a delicious taco salad lunch, we learned about two shopper assistance programs, at Orange County Mart and local Albertson's supermarkets.  Stores willing to help you spend your money: What a concept for independence!  At the end of the day, we left with things to think about and perhaps more direction for our future.
	Please take a moment to think about those people we mentioned at the beginning of this message.  Do you know any like them?  Have you been there?  Could your chapter do something to reach out to your community?  Though seminar attendance was small, we still feel that we learned something and accomplished something.  Who knows where it may lead?
	Submitted by Bonnie Rennie, Orange County Chapter, CCB 1719
 West Olive Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92833; 714-870-9135.


	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, Westminster
Dr. Martin Jones, San Francisco
Jane Kardas, Ukiah 
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: 5722 Abraham Ave., Westminster, CA 92683; 714-894-3497

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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