


	THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



	Quarterly Magazine of the

	CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND


Winter, 1999 	Volume 43 No. 1


	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 Hayward.
	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 Hayward office for other suggested forms. Thank you.

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	TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE EDITOR, by Winifred Downing 	1

THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER, by Catherine Skivers 	2

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MISSION AND GOALS 	7

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE, by Melita Waters 	8

HIV/AIDS SPECIAL POPULATIONS TRAINING PROJECT
	CONSORTIUM, by Audrey Hebner 	9

TECHTALK: SOME IDEAS FOR PAYING FOR ADAPTIVE
	TECHNOLOGY, Part 2, by Frank Welte 	11

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF 
	THE BLIND 	14

REPORT OF THE CCB FALL, 1998, CONVENTION, 
	by Catherine Skivers 	14

SUMMARY OF 1998 CCB FALL CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS,
	by Jeff Thom 	19

COST OF NLS SERVICE 	22

LETTER FROM EUGENE LOZANO 	22

PROFILE: JOHN LOPEZ, by Brian Hall 	23

WHAT IF GOD HAD VOICE MAIL? 	26

AWARDS NOMINATIONS SOLICITED, by 
	Roger Petersen	27

THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS, by Joan Black 	29

CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST EDUCATIONAL TESTING 	30
	SERVICE, by Joshua Konecky 

SPRING CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT 	31

BULLETIN BOARD, by Keith Black 	31

FINAL REPORT 1997-98 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 
	by Dan Kysor 	34

THE REHABILITATION SERVICES COMMITTEE WANTS YOU, 
	by Nelly Glaze 	36

HOW WILL THEY EVER LEARN? Educating Blind Students 
	in Today's Public Schools, by Daveed Mandell 	36

FEDERAL LEGISLATION, by Ahmad Rahman 	41

REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE, 
	by Roger Petersen 	42

A NEW FRIEND, by Rhonda King 	43

FIRING UP THEIR CONFIDENCE 	46

IN PURSUIT OF EQUALITY: My Life as an 
	Advocate, by Teddie Remhild 	46

LIBRARY USERS READING LIST, by Connie Bateman 	48

A SENSE-ABLE LOOK AT BRAILLE AND SPEECH, part 1, 
	by Jim Halliday 	48

CCB OFFICERS 	53

CCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS 	53


CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE 	53

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	FROM THE EDITOR

	by Winifred Downing

	As we begin another year--Volume 43 in the long list of BC magazines--it might be interesting for you to know about how many copies in each medium we mail each month and the approximate cost of each.  These aren't hard and fast figures, of course, because costs vary slightly according to the number of pages in he issue and changes in the number of subscribers, but they are a fair representation of what we do in this area.
	For the Fall, 1998, issue, we produced 47 computer disks at 40 cents each; 394 braille at $2.11; 526 cassettes at 55 cents; and 570 large print at $3.25.  We realize that our braille issues are being generously supported by the Braille Institute to give us such a reasonable figure; and we are surely grateful in a world where the cost of braille is helping to defeat its use, as you will see later in the article about NLS costs.   
	One of the many interesting articles this time is from The Sacramento Bee about Dan Kysor's work at teaching others to barbecue.  When Dan saw the article, he was understandably disappointed at the final line because it contains a sentiment he would never express.  
	That reminded me of an experience my husband and I had years ago when all our children were very young and a church paper wanted to do an article about us to stress family issues and their importance.  The reporter and photographer spent the evening with us.  The children were dressed up; the house, clean; and especially cheerful notes introduced by the presence of a few balloons.  Everything was frank but positive.  We didn't paint a rose garden, but we showed the books and games we had, told of our involvement with our community and church, and generally emphasized the happy life we had.  
	Imagine our reaction, then, when the article published was headed "And the Little Children Shall Lead Them."  Those who knew us were aware that our children certainly were not leading us, but the sentimental nonsense was there anyway.  The editor hadn't an idea on earth about why we were upset, and we felt that we had contributed to something that missed the whole point.  So, Dan, even when we don't exemplify the stereotypes, they are assigned to us.  
	One of the goals of this publication, therefore, and of everything we do in CCB must be to alter those stereotypes--something that will keep us all busy for a long time to come.  
 

	THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

	by Catherine Skivers

	It is hard for me to believe that I am already at the end of my two year term as CCB's President.  A lot has happened during that time; I will try to address some of the highlights.
	There have been many positive comments about the hotel and the programming for our Fall convention.  I  appreciate those of you who come to our conventions. It has become expensive and so it is wonderful that so many people attend.  Everything possible is done to make your time and money spent worthwhile. In Ontario, we had some outstanding volunteers: college students, a great Boy Scout troop, and many seniors among them.  A newspaper story had appeared just before the convention and alerted a lot of people to our need for assistance and the people of that area can be proud of themselves for being willing to help visitors to their community.
	At each convention, we review what has happened to the resolutions which were passed at the previous convention.  In the Spring of 1998, we had the lowest number of resolutions introduced in many years.  I will try to find a better way to bring the results of the resolutions to you, since doing it as part of my President's report makes that report quite lengthy.  
	As to those 98-A resolutions, we wrote to the Department of Rehabilitation to encourage rehabilitation counselors and teacher-counselors to attend conventions.  We had received reports from some employees of that department that they had been discouraged by supervisors from becoming involved with meetings of the organized blind.  The department responded that this was not their policy and asked for the names of those who had made these allegations.  We did not supply these because of confidentiality for those who had contacted us.  Instead, we let those people know of the message we had received and urged them to contact CCB if they encountered any more incidents of this  kind. 	
	In other resolutions, we thanked our volunteers and the Oakland Hilton Hotel for their fine work at the spring convention.
	A resolution requested that a statewide group or committee be established to assist members with the many problems that seem to arise for SSI and SSDI recipients.  I made several attempts to find people who could or would work on such a project.  Regrettably, I found none who felt that they had the necessary experience or adequate time to devote to this endeavor.  During 1999, such a committee will be established and I would very much appreciate hearing from any of you who are interested in helping us to be more responsive to people who are having problems.  We have tapes on Social Security which were made during a seminar held by the San Francisco chapter of CCB which we will be glad to send to anyone upon request.
	There was a resolution was passed which was intended to assist CCB presidents when planning conventions.
	The last resolution concerned reauthorization of the rehabilitation act.  Ahmad Rahman and I called many congressional Representatives and sent letters to them with positive results. 
	If you read the BC or listen to the California Connection, you may already know some of the things that happened during this last two years, but, here is a brief review. 
	We were successful in reaching a settlement with Bob Acosta and are receiving timely payments which are to cover a period of thirty months.  We are still attempting to settle our claim in the Bill Ashe bankruptcy case.  You will be hearing more about that in tapes I will send to your chapters.  For obvious reasons, we will not report our legal strategy here.  Suffice it to say that we have had our attorneys build in as many protections as possible to enable us to recover the many thousands of dollars owed to us.
	We invested a large part of an inheritance we received in July of 1997 and our investments are doing well.  CCB has been named in another estate but we do not know yet to what extent we were remembered.
	We have a property in San Fernando, donated to us December 31, 1996, which we are attempting to sell.  It was leased for a long time, but now that it is vacant, insurance premiums have climbed out of sight and every effort is being made to find a buyer for the building and its parking lots.
	Because our lease in Burbank was going to cost $2300 a month, we decided to moved to Hayward on March 1, 1998.  We have realized a substantial savings in these payments and all other office expenses as well.  Travel cost has been greatly reduced because both the Treasurer and I live in this area.
	Larry Seiber, our office manager, does a great job for us.  We have some part-time employees and dedicated volunteers like Dorolthy Vallerga and Randy Lee who help us run our day-to-day operations quite well.  
	Our Newell Perry trust fund is growing quite nicely, and we  want to start thinking about using some of that money to help people with their employment problems soon.  This is what Dr. Perry wanted when he left some of his estate to us.  
	In July, 1997, we joined the Deaf, Hemophilia Council and a group of developmentally-challenged people and formed a consortium which obtained a state grant to assist with getting AIDS awareness information and training out to our four communities.  We are now in our second year, and on December 16th and 17th the consortium members will meet in Burbank for more training.  If you are interested in volunteering on this most important and worthwhile project, call our office and you will be put in touch with the responsible person in your area.
	CCB is looking for a director of our governmental affairs program.   
	Thanks to all of you who have sent cards and letters and made phone calls to Cid Urena.  His telephone number is 
916 489-6437.  In my convention report, please read about our tribute to Cid.  For someone who has been as active as he has always been, his present situation is extremely difficult for him.  We will keep in touch with him to let him know how much we appreciate him and all the work he has done for us.
	Many members of our organization and I have represented CCB.   They include, but are not limited to meetings with departments of rehabilitation, social services, and education and commissions and committees of all kinds.  I am proud of those people who have gone to these meetings and appreciate their assistance very much. I enjoyed a recent program in which I participated at the VA Hospital in San Francisco arranged by Margie Donovan.  I met some very fine people there and hope some of them will be joining CCB.   
	Since June, 1998, I have had teleconferences with the presidents or executive directors of organizations of and for the blind.  We are concerned with services to blind and visually  impaired persons in California, primarily, rehabilitation services.  We sent a letter to both governmental candidates signed by all of us: CCB, NFB, AFB, the Rose Resnick Lighthouse in San Francisco, the Foundation for the Junior Blind and the Center for the Partially Sighted.  We heard nothing at all from Mr. Lundgren, but Gray Davis sent his policy director to meet with us--a historic meeting which took place in San Francisco on September 27th.  Hal Finney told us that Gray Davis has an interest in hearing from us.  He was presented with a paper signed by all present on the issues concerning rehabilitation which need to be addressed and a paper on matters relating to SSI and SSDI on which Linda Bardis, Tim Ford and others had been working.  Sharon Davis, the wife of Gray Davis, has been meeting with that committee.  We were asked to make recommendations for the position of Rehabilitation Director which we have, of course, done.  I think that having CCB, NFBC and other agencies working together for the blind and showing that they are in full agreement is a remarkable development.  We achieve consensus, and our meetings have been amicable and constructive.  
	CCB now has our membership roster on a database, but we need your help in keeping our records up to date.  Dues are payable in January, and chapters and affiliates must have their membership lists and dues to us by March 1.  We must send out State membership lists to ACB by March 15th.  We lost a vote at the national convention in Florida because of our move and the late filing of some of our chapters.  When you send in your list, please note any members who do not claim your chapter as their home chapter.  Also note which members are blind or sighted and the format in which all of your members want to receive their BC.  Members at large, please send your $10 dues as early as you can and before March 1st.  If you have not received your BC in the  format you want, let us know at the office.  Also, if you know blind and visually impaired persons, invite them to join us.  Our membership is building.   We have some new chapters and a few more on the drawing board.
	We did quite well with our fund-raisers in which chapters participated.  Thank you to the chapters that contributed to our scholarship fund, the Fogarty Braille fund, and our general fund.  Not only does the money help us, but your support means a lot.  This year CCB awarded $21,000 in scholarships.  We need to work on grants so we can give more and bigger awards.  If you have grant-writing experience, please contact me.  To date, we have not benefited from our grant program.  We got the Consortium grant on our own and we must work to get more such grants. 
	We had prizes for our drawing at the banquet.  They were: plane tickets from Southwest Airlines; a weekend at the Ontario Hilton Hotel; a full-sized afghan made by Aida Kioudjian, Bayview chapter; and a small afghan made by Lila Shafer, also of Bayview chapter.  Larry Seiber, our office manager, donated a wood carving of a dolphin which he had made.  Roger Shaw won the plane tickets.  The afghans and sculpture were just beautiful, and we thank all who donated them and those who bought tickets. 
	CCB is a 501-C3 organization and must file its returns with the state and federal governments.  Our fund-raisers are going well for us.  We had an inquiry from the Attorney General's office and were able to supply the necessary information.  A few of our chapters have their own identification number and are incorporated and file their own returns.  However, for those chapters who raise funds under CCB's ID number, CCB must report how much you have taken in, what your expenses were, and your profit.  The money is all yours, but since you are under our umbrella, we have been advised by the Attorney General's office that we must meet these requirements.  So, please furnish us with this information.
	The Board of Directors of CCB voted to close the San Joaquin Chapter which has not had a large enough membership to function as a chapter.  We hope the chapter will be able to reorganize, but in the meantime, the members will remain members at large. A tape will be sent to your chapters with more information on this issue.  A lot of misleading rumors have been circulated, and we received some unfavorable and inaccurate newspaper publicity.  The matter is being dealt with.  CCB will follow its constitution and bylaws to guide us and keep us on track. 
	All our committees must concentrate on outreach.  Our visibility has improved a lot in the last two years.  You can help by getting out into your communities and letting people know what we are all about.  I would like to see us establish a speakers' bureau.  We need to know who among you are willing to visit schools and organizations in your area.  The public should know who we are and what we are if we hope to get our much needed legislation.  Many hands make light work, or so I've heard.  Lend your hand to CCB.
	The theme of the Fall Convention was "Our Future in CCB" and "The Best is Yet to Come." I believe this is true.  Just how good our future proves to be in large measure is up to each and everyone of you.  You have given me the honor of reelecting me for another two year term.  I thank you for giving me more time to do some of the many things that are on my agenda for CCB which could not be covere  in the first two years.  I now must make committee appointments, not only for California but also for our part in planning for the ACB convention.  I would like to hear from any of you who are willing to work on any of these committees.  CCB has a busy time ahead.  Here is our calendar for 1999.
	Our Spring Convention will be in Sacramento, April 8-11.  The ACB Convention will be held in Los Angeles July 3-9.  The CCB Fall Convention will be held in Fresno, October 28-31.  We will take part in the Braille Literacy Conference in San Francisco in November of 1999.  You will be getting more information about these events as time goes by.  
	May the New Year bring you the best of everything: good health, good friends and much happiness.  I am looking forward to 1999, and with your help, it will be a great year for CCB.  


	TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE: MISSION AND GOALS 

	MISSION STATEMENT of the Technology Committee of the California Council of the Blind (Last updated, August 31, 1998:)
	The Technology Committee of the California Council of the Blind supplies the council with expertise on issues related to technology, promotes the use of technology to enhance the quality of the lives of people who are blind, and advocates for the removal of all technological barriers to full participation in society by people who are blind.

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	List of goals of the Technology Committee of the California Council of the Blind: (Last updated, August 31, 1998)
	1.   The committee shall submit a "TECHTALK" column for each quarterly issue of The Blind Californian.   
	2.  The committee shall present a technology seminar in conjunction with each semi-annual convention of the California Council of the Blind.
	3.  The committee shall start an Internet mailing list for general discussions by CCB members by January 1, 1999.
	4.  The committee shall create a Web site for the California Council of the Blind by April 1, 1999.
	5.  The committee shall start Internet mailing lists by July 1, 1999 for the following: (a) CCB officers, Board members, and staff; (b) CCB legislative issues; (c) CCB chapter presidents; (d) CCB committees; 
	6.  The committee shall produce a brochure listing sources of information about adaptive technology by October 1, 1999.
	7.  The committee shall establish a database of mentors who can assist blind Californians with technology problems by January 1, 2000.
	8.  The committee shall sponsor at least one computer training class to be held at each semi-annual convention of the California Council of the Blind no later than the spring 2000 convention.
	9.  The committee shall help all CCB chapters to create Web pages by July 1, 2000.


	OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE
	Are We Being Harassed or Is 
	He Just Being an Ass?

	by Melita Waters, President, GDUC 

	How do we determine if are actually being harassed or if
the individual we are dealing with is just being an unmitigated
jerk, or is there really any difference?
	Last month a guide dog handler encountered just such a situation.  The dog was a new guide, not his first one.  Knowing that his previous dog had enjoyed this kind of an excursion, he took the new dog to a park for some fresh air and quality time.  He packed himself a lunch and took with him his dog's necessary equipment. 
	It was a beautiful day so he also took along his dog's grooming gear.  What better place to get some real genuine bonding time, and make his dog look and feel good as well.
	The park he chose was a little more than a mile from his home, so his dog was also going to get some good working experience and exercise.  The route taken was rich in all sorts of experience--everything from yapping loose dogs on otherwise quiet residential streets to some very hazardous street crossings.  
	Everything went swimmingly until he reached the park.  He found himself an empty table on which he spread out his belongings--his lunch, his grooming tools, and the dog's water dish filled with fresh water.  They were ready to settle in for an enjoyable afternoon.
     The park is not heavily used, but there were others in the
picnic area with whom he chatted.  Out of the clear blue, a park ranger approached and began dressing him down.  He was told that he was not supposed to have his dog in the park.  He was not supposed to be grooming his dog in the park, and, by the way, "Let me see your ID."
	Not long before, the handler had renewed his ID.  A mistake had been made on it regarding his date of birth; and just before he had left to get his new dog, he had moved.  These details, of
course, resulted in his ID not carrying the correct information.  He was given a ticket by the park ranger for that faulty ID and another for grooming his dog in the park.
	The handler was, needless to say, stunned.  He had never had a bit of trouble before in this same park.  The previous ranger had never given him a hard time, as the handler told his accuser, who assumed a commanding position right in front of him.  
	Now this handler has a court date in December.  He will have to present himself to the court and either defend or at least explain his behavior.  What is going on here?  Was the man being harassed or was the park ranger just being a jerk?
	I have no answer to this question, but how do we determine which is the case.  Perhaps one or more readers can share with me how to make this kind of determination; or does it matter when it comes to dealing with a situation of this kind? 



	HIV/AIDS SPECIAL POPULATIONS TRAINING 
	PROJECT CONSORTIUM

	by Audrey Hebner

	Those of you who attended our convention last April heard something about this consortium in which CCB has membership; and recently those who were in Ontario may have come by our table outside the exhibit area and picked up audio tapes or printed HIV/AIDS prevention material to share with friends and family
members.  We are planning to have more tapes available in the near future to increase information on this subject.  
	The HIV/AIDS Special Populations Training Project Consortium is composed of representatives of four organizations concerned with low incidence disability populations.  These organizations are Associated Regional Center Agencies (ARCA), serving people with developmental disabilities; California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCASDHH); California Council of the Blind (CCB); and Hemophilia Council of California (HCC) serving people with bleeding disorders.  
	These four organizations received a grant from the California Office of AIDS  for the purpose of making HIV/AIDS prevention education accessible to their respective populations.  The grant is in its second year and training teams from the four special populations have met with public health staff members from at least 20 counties.  These teams conduct sensitivity training sessions for health department workers to raise their awareness of the difficulties encountered by members of special populations when seeking information of a private and/or sensitive nature.  
	Before team members began their training, they attended conferences held in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.  These regional conferences brought together members of the consortium, HIV/AIDS service providers, special populations service providers and consumers.  The main purpose of the conferences was to discuss the special needs of the targeted disability groups and barriers encountered by them when attempting to use public health services as well as barriers encountered by people attempting to deliver those services.  Counties attending conferences each formed a team to develop a plan best suited to their county to address these problems.  The team is known as a special populations action team or SPAT and is usually made up of the county office of AIDS coordinator, at least two subcontractors (HIV/AIDS health care service providers), a consumer and a service provider from each of the special populations.  Currently, a member of the consortium training staff acts as SPAT facilitator. 	
	Each region of the state has a trainer from each of the population groups.  Training is straight forward in addressing the barriers faced by each of the special populations.  One very effective method uses role playing in an effort to help health care workers understand how difficult it can be for some of the special populations to communicate about sensitive subjects.  CCB members currently working as trainers in this project are Kevin Collin, San Diego; Coletta Davis, Orange County; Audrey Hebner, Sacramento; Ahmad Rahman, Los Angeles; and Dorothy Vallerga, Bay Area with President Cathie Skivers consortium member for CCB. We are now mid-way in the second year of the grant.  The health community has received this project with great enthusiasm.  All those with whom we have met have been responsive and eager to learn how they can help us achieve our goal of making their services more accessible to people with disabilities.  
	Our goal is to inform health workers so that they make the adaptations necessary to serve low incidence populations.  The blind person who experiences HIV/AIDS will, for example, not be presented with pictures to explain necessary concepts.  He/she  will find that a worker understands the need to arrange transportation to and from a test site to avoid informing family or friends.  There will be suggested to him strategies and/or services to help him read printed material that may be important in understanding his situation.  He will, in short, be able to concentrate his energies on the threat of disease or on the disease itself without the additional problem of having no one aware of the additional difficulties posed by his disability.  


	TECHTALK: SOME IDEAS FOR PAYING FOR 
	ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, Part 2  

                         by Frank Welte

	In the previous "TECHTALK" we discussed several ideas for
obtaining needed adaptive technology.  In this article we will focus on two excellent sources of information and advice: the California Assistive Technology System, (CATS) and Protection And Advocacy, Inc. (PAI).
	In the early 90's a federal law, commonly referred to as the Tech Act, provided for the creation of projects in participating states to promote the use of adaptive technology by people with disabilities.  The Tech Act project for California is the California Assistive Technology System.  Until recently, this program has been administered by the Department of Rehabilitation, but CATS is currently being transferred from the that department to a non-profit agency, the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers.
	The original goals of the CATS project are as follows:     	1.  Promote increased public awareness of what assistive technology can do for people with disabilities.
     2.  Reduce the barriers that people with disabilities often
face in obtaining assistive technology.
     3.  Develop strategies to decrease duplication among state
agencies and other organizations.
     4.  Make the technology, and the funding for it, more
available.
	The CATS project publishes "The Assistive Technology Journal" (formerly called "CATS News), an excellent source of adaptive technology funding information.  The information in this article is taken from the November 17, 1998 issue of "The Adaptive Technology Journal" with some information taken from previous issues of this newsletter.
	If you would like to receive an electronic or printed copy of this publication, please contact Steve Tingus, CFILC Public Policy Director at 916 325-1690, TDD 916 325-1695.  You can also receive the newsletter via Internet mailing list.  Anyone can subscribe with a message to: catsnews-subscribe@ezmlm.cfilc.org.
	If you would like additional advice on financing or other aspects of adaptive technology contact the California Assistive
Technology System at 800 390-2699, or check out the CATS Web site, http://www.catsca.org.  CATS information is also available at the CFILC Web site, http://www.cfilc.org.
	The second agency, Protection and Advocacy Inc., provides valuable information on assistive technology in the context of disability rights.  It is a good source for consumers wishing to find out how technology can be obtained through various state and federal legal mechanisms.  In 1978, PAI was introduced as California's primary agency for protecting and advocating for the rights of people with developmental disabilities under the federal Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.  Over the years the organization's mandate extended to cover a broader range of people with disabilities, including those with physical and psychiatric disabilities.
	According to Taymour Ravandi, PAI's staff attorney, there are four primary mechanisms by which individuals can obtain Assistive Technology: (1) Medi-Cal services, (2) the federal Social Security program; (3) California Rehabilitation Statutes; and (4) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
	If you feel that you might be eligible for needed assistive
technology through these statutes, and you would like to know more about how you can take advantage of them, you can contact
Protection and Advocacy, Inc., at 800 776-5746.  Their address is 100 Howe Avenue, Suite 235 North, Sacramento, CA  95825-8202.
	Tech Notes: The following items are reprinted from VSYD CATS News,  the Assistive Technology News Service provided by the California Assistive Technology System.
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	RECENT PUBLICATIONS: 1. AAC FUNDING RESOURCE BOOKLET: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES gives practical advice, including case studies, on helping adults and children with disabilities get access to electronic augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.  Contact: the Rehabilitation Engineering Center at University of Delaware, Wilmington, 302 651-6830 Voice; 302 651-6834; TTY; Fax 302 651-6895; E-mail: rerc-aac@asel.udel.edu

	2.   FINANCIAL AID FOR THE DISABLED AND THEIR FAMILIES 1998-2000, by Gail Schlacter, describes the ins and outs of applying to about 1,000 funders for education, assistive technology, career development, housing, travel and emergencies.  The 370-page book is available for $40 from Reference Service Press, (916) 939-9620.
	3.  RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: A NATIONAL DIRECTORY has 8,100 entries on sections in assistive technology, funding sources, organizations and associations, publications and conferences.  The 1,000 page, two-volume guide is $69.95 from the Ferguson Publishing Company 800 306-9941; E-mail fergpub@aol.com.
	4.  ACCESS TO MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSORY DISABILITIES is available from the National Council on Disability; (202) 272-2004 V (202) 272-2074 TTY; Fax 
202 272-2022.
	For another source of technology information, check out the Web site of the CSU Northridge, Center on Disabilities:  www.csun.edu/cod/.  At this site you can Learn about their pioneering certificate program in assistive technology, and you
can also learn about other products and services.
	We welcome your comments and suggestions regarding this and other "TECHTALK" articles.  Send your remarks to: Frank Welte, 1432 San Carlos Ave. #6, San Carlos, CA 94070-2205; 650 508-8329 fwelte@crl.com
	So you have finally lined up the financing for that new, fully adapted computer that promises to change your life.  Now what do you do?  Join us again next time when "TECHTALK" looks at sources of training for blind computer novices.


	MISSION STATEMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 

	The California Council of the Blind provides the following services: DIRECT SERVICES TO THE BLIND; a quarterly magazine in Braille, large print, cassette tape or diskette; scholarships to blind students; advisory and counseling aid; educational conferences and seminars; employment assistance; and consultation with public and private agencies on behalf of the blind.  	Financial assistance is needed and appreciated in order to carry on with the many programs and philosophy of the California Council of the Blind to gain full independence, equality and opportunity for all blind Californians.


	REPORT OF THE CCB FALL 1998 CONVENTION 

	by Catherine Skivers

	The fall convention was held at the Ontario Hilton Hotel from November 5-8.  It was well attended and everyone was pleased to find that the hotel was in one building.  Since the Council has 46 chapters and affiliates and 22 committees, this report cannot contain everything that happened during the four days. 
	The convention theme was "Our Future in CCB" and "The Best Is Yet To Come."  Our gathering was dedicated to Tom O'Sullivan, a long-time member who passed away in April.  We all missed him keenly.  We had grown accustomed to enjoying his fine sense of humor and his willingness to help everyone.
	On Thursday Pat LaFrance chaired the rehabilitation committee meeting and a job fair.  Those who attended found it very helpful.  Frank Welte, Chair off the Technology committee, conducted a well-attended workshop, and several other committees also met that day followed by a Welcome to Ontario party arranged by the Foothill Chapter.  Chapter president, Sharon Hutton, and the members who served refreshments were gracious and most hospitable, affording relaxation and conversation after the intellectual emphasis of the afternoon. 
	The CCB Board of Directors convened at 7:30; most of what was discussed there is included in the President's Report elsewhere in this issue.  Next came the Candidates' Forum where we heard from those who planned to run for office on Friday.  In spite of all that evening activity, the CCB hospitality room was crowded, providing an opportunity to meet old friends and to make new ones.  
	Exhibits, ably arranged and supervised by Obbie Shoeman, were open from 9-5 on Friday and Saturday.  There were many interesting things to see and purchase: Braille and large print Christmas cards, Christmas tree ornaments, lots of computers and related devices, jewelry, and even a psychic to consult if you  wished.  
	All the committees and affiliates met on Friday and Saturday The Braille Revival League of California and the California Library Users of America had a combined meeting.  Speakers were the Executive Director of the Braille Institute of America and the Assistant Editor of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin to discuss respectively developments at Braille Institute and book reviewing practices appropriate for a city newspaper. .  
	Four affiliates held luncheons: California Library Users of America, Association of Multi-Cultural Concerns, Orientation Center for the Blind Alumni and the Guide Dogs Users of California.  Each group had a program focused on its special interest.  
	As is our custom, we invited clergymen from various religions to present invocations and members from various chapters to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.  Friday's first General Session began with a discussion on challenges of providing paratransit and explaining how complex this issue is and how many difficulties exist.  The service providers talked about the great distances to be covered and the difficulty of complying with state and federal regulations.  There does not appear to be a solution to these problems that will fully satisfy either providers or those to be served. 
	In the next presentation, Charles Nabarrete, Teddie Remhild and Ahmad Rahman demonstrated how to call on a legislator to advocate for action of interest to the blind.  A copy of the role play they did is being distributed to all chapter and affiliates  in the hope that it will help them when they call on their local assembly members and senators.
	Joan and Keith Black talked about the membership database they are attempting to create for CCB.  It is a big job and deserving of the appreciation that was expressed.  
	At the close of the afternoon session, the wine and cheese party held by the Association for Multi-Cultural concerns as their fund-raiser was enjoyed by all who attended.  
	The evening session began with the report of the Credentials Committee: Rhonda Marshall King, Chair, assisted by Barbara Kron and Jerry Arakawa.  Assembling all the details involved is an exacting job that was well done. 
	A high point in the convention was a call made from the evening session to Cid Urena who was, because of illness, unable to be with us.  The audience greeted him enthusiastically and sang "For he's a jolly good fellow.", and Eugene Lozano and Jeff Thom presented him with a CCB Life Membership purchased for him by the Capital Chapter.  Everyone sang to Cid again, agreeing that it had been great to be able to hear him on the speaker phone.  He was obviously very moved and so was everyone in the audience.  
	The president gave her report at this time; it appears separately in these pages.  She was followed by John A. Horst, Convention Coordinator for ACB, who  talked to us about the national convention which will be held July 3-9, 1999.  Everyone is looking forward to coming to California and he hopes to see many of us helping with the preparations and acting as an enthusiastic welcoming committee.  
	Pam Shaw, a member of the  ACB Board of Directors, selected 10 CCB members and explained that she wanted each of them to portray a certain type of chapter member.  The participants furnished a script; each of them was creative in presenting a role: the constant complainer, the shouter who always wants center stage, the compliant person who never advances a thought or opinion, and so on.  They were all present at a mock chapter meeting, after which Pam talked about the various characters and how they interact during a typical meeting.  She also made some suggestions for how to deal with difficult people.  She was an excellent speaker with a great sense of humor.  The CCB members who took part in the program rose to the occasion and were wonderfully original in playing their roles.  Chapters and affiliates will find it helpful to obtain a copy of the tape to play for their members.   
	Marion Fisher, Nominating Committee Chairman, read the list of those who had been nominated for office.  The following persons were elected by acclamation: Catherine Skivers, President; Charles Nabarrete, First Vice President; and David Parker, Treasurer.  Directors chosen were: Peter Pardini, Pat LaFrance, Rhonda Marshall King and Ahmad Rahman.  
	On Saturday morning and late afternoon many committees met.  The Senior Blind Committee held a workshop, chaired by Jane Kardas, at which Larry Seiber, our office manager, taught a hands-on class on watercolor egg tempera painting.  Seven members  took part in learning to paint a red apple.  The class was the first of it's kind for the Council, and  participants were enthusiastic and indicated that they would like to take part in a future program of this kind.  Blind and visually impaired persons are becoming members in painting classes throughout the country.  The American Printing House has offered calendars for which the art work was created by blind children and adults, and This calendar was sold as a fund-raiser by the Redwood Empire Chapter.  If anyone is interested in furthering this project, contact should be made with the CCB office.  We may feature it again in Sacramento at the spring convention.
	A seminar was held for blind students where Peter Ince was elected the new president.  The Council really wants high school students to join our organization; the students and the CCB officers welcome suggestions for how to accomplish this goal. 
	Dr.  Andrew Henrich, Vice President in Public Information for the Academy of Ophthalmology, was on hand to answer questions  and discuss conditions of the eye at the meeting of the California Council of Citizens with Low Vision.  Pam Shaw, MSW, ACB Board member, also spoke, her topic being "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with Low Vision."  She is Family Advocacy Program Manager for the Department of Defense in Philadelphia.  Her sensitivity, good humor and vast knowledge made this a fine presentation.  
	Brenda Primo began Saturday afternoon's general session with a talk about rehabilitation in the 21st century.  She was joined by Manuel Urena, Program Manager, Department of Rehabilitation.   They talked about what is happening to Rehabilitation, recognizing the delays in issuing regulations after Rehabilitation laws have been passed and what problems these delays cause in the department.
	Peter Benavidez, Program Director for Blindness Support Services in Riverside, spoke to us about the new center and its program to serve the blind of that area.  He related his own  experience in learning to cope with blindness.  It took Peter six years to realize his dream of serving blind and visually impaired people of his community.  He thanked CCB for the personal support and practical help given him.  
	Gil Johnson, Director, American Foundation for the Blind West, discussed employment for the blind and visually impaired in California and the need for improved services to them.  He mentioned the meetings that have been taking place between CCB and NFBC and other agencies serving the blind in this state, hoping that their combined efforts can result in improvement for the large number of persons who are seeking employment.  
	Burt Boyer, Director of the Lions Blind Center in Oakland, spoke from the perspective of a Service Provider.  He also expressed concern about the lack of adequate services to blind and visually impaired people seeking employment.  California is at the bottom of the list of states in job placements by rehabilitation counselors.  Each counselor makes only about five placements per year.  In other states this number is from 8 to 15.  The last two speakers agreed that a solution to many of our problems would be a separate state commission for the blind.  	Throughout the convention the Resolution Committee, under the direction of Jeff Thom, met frequently--always one of the hardest working committees at any convention.  That report presented 23 resolutions which were all approved on Sunday morning.  A summary appears in another article.  
	Our Banquet was both informative and entertaining.  Ed Crespin was the Master of Ceremonies.  He introduced Al Biegler,  Chair of the Scholarship Committee, who read the names of scholarship winners, among whom was Peter Ince, one of the winners of the Mannino scholarships.  Joan Gilmour, great niece of Tony Mannino, talked about the establishment of the Mannino Scholarship Fund and her memories of attending CCB meetings with her grandmother and her uncle.  
	Pam Shaw spoke to us once again, this time giving us the "Ten Commandments of Blindness," continuing to amuse and instruct us.  The underlying message of dealing with blindness was very clear.  Her presentation is available on cassette and would be a great program item for a chapter meeting.  
	The President's report covers the results of the prize drawing.  Chapters and affiliates contributed more than $2000 to CCB for the scholarship and general funds and the George Fogarty Fund.
	On Sunday morning the Devotional Service, conducted by William McNight, was well attended.  This is the time members who have died since the last convention are remembered and prayers are said for those who are ill.  The service revealed that we certainly have some great singers in our organization who raised their voices in prayer.  	
	In our final session there were wrap-ups of a number of matters.  The members of Convention Planning Committee were recognized: Christy Crespin, Chair; Rhonda Marshall king, Vice Chair; Allen Ramos, Charles Nabarrete and Elinor Lund.
After the report of the Resolutions Committee, we heard from David Parker with a complete treasurer's report.  Roger Petersen, chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, spoke of the work of his committee which is detailed in a later article.  We heard  from Al Gil, President of the California School for Blind Alumni about a Community Advisory Committee.  
	Throughout the convention there were drawings for door prizes, the last two on Sunday being $50 prizes.  Thanks to Barry Weintraub and Flora Beck, we were able to award a number of travel bags donated by James Murphy of Brendon Tours of Van Nuys.  
	You will find an announcement concerning the Spring Convention in Sacramento.  I agree with the many who say our conventions are getting better and better.  


	SUMMARY OF 1998 CCB FALL CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS

	by Jeff Thom, Chair
	Resolutions Committee
     Twenty-three resolutions were submitted, and, with the
exception of Resolution 98B-21 relating to the California
Connection, which was withdrawn, all resolutions were passed.
     Resolution 98B-1 urges the Department of Rehabilitation ensure that staff members do not unreasonably limit the benefits provided to blind and visually impaired clients, and requests the president of this organization to seek legislative hearings if the department does not act in good faith on this issue.
     Resolution 98B-2 seeks the enactment of legislation expanding coverage of the guide dog allowance to include SSDI recipients.
     Resolution 98B-3 urges local CCB affiliates and members to
contact broadcasters to seek the inclusion of the Narrative
Television Network in their programming packages.
     Resolution 98B-4 expresses our appreciation for the efforts
of the volunteers at the 1998 fall convention.  
     Resolution 98B-5 expresses appreciation for the efforts of the staff of the Ontario Airport Hilton Hotel in connection with the 1998 fall
convention.
     Resolution 98B-6 urges legislation to establish a Commission for the Blind.
     Resolution 98B-7 seeks to amend state guidelines to provide that, at any intersection at which an audible pedestrian traffic signal is installed, a signal be placed on each corner at which a pedestrian crossing can be made.
     Resolution 98B-8 requests enactment of budget augmentation legislation to restore funds removed from the 1998-99 Department of Rehabilitation budget by the Governor, thus making the state eligible for a large amount of federal funding. 
     Resolution 98B-9 urges the state to modify the salary structure for teachers at the California School for the Blind and
the California School for the Deaf to make salaries commensurate with those paid by surrounding school districts.
     Resolution 98B-10 urges the Federal Communication Commission to require that certain television programming information
currently available through visual means be made accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
     Resolution 98B-11 expresses appreciation to Access Services,
Inc. for providing service to and from the 1998 CCB Fall
Convention.
     Resolution 98B-12 expresses appreciation to Southwest
Airlines for donating ticket vouchers in connection with the CCB fund-raising effort. 
     Resolution 98B-13 calls upon Blazie Engineering and its chief executive officer to cease engaging in certain conduct
discriminatory to members of the American Council of the Blind,  and urges purchasers of products sold by Blazie Engineering to investigate obtaining equipment from alternative manufacturers if this conduct continues.
     Resolution 98B-14 urges National Braille Press to adopt the use of passwords or encryption files in addition to that provided by Blazie Engineering, so that braille-formatted material will be accessible to anyone having any device equipped to handle such material.
     Resolution 98B-15 commends Governor-elect Gray Davis for his
efforts to procure input from blind and visually impaired persons
on issues of concern to us. 
     Resolution 98B-16 urges that the state guidelines concerning audible traffic signals be retained, that efforts to replace the type of signal usually employed be resisted, and that communities install such signals wherever appropriate.  
     Resolution 98B-17 provides that the California Council of the Blind initiate a campaign to inform the operators of medical facilities that blind and visually impaired persons expect them to cooperate in fulfilling their obligations to make these facilities accessible, and that this organization will assist medical staff to comply with such obligations.
     Resolution 98B-18 commends National General Cinema and
Descriptive Video Service for their efforts at providing audio-
described motion pictures in theaters.
     Resolution 98B-19 opposes the recent proposed changes by the
Department of Rehabilitation in the order of selection criteria.
     Resolution 98B-20 supports increases in minimum job
qualifications and salaries for the position of support service
assistant. 
     Resolution 98B-22 requests the Department of Rehabilitation,
in conjunction with the Department of General Services, to take
certain actions to ensure that Department of Rehabilitation office locations be accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
     Resolution 98B-23 urges MBNa America to comply with the ADA
by providing its blind and visually impaired customers with credit card statements in accessible formats.


	COST OF NLS SERVICE

(Taken from the fall newsletter of the Library Users of America, a special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.  To become a member in California, sent $12 to Peter Pardini, 267 Cardinal Road, Mill Valley, California 94941; 415 381-9211.)
	Did you ever wonder how much it costs to provide your library service? The C1 cassette player is valued at $256 and cassette books cost $5.54.  Braille books cost $113.24 each.  A flexible disk magazine subscription averages $30.40 per year.  The Library of Congress estimates that talking book service costs about $225 per person annually.  This amount includes $44 million "Free Matter for the Blind" postal subsidy and the $40 million spent by state, county, and city governments to provide services.
	Thanks to the Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for this information. 


	LETTER FROM EUGENE LOZANO

(Editor's note: President Cathie Skivers shares this letter with our readers.)

Dear Cathie Skivers:
	As you may recall, I shared with you information regarding my appointment to an Advisory Committee for the California Department of Parks and Recreation,  and my receipt of a certificate from Sacramento County acknowledging some work I have done at the new Sacramento International Airport Terminal.  You asked me to send you some information concerning these two items.  	Item 1- I have been given a two-year appointment on the California State Department Parks and Recreation Gold Rush District Office's District Accessibility Resource Group (DARG).  The DARG is comprised of volunteer public members and district technical staff.  The members are appointed by the District Superintendent to provide advice on district accessibility issues such as general developmental plans, restoration projects, and significant development plans or rehabilitation projects. The Gold Rush District geographically covers state park facilities in the Delta, Sacramento Valley, and the Central Sierra foothills.  I would be interested in getting input from people with a visual impairment or disability as to how they would like state parks to be made more accessible to them.  They can call me in the evening at 916 485-8307.
	Note that each District Office under California State Department of Parks and Recreation has a DARG.
	Item 2- The certificate I received reads as follow: Sacramento County proudly recognizes Eugene Lozano (Chair of the Barriers Removal Subcommittee) with this certificate of appreciation for dedicated volunteer service inspecting and reviewing Sacramento International Airport facilities' construction and retrofit process to ensure accessibility for its disabled customers.
	Presented October 1	4, 1998
	Illa Collin, Chair, Board of supervisors
	Thomas P. Engel, Director, Department of Airports 

I hope this is helpful information for you.  Thank you.
Eugene Lozano, Jr. 


	PROFILE: JOHN LOPEZ

                       	by Brian Hall

     As a boy growing up in a small town in New Mexico, John Lopez always wished for a dog that he could take with him wherever he went.  His pet cocker spaniel was his best friend, and he hated leaving his canine pal tied outside the supermarket while he went inside to do the family grocery shopping.
     Lopez, a past president of the California Council of the Blind whose term as first vice president is expiring, got what he wished for, and more.  At age 9, his father invited him to a baseball game.  The junior Lopez had been born with poor vision, and, as he hurried from his front yard to join his dad for the athletic outing, he ran into the yard's gate, which was closed with sharp bailing wire expressly to prevent his spaniel from wandering into the street.  The wire ripped out the boy's eye.  
	A year later, when a classmate dropped a toy on the ground, another boy proved faster on the draw.  As Lopez bent to pick up the toy, the playmate already held it in his hand and accidentally jabbed Lopez in the eye with it, resulting in the loss of sight in his remaining eye.
     In 1950 just after graduating from high school, Lopez, with the aid of the Machinists' Union to which his father belonged, travelled to Los Angeles to get a guide dog--a large German Shepherd named Ginger.  
     "Well, I finally got the dog that could go everywhere I went--in the store or on an airplane--but it cost me my eyes," Lopez commented with typical deadpan irony.
     He loves jokes and not just of the cosmic variety.  Never one to be undone in the arena of humor, he enjoys and tells vaudevillian-style one-liners, and long-building tales about blind people, guide dogs, priests and bartenders.
     Paradoxically, Lopez calls his move from Loving, New Mexico, (population 1,000) to Los Angeles the moment "my life began."  He had had enough of the little village and informed his parents he wanted to stay in the big city.
     In Los Angeles Lopez went to college, earned his teaching credential, met and married his wife Maria and launched a 40-year music career on the nightclub and dinner-house circuit.  By the time Ginger died, he had become a proficient user of a white cane, which he refers to as his "folding dog"; and he buzzed around the city so freely and frequently that he would claim de facto ownership of 30 TO 40 buses then run by the RTD, which he affectionately dubbed the "Rotten Transit District."
     He attended Immaculate Heart College, an all-female campus where men were allowed only part-time and where his most distinct memory is the click of high heels in the corridors and the odd sensation of being "the only guy in a class."
     Lopez, now officially retired, spent 30 years as a music teacher.  He was music director for the Braille Institute in Los Angeles for 10 years and for 20 years has had his own music  studio.  He has taught sighted and blind students alike.  While at the Braille Institute, he regularly addressed groups as
part of a Speakers' Bureau.  It was as a substitute teacher for a Braille course that he made the acquaintance of a pupil named Maria.  They were married in 1960 and have remained married ever since.
     "John is a wonderful family man," remarked Coletta Davis, who served with him on the CCB board of directors.  "He gets up every morning at about 4:30 to fix his wife breakfast before she goes to work.  I think it's great when a man will do that."
     Maria Lopez, a former editor of The Blind Californian, is a department supervisor at her brother's successful printing company.  
	John most recently worked at Los Angeles City College. 
Over the decades, he has performed countless classical and popular music recitals for students ranging in age from elementary school through college.  
	"Because I was blind and had achieved success in my career, I was kind of a role model," Lopez said.  
	In the 1970s, he volunteered for two years as a positive role model for inmates at a juvenile detention center near Los Angeles.  Correctional officers thought he could persuade the non-disabled detainees, through his personal and professional example, to better themselves.
     At the end of one two-hour counselling session with a dozen female inmates, he emerged to be asked by the program director
if he had felt strange being in the room with the girls.
     "I told him no," Lopez recalled.  "The girls were all very cordial, talking to me, some putting their arms around me and treating me like an uncle."  The director then told him that the counselees that day had all been convicted of murder.   	
	At other times, Lopez dealt with males whose crimes included car theft, robbery, drug offenses and prostitution.  The one common denominator was that the youngsters needed love and someone who would listen, Lopez said.
     When not in the confines of the classroom or a juvenile counselling group, Lopez, 68, has performed as a pianist, appearing as a soloist, as part of a duo and even as the harmonic anchor for big bands.  He still plays occasionally in public, doubling on organ; and in past years, he had a keyboard that synthesized the sound of a harpsichord playing Bach while the rock or jazz ensemble warmed up.  He has reams of Braille music of all genres including his favorite composers, Chopin, Beethoven and Gershwin.
     Much of his educational expertise these days goes into teaching the piano to his 7-year-old granddaughter Amy.  His piano stylings can be heard on "Global Sounds," a compact disk sold by the Council as a fund-raiser.  A CCB scholarship has been established in his name for music students.
     Lopez was a founding member in 1963 of CCB's East Los Angeles Chapter where he is president.  He is a past president of the Boyle Heights Lions Club.       
	"John did a tremendous job when he was president for CCB," president Catherine Skivers said.  "He was the first leader in recent times to move the organization in a democratic direction.  There's a different feel in the council that started with him."
     Cid Urena, CCB's long-time legislative advocate and a close friend of Lopez, seconds that opinion.  "John is a people person and a people's person.  You won't find any more honest guy, and he doesn't believe in playing politics," Urena said.  "He continues to donate whatever he can to the organization, from money to equipment."
     Lopez continues to traverse the state representing CCB in litigation and as the chair of the Membership Committee.  "The only drawback to working with him," jokes Skivers, "is that to get him to do a favor for you, he blackmails you.  He wants chocolate or a Scotch--sometimes both--in return."
          
       
	WHAT IF GOD HAD VOICE MAIL?

	submitted by Catherine Skivers

	We have all learned to live with voice mail as a necessary part of modern-day life.  But you may have wondered, what if God decided to install voice mail?

	Imagine praying and hearing this ... "Thank you for calling my Father's House.  Please select one of the following options: 		Press 1  for requests
	Press 2  for thanksgiving
	Press 3  for complaints
	Press 4  for all other inquiries."

	What if God used the familiar excuse ... "All the Angels are helping other customers right now.  Please stay on the line.  Your call will be answered in the order it was received."

	Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God in prayer?
	"If you would like to speak with Gabriel, press 1.  For Michael, press 2.  For a directory of other angels, press 3.  If you'd like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you're on hold, press 4.  To find out if a loved one has been assigned to heaven, enter his or her Social Security number."  For reservations at my Father's House, press the letters J-O-H-N and then 3-1-6.  For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, and where Noah's ark is, please wait until you arrive here." 

	"Our computers show that you have already called once today.  Please hang up and try again tomorrow."

	"This office is closed for the weekend.  Please call again on Monday after 9:00 A.M."

	Thank God, you can't call Him too often!



	AWARDS NOMINATIONS SOLICITED 



	by Roger Petersen, CCB Awards Committee Chair

	Once again, it is time to think about awards nominations.  The Awards Committee needs you to think about people or know who deserve awards so that you can send letters nominating them by March 1,1999.  If your candidate is selected to receive an award, it will be presented at the Spring CCB Convention Banquet.
	Please examine the following list of awards and submit appropriate nominations 
	 the CCB Hall of Fame: Up to five persons per year, who have made significant
contributions and sustained effort toward  the goals of CCB.
	CCB Community Service Award: To be presented annually to a blind or visually impaired person who, through his/her association and activities, has demonstrated integration into and interaction with the life of the community.
	CCB Distinguished Service Award: To be presented periodically to an outstanding blind or
visually impaired person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general.  The recipient of this award need not be a member of CCB.
	CCB Legislator of the Year Award: To be given periodically to a California State or Federal legislator who has introduced and successfully brought about enactment of legislation behalf of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
	Certificate of Merit: To be given to any individual who provides outstanding volunteer service to CCB, its chapters or affiliates.
	Humanitarian Award: To be given to individuals or organizations who have provided outstanding services which enhance the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
	CCB Publications award: To be given to the person who has prepared the best article of the year appearing in The Blind Californian or newspapers or periodicals.  This award will be based on a determination made by the Publications Committee.  It is not a part of the Awards Committee process. 
	For your information, current members of the CCB hall of
Fame are: Dr. Newel L. Perry, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Robert Campbell, Perry Sundquist, Ernest Crowley, Anthony Mannino, George Fogarty, Dorothy Glass, Juliet Esterly, Dr. Isabel L. D. Grant, Allen Jenkins, Ysidro Urena, Ferne Fitzpatrick, Raymond Henderson, Irene McConnell, Henry Bindt, Harriet Fielding, John Hebner, Judge Donald Wilkinson, Norma Schecter, 
	Certificates of Merit have been awarded to Harry Parker, Darryl Skivers, Robert B. Carter, Vickie Solis, Virginia and Phillip Garcia, Larry Seiber, 
	The Community Service Award has been presented to Eleanor Lund.
	Distinguished Service Awards have been presented to Joyce Streff, Dr. Martin Jones, Holly Johnson, 
	The Legislator of the Year Award has not yet been presented.  
	Humanitarian Awards have been presented to Robin Burris, The East Los Angeles Lions Club, the City of Compton Parks and Recreation Department, Dollar-Hide Community Center.
	Nominations for any of these awards can be made by any member, chapter or affiliate.  They should be sent in letter form to the CCB office to the attention of the Awards Committee by March 1, 1999.  
	CCB Awards Committee: Roger Petersen, Chair, Mountain View; Bernice Kandarian, Mountain View; John Lopez, Los Angeles; Gussie Morgan, Compton; Joe Smith, Sacramento; 


	THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS	 

	by Joan Black
	Chair, Publications Committee

	On behalf of the Publications Committee, I want to thank all of you who contributed articles during the past year.  The response from committee chairpersons has been outstanding.  These reports, along with accounts of conventions and the various columns relating to specific topics, help to keep the membership informed--especially important for people who are unable to attend conventions. 
	More articles about chapter activities are needed, particularly if they contain sure-fire ways to get lots of people to come to meetings.  Also, chapters often have local issues, like transit problems and signage, and learning about another group's efforts can be helpful and encouraging.   
	We also have pieces that are creative and humorous as well as those that showcase the varied interests and activities of our members.
	Strange as it may seem, however, this outpouring of creative material is sort of a mixed blessing to the members of the Publications Committee, since we are the ones who have to pick the "Best Article of the Year" by the time of the spring convention.  We have trouble choosing between articles on routine topics like convention reports, resolutions, and legislation and those that deal with subjects which center on a unique issue.  Because they concern subjects of continuing but famiiar importance, the routine articles and columns often do not elicit the enthusiasm generated by a piece on a unique topic.  It is the writers of columns and reports, though, that are the consistent laborers in keeping the membership well informed.  	
	At the last meeting of the Publications Committee, therefore,  we decided to make our task easier by selecting two "best articles of the year".  The selections will be for the "best issue-related" and the "best life style" articles.
	The winners will be announced during the Banquet at the spring convention.  The period from which the BC selections are made is from Winter, 1998 to Fall, 1998; but articles written for other publications by blind Californians are also eligible for consideration, so do let members of the Publications Committee know of your preferences.  




	CLASS ACTION AGAINST EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICES

	by Joshua Konecky 

	California Council of the Blind is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against Educational Testing Services (ETS) for failing to provide Braille materials and other reasonable accommodations to people with visual impairments taking the Graduate Records Exam (GRE).  ETS administers and provides course preparation materials for the GRE, and for many other standardized tests used for college and post-graduate admissions, including the SAT, AP, GMAT and TOEFL.  Performing competitively on these exams is a prerequisite for gaining admission to most colleges and graduate schools.
	The case challenges ETS's policy and practice of denying people with visual impairments equal and effective access to the GRE and GRE course materials.  For example, the course materials ETS provides in Braille are inferior in quantity to those provided in print.  People must also pay extra service charges for Braille materials and they face other restrictions not imposed on people using standard print materials.  In addition, ETS has failed to provide adequate alternative accessible arrangements to many people with visual disabilities during the actual administration of the exam.  Even when certain arrangements are eventually provided, people with visual disabilities often do not receive them without first undergoing long delays and navigating through confusing bureaucratic procedures.  These practices violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws, which require entities such as ETS to ensure that its course materials and tests are equally accessible to people with visual impairments.
	For us to effectively pursue this important case, California Council of the Blind needs input from our members who have experienced similar difficulties with ETS.  If you have confronted barriers when attempting to obtain accessible arrangements on the GRE, or any other ETS-administered exam, please contact Joshua Konecky.  Joshua is an attorney with Disability Rights Advocates, the organization which filed the case.  He can be reached by E-mail at gen@dralegal.com and by phone at 510 451-8644.

 
	SPRING CONVENTION ANNOUNCEMENT

	The CCB Spring Convention will be held at the Sacramento Hilton Hotel, 2200 Harvard Street 95815, April 8-11, 1999.  To make reservations, call  916-922-4700 or 800-344-4321.  The rate is $75 for single or double occupancy.  Please contact the CCB Office as soon as possible concerning plans for committee meetings and special events.  Feel free to send any ideas or recommendations you might have for the Convention.  


 	BULLETIN BOARD

	by Keith Black

	Travel by Touch Ltd., specializing in travel for the visually impaired, invites you to join your friends on a three-night cruise, July 9-12, 1999, aboard the luxurious MV Holiday. 
	Jul. 9, Friday: departing Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m.; return to Los Angeles, Monday, 8:00 a.m.
	Special rates offered for clients of Travel by Touch, Ltd./Revel Travel Service/American Express.  Rates start at $314 per person/double occupancy plus recommended insurance.  Note the single supplement is 100%.
	Initial $100 deposit per person is due now to reserve first choice cabins.
	Make all checks payable to Revel Travel Service.  Mark them DK1383 and send them to Revel Travel Service, 449 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.
	Final Payment is due May 15.  Port charges and tax are 
$88 additional per person.
	Special air add-on rates are available for various cities.  please call or write, including E-mail, to <barryw@been-there.com> or contact Barry or Flora at P.O. Box 491546, Los Angeles, CA 90049; Phone 310 473-0653 or Toll free 
1-888 touch55 (868-2455)
or the cruise department at Revel Travel Service; Phone 
310 553-5555 or 1-800 227-3835.  Rates and arrangements subject to change.  Penalties for cancellation.
	Revel Travel Service--CST # 1021095-10 
	Travel by Touch, Ltd.:  This unique company, based in Los Angeles, focuses on the travel needs of persons with limited or no vision and their companions and is dedicated to raising public awareness of those needs.  It was founded by Flora S. Beck Ph.D., who is herself legally blind as a result of macular degeneration, and her husband, Barry Weintraub, a retired college professor, both members of the CCB/ACB Greater Los Angeles Chapter.
	Travel by Touch can arrange individual and group travel worldwide, including sea and inland cruises, land tours and air travel.  The firm has recently associated with a full service travel agency, Revel Travel Service, established in 1933.  Revel has just joined the American Express Travel Related Services Group which results in good discounts.
	For more information call or write Flora Beck or Barry Weintraub or Revel Travel Service at the numbers given above. 

	From Dialogue Magazine, Summer 1998: The California Cane now has 20 percent more carbon fibers than before.  This cane is light and strong, for the beginner as well as for the expert traveler.  For more information, contact California Canes at 26511 Quail Run, Suite 123, Dana Point, CA 92629; 714 489-1973; E-mail califcanes@earthlink.com.  
	Braille Institute officially entered the Electronic Age on January 4th (the birthday of Louis Braille) by launching its own Web site.  This multipaged site has three main objectives: to provide complete information about its programs and services; to help educate the public about eye diseases, the impairments they cause and the abilities and limitations of people with them; and, finally, to serve as a unique resource of information for students, library patrons, and visual aids clients.  Because it uses a text-only browser, the Web site offers the advantage
of immediacy, convenience, and unlimited subject matter.  Point your browser to http//www.brailleinstitute.org.
 	Dialogue Magazine, Fall 1998: "Teachers Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired," by Deborah Kendrick, is the first title in a new series, "Jobs That Matter."  Published by American Foundation for the Blind Press, "Teachers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" is available in large print, cassette, and braille for$26.95 plus $5 postage and handling.  Contact AFB Press, 11Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; 800 232-5463; 212 502-7600.  
	Home Readers is a company that reads catalogs onto tape.  Catalogs available include "Lands End," "Sheplers Western Wear," "Chadwick's of Boston," "Sugarfree Marketplace," "Pop N Stuff," "Spices Etc.," "Walnut Acres," "Heberts Candies," "Figis," "The Missing Link," "Audio Editions," "Drs. Foster and Smith," "Tupperware," "Avon," and many more.  For a complete list, write to Home Readers, 604 W. Hulett, Edgerton, KS 66021; 913 893-6939 between 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Central Time.  
	"Dynamic Communication:  Seven Principles For Getting Your Point Across" is a course on two audio cassettes.  Through the use of concrete, everyday examples and meaningful, interactive exercises, this course will teach seven simple principles that will help to improve oral and written communication skills.  It includes music and sound effects for motivation and education.  The cost is $20.  Contact Lengua-Learn Communications, 230 Robinhood Lane, McMurray, PA 15317; 724 941-8184.  
	If you are blind, you may obtain a free computer by learning how to use it.  First, you must demonstrate keyboard proficiency.  If eligible, you receive an older CPU, monitor, and keyboard.  Applicants must study the provided recorded tutorials and practice DOS, WordPerfect, and screen reading commands.  At the
end of the three months, the computer is yours if you pass the completion test.  There is a one-time $30 fee to cover packing and other costs.  Should you lose interest, return all materials at no expense.  This offer is temporary and ends when the supply of donated computers is exhausted.  For more information contact Robert Langford, President, Texas Center for the Physically Impaired, 11330 Quail Run, Dallas, TX 75238; 214
340-6328; fax 214 340-0800; E-mail robert.langford@ntpcug.org.
	The American Council of the Blind has reopened its Job Bank; Web site www.acb.org.
 	From The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, November, 1998: Top Dot Enterprises publishes Sound Computing, a bi-monthly magazine on adaptive technology, computers and the Internet for blind users.  Each issue features information about Web sites, software, new products, tutorials and reviews.  Subscriptions are $24 per year for the cassette edition and $19 for the Real-Audio version.  Back issues and sample copies are $4 each.  Top Dot also sells a variety of recorded computer tutorials for $19.50 each, plus a per-order charge of $5.  Contact Top Dot Enterprises at 11th Place S.E., Everett, WA 98205; deamar@eskimo.com; http://www.eskimo.com/_~deamar
    

	FINAL REPORT, 1997-98 LEGISLATIVE SESSION 

	by Dan Kysor

	As we embark on 1999, we look forward to presenting legislation on many issues that concern CCB members, ranging from including SSDI recipients in the dog food special allowance, establishing a commission for the blind, strengthening Title 24 access regulations, enhancing state employee accommodation
requirements and equalizing pay for teachers at the California
School for the Blind, (see complete description of convention
resolutions elsewhere in this issue).
	This last year was quite busy as we saw the passage of several important pieces of legislation, from education, access to bread and butter issues.  
	First, there was the lifting of the almost 10-year suspension of the CNI (California Necessities Index) resulting in an SSP cost-of-living increase of 2.84%, effective January 1999.  The CCB actively supported this improvement. 
	Following are a few of the bills the CCB pursued in 1998:
	SB1403, Senator Richard Polanco, provides that families or other persons specified by decedents must give permission for corneal removal from deceased persons.  
	SB1405, Senator Barbara Lee, Security Bars, Fire Safety
Pamphlet publication:  Regarding what installations are legal in  burglar bars--our accessible format amendment was included.   
	SB 1483, Senator Ruben Ayala (CCB co-sponsored with the California Senior Legislature) states that the county welfare department will provide to visually impaired applicants or current blind beneficiaries of In Home Support Services (IHSS) services, information on or referral to community and nonprofit entities which provide reading services.    
	SB1686, Senator Hilda Solis, conforms the California Department of Education regulations with the federal "IDEA--Individuals with Disabilities Education Act".
	AB521, Assemblyman Ted Lempert, extended the 1992 Education Technology Act to January 1, 2000; and, at the request of the California Council of the Blind, language was added that would include programs for the blind and disabled. 
	AB2463, Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa, would have provided food assistance for legal aliens (including disabled and blind) which was cut from the federal welfare budget.  It was then added back by the passage of the federal welfare bill S1150 to the federal welfare code.  AB 2463 was subsequently withdrawn by the author and the language to provide these funds was then added to the Governor's budget.
	AB2702, Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, addresses discrimination against the disabled in buying and selling adaptive equipment used in housing.  Also specifies the limitations set on the requirements for building owners to conform to the ADA.        
	AB2730, Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni, requires that the Teacher Credentialing Commission establish standards for credentialing teachers coming from other states. 

	AB2637, Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni, provides staff development and training for teaching kindergarten through third grade.  
	Regarding access issues, we were unable to obtain inclusion of our accessible format amendments to the Building Standards Commission handouts, publications and Web site.  However, Gene Lozano reports that the Building Standards Commission is beginning to produce their materials on cassette tapes.  We are closely watching these unfolding events.
	Personal note from our outgoing Capitol Representative, Cid
Urena: I wish to express my gratitude to all of you who have supported me in the CCB legislative activities throughout the past twelve years.  Believe me, I couldn't have done it without your assistance.  Thank you, too,  for all of your cards and telephone calls during my illness.  


           THE REHABILITATION SERVICES COMMITTEE WANTS YOU

                     by Nelly Glaze, Member
                Rehabilitation Services Committee

	During the last year the Rehabilitation Services Committee has worked diligently to host convention programs with a focus on job-seeking skills and job placement.  Issues pertaining to the Business Enterprise Program are also important and are being addressed by the Rehabilitation Services Committee.  Plans for the Spring 1999 convention are being made.  Recruitment efforts are now in progress for individuals who are energetic, hard working and committed to the cause of improving rehabilitation services in California.
	Are you asking yourself, "How can I fit anything else into my already overcrowded schedule?"  Here is some information about the time it takes to serve on such a committee.  
	There are two meetings a year--at the spring and fall conventions.  These meetings run about an hour.  Between meetings there are two to three conference calls for planning and assigning tasks.  These calls run an average of 30-45 minutes.  Then it gets down to the actual doing of the things which have been planned.  That time frame may vary, but is easily divided by the number of willing committee participants.  All prospective committee members are encouraged to contact the CCB office and advise Cathie Skivers of their interest in the committee.  We especially encourage interested persons who live in Northern California in order to have good overall networking
in place for the spring convention.
	The time to call and let your State CCB president know about your interest is now!  April comes quickly and there is much to do.  The Rehabilitation Services Committee is chaired by Patricia LaFrance.  Think about it; your ideas and efforts can make a difference in rehabilitation services in California.  Join the committee and help to achieve positive outcomes in rehabilitation services for the blind and visually impaired of our state.
	You can reach me at 2804 Ladrillo Aisle, Irvine, CA 92606.


	HOW WILL THEY EVER LEARN?: EDUCATING BLIND 
	 STUDENTS IN TODAY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

	by Daveed Mandell

	Twenty-two years ago, for better or for worse, Public Law 94-142 irrevocably revolutionized the education of all children with disabilities, including, of course,  blind and visually impaired children.  In 1976, parents and teachers were jubilant when Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act.  What excited them so much was that henceforth, according to the new law, their children were promised a public school education at their neighborhood school in an age-appropriate classroom in the least restrictive environment.  
	For the first time, blind students could not be denied attendance in the local public schools.  They would no longer be sent to designated schools (often located far from their homes) where there were resource rooms, or to residential schools for the blind.  Instead, itinerant teachers would visit the neighborhood schools to oversee their academic courses and teach them the requisite skills and techniques of blindness, such as braille, the use of low vision devices, orientation and mobility and activities of daily living.
	Back then, schools for the blind, resource classes and state
hospitals (for very severely, multiply-disabled blind children)
were still available.  The hope was to offer increased options to blind students and their parents, depending on a particular child's abilities, aptitudes and needs.
	For many years, there had been in this country good, though geographically and numerically inadequate, opportunities for the education of blind children; but there were many children with other disabilities--often severe and multi-faceted--for whom no educational programs of any kind had existed.  For them the passage of PL94-142 was an event of life-altering significance.  
	In the lives of these children, the law continues to provide a liberating experience.  They live with their families, participate where possible in community and religious activities, board the school bus every morning as do other students, and spend their days in an environment with people other than their family members.  They may not be receiving an education in the sense that most adults understand that word, but their situation is far superior to the institutions and stay-at-home experience that formerly characterized the existence of those children and their families.   
	Unfortunately, however, for many students with visual impairments, the mood of jubilation engendered by PL94-142 was  short-lived.  Their problems had various causes.  The number of low-birth-rate babies who survived increased dramatically, and many of them, along with visual impairments, had other severe disabilities, and the incidence of children whose only difficulty was blindness shrank so that some schools have few blind children who are educable in the academic sense of that word.  Medicine has also made it possible to save sight in conditions that would have been impossible a generation ago.  
	Another causative aspect of the situation developed because the disability rights and independent living movements soon began to demand "full inclusion" for all disabled children, meaning  that they would take all their classes every day with their peers, allowing little opportunity to learn skills specific to the management of their particular disability.  Champions of full inclusion advocated abolishing all "special" schools, and insisted that all disabled students be mainstreamed into regular  public school classrooms.  They argued that the students' specific disability needs could be met by itinerant specialists who would travel to the various schools and work with both the children and their regular classroom teachers.
	 The past two decades have seen several incarnations of Public Law 94-142, the most recent being H.R.5, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.  Today, most schools for the blind teach multiply-disabled blind children while so-called "normal" blind children attend public schools and rely on itinerant teachers, who are now known as vision specialists and orientation and mobility specialists.
	"It's a raw deal for blind students and their parents and
educators," says Jerry Fields, who has taught blind children for
nearly four decades.  "Educating blind kids has become a
nightmare.  Each week, itinerant teachers travel hundreds of
miles to work with as many as 40 or 50 kids in as many as 20 schools.  That means that most of the specialists barely manage to maintain contact with their charges.
	"If they're lucky," says Fields, who is President of the  CCB's San Francisco Chapter, "they may spend an hour or two a week with each child.  The net result is that a blind child can experience serious learning difficulties, well before the classroom teacher and the vision specialist spot them.  How, then, can educators teach kids all the required skills that blind and visually impaired people need to live, learn, play, work and
function successfully in society?
	"Working with kids is often not the main job of these itinerant teachers.  They must advise classroom teachers on how to provide materials for and test a blind child; they talk to nurses about how to do vision screening; they give advice on how to get materials brailled.  They consult with specialists about working with multiply-disabled children, when blindness and
visual impairment isn't the major disability.
	"Much of the vision specialist's time is taken up with endless paperwork, record keeping and assisting with preparation of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), reports," Fields bristles.  "These teachers are being treated like overpaid clerks
or aides." 
	 Last year, Fields taught a class of very severely disabled students, two of whom were blind.  In September, he had started out with eight.  By the following April, he had fifteen with only two aides to assist him.  Most class time was spent in either toilet training or diapering the children.
	California once had the Cadillac of this country's special education systems for blind and other disabled kids.  "Not
anymore," sighs Fields.  "In my opinion, this State now has one of the worst special education programs in  the nation."
	Lately, there has been considerable discussion about reducing class size in public schools.  However, the limitation does not apply to special education.  Whereas, in the public schools, a classroom teacher can have only 20 students in each of the first three primary grades, there is no such class size limit for special education.  Teachers must accept all disabled students who live in a particular district.  Since the state Master Plan was adopted, there have been no specific student-teacher ratios for sensory and mentally disabled children.
	"Because most blind kids are required to be educated in regular classrooms, they don't get much special education attention," Fields says.  "It's hard for many of them, therefore,  to cope with adjusting to living as a blind person.  In fact, ironically, for many blind children, the public school classroom is the most restrictive environment.  
	"Of course, a smart kid can use readers, low vision aids, and maybe parental help and may not have much trouble learning.  The vision specialist will bring him or her materials in braille, large print or on audio cassette; and the classroom teacher will be responsible for teaching all academic subjects.
	"However, newly-blinded children,--or kids who lack drive, creativity, ingenuity and self-confidence or whose parents aren't strong advocates--will most likely end up with an inferior education.  They may occupy seats in a regular classroom, and their teachers may even give them all A's; yet, one thing is clear: They won't learn much.  Blind students' learning encompasses much more than academics.  Because they can't watch other people, blind kids have to be taught such simple tasks as finding a dropped object, buttoning a shirt, or eating with a knife and fork.  Unfortunately, though, most itinerant teachers don't have time to plan and teach a detailed curriculum in skills of blindness."
	So, what are blind kids learning nowadays from their teachers?  "An oversimplified message," says Fields.  "They are being taught that they are like everyone else.  Too late they discover what they have missed--when they approach such issues as dating or looking for a job.  Worse still, blind kids are learning that they're either gifted or stupid.  There's nothing in between."
	Given today's negative trends with regard to class size, money, personnel preparation, and frequent lack of parental involvement, what can we in the CCB do to help make significant improvements in the education of blind children in this State?  Fields suggests that we can do quite a lot.
	"First," he says, "people must understand the difference between how it was when blind adults went to school, and what's going on today.  Second, schools for the blind must be responsible for teaching all blind children the skills and techniques of blindness.  In fact, they must be for kids what orientation centers for the blind are for adults.  Third, the federal government must be forced to reinstate training programs that provide an adequate number of credentialed teachers to maintain resource rooms throughout the State.  Fourth, we need to develop a comprehensive program to educate blind children and their parents and educators about blindness and the potential of
blind children and adults.  Finally, the CCB must provide many more adult role models for blind children and sponsor occasions for parents and children to interact with these role models."


	FEDERAL LEGISLATION

	by Ahmad Rahman

	Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Meeting: The ACB Governmental Affairs Director, Al Ducharme, attended the first of a scheduled series of meetings sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to be held in Washington and around the nation to discuss improving vocational rehabilitation services at the state level as well as the implementation of the 1998 Vocational Rehabilitation Amendments.
	The first meeting included primarily consumers who met to suggest specific ways to improve the monitoring process by the Federal government.  RSA officials stated that only about 10 VR agencies are subject to comprehensive monitoring to see if consumers are being properly and effectively served by their state agencies.  RSA is required under law to make periodic assessments of all the state vocational rehabilitation systems, but admittedly, monitors most systems only casually using such techniques as surveys and field visits.  With the new VR Amendment now signed into law, RSA must address not only the need to improve monitoring but also must provide technical assistance to the states to properly implement the process.  Concerns raised by ACB and other disability groups included, making RSA reports and evaluations available to the public on the Internet, penalizing states financially when they are not found to be in compliance with the law, rewarding those states doing a good job for their VR consumers, integrating more consumers into the decision-making process, providing expertise and training to the state to better understand the 1998 Amendments, and informing consumers in advance of which states will be subject to a comprehensive evaluation by RSA so that citizens can more effectively engage the process.
	ACB is currently preparing comments to a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM} dealing with performance indicators and standards of evaluation for the 1998 VR Amendments signed into law earlier this year.  ACB will continue to play an active role in the rule-making process and will work with RSA and other disability groups toward improving vocational rehabilitation service delivery to all people who are blind or visually impaired.
	President Signs Assistive Technology Act: President Clinton signed the Assistive Technology Act into law on November 13, 1998.  The Tech Act (S2432) aims to promote the development and use of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.  This law authorizes $36 million annually through fiscal year 2004 in grants to states for assistive technology programs.
	State programs that have been receiving federal funds for less than 10 years will have to spend the grant money on certain "mandatory activities" like public awareness, interagency coordination, technical assistance, training and outreach programs.  Some funds could be spent on such optional activities as technology demonstrations, information systems public-private partnerships and distribution of financial information.
	Programs that have received federal funding for more than 10 years may spend the money only on interagency coordination, information systems, public awareness programs, technical assistance, training and outreach activities.
	The law authorizes $15 million through fiscal year 2004 to coordinate federal assistive technology programs, including the Interagency Committee on Disability Research and the National
Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research.  Additionally, the legislation authorizes $25 million through fiscal year 2004 to establish and expand loan programs to help people with disabilities buy assistive technology.  Finally, the law will establish a National Internet site to provide the public with information about assistive technology.
	SSDI Recipients Receive Increase: The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), or the amount a SSDI beneficiary may earn before negatively affecting benefits, has increased for 1999 to $1,110.00 per month.
	A legal finding of disability requires that a person be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity.  Under current regulations, a person who is not statutorily blind is considered to be engaging in substantial gainful activity if he earns more than $500 per month, or about half what a blind person may earn before his benefits are affected.  The higher SGA levels for 1999 have increased in accordance with increases in the national average wage index.




	REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE  

	by Roger Petersen 

	We made one constitutional change and one bylaws change
at the fall convention.  To the constitution, we added Section 4 to Article XV, changing the current Section 4 to Section 5.  The new section reads as follows: 
	ARTICLE XV Section 4.  The funds raised by any chapter belong to that chapter for its use.  However, as a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization, each chapter has an obligation to report its fund raising activities to the appropriate agencies of state and federal government.  Thus, if a chapter does not have its own tax-exempt status, it must raise funds as a part of and under the tax-exempt status of CCB.  Therefore, each such chapter shall annually report to the CCB treasurer, no later than
December 31, the nature of its fund-
raising projects during the year, together with the amounts of the proceeds realized and the expenses incurred in connection with such projects.
	The Bylaws change is just a clarification of the obligation as follows:  	ARTICLE III. Dues  
	Section 6.  The Treasurer shall deposit all funds derived from the payment of Life Membership dues and the principal amount of that deposit shall not be expended for any purpose until the death of the Life member.  From the interest accrued in the account of Life Membership payments, the Treasurer shall pay the annual chapter dues of Life Members in the amount assessed by the Life member's home chapter at the time the Life Membership was established.  Any other interest derived from the Life Membership account shall be paid into the general fund of the California Council of the Blind.


	A NEW FRIEND

	by Rhonda King 

	Until 1984,I was a sighted person and did not have the need for the things I have been acquiring over the past 14 years--Things like a cane, braille and talking books, a computer with adaptive equipment, and, just recently, a guide dog.
	Five years ago I began assisting the braille teacher at a local organization as a volunteer.  I have also gotten involved with a couple of other organizations concerning blind and visually impaired people.  Although I enjoyed teaching braille to blind adults, I came to realize it was time for me to expand my horizons.  I decided, therefore, to further my education.  After making that decision, I realized that I would feel more comfortable attending our local college with more than just the cane I had been using for ten years; so last January, I applied for my first guide dog.
	I sent my application to Guide Dogs for the Blind, enclosing copies of my physical and tuberculosis tests; and in March, I was notified that it had been reviewed and accepted.  After the initial telephone interview, I was told that I would be having my home interview the first week in May.  When the home interviewer, who was also an Orientation and Mobility instructor, arrived, we went for a walk in my neighborhood and practiced some typical guide dog commands.  I had thought I would feel like a fool when I was required to walk around praising and petting an imaginary dog called Juno; but, surprisingly, I didn't even think about my  feelings until after the interview was over and the instructor had left.  I assumed from that reaction that I was truly ready for a guide dog.
	I received a call a few weeks later telling me that I had been approved.  When would I like to begin training?  I requested
the month of July, since I was scheduled to begin my college classes toward the end of August.  
	I flew to Oregon the first week of July, to the new
campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind and began work almost as soon as I arrived.  We students were given a tour of the building  which housed the dormitory, the kitchen and other public areas where we could visit with one another.   
	I knew the training was going to be challenging; and in the first week, I wondered if I would even be able to complete it.  The first three days, we worked with the instructors and Juno, the training strategy in which students are taught to give commands to that make-believe dog called Juno.  All the while, we were anticipating the evening of the third day when we would receive our own dogs.  I had requested a golden retriever but had told the instructors that, since they were the pros, I would gladly accept their judgment.  That night when they announced that I would be receiving a female golden retriever named Bonnie, I started to cry with happiness.  
	Our days began at 6:30 a.m. and did not end until about 9:00 p.m.  Between meals we did obedience training, and twice daily we went to downtown Gresham and did the basic route with our dogs.  Each evening we met in the discussion room for instruction in subjects concerning our dogs: grooming, feeding, relieving, and facts about their physical and medical needs. 
	Bonnie is a beautiful little girl and a pretty fast walker too.  Not being used to the pace at which the dogs travel, I became afflicted with shin splints.  We then worked on slowing Bonnie down and also shortened my basic route until my legs would become accustomed to the walking.  Before I knew it, we were in our third week and, not only was I walking the whole route, I was really happy with the company of my new friend.  By the fourth week, I was feeling much more confident and thoroughly enjoying the self-orientation routes where the instructor drops the student off somewhere to find his/her way back to the lounge. 	Suddenly it was time for graduation.  We made it!  Nine of us graduated on that last afternoon.  I met my puppy raiser, Jacob Brennan, and his family.  It was an emotional but very happy time for both Bonnie and me.  I had prepared a special poem inspired by my new friend and recited it at the graduation ceremony.  It is my dedication to a guide dog.	 

	WHAT I SHALL CALL HER

What shall I call her on a cold winter day
As she walks beside me and helps guide my way?
What shall I call her on a long lonely night
As she walks beside me and leads without fright?
What shall I call her when the road's all up hill
As she walks beside me and encourages my will?
What shall I call her when the going gets tough?
As she walks beside me, just her company's enough.
What shall I call her when we're out for a stroll
As she walks beside me knowing freedom's our goal?
What shall I call her when I'm in a hurry--
As she walks beside me, I know I need not worry.
What shall I call her as we build a bond? 
As she walks beside me I grow ever so fond.
As she walks beside me, through thick and through thin, 
What I shall call her is, Bonnie, my friend. 


	FIRING UP THEIR CONFIDENCE

	(This article appeared in The Sacramento bEe, November 25, 1998.) 
	The blind lead the blind?  No better way.  At least to Dan Kysor. 
	Born with a rare eye disease, Kysor has always been blind.  And he never sits still.  He washed the dishes and mowed the lawn as childhood chores.  He took up water skiing.  No problem.  		"Human beings are very adaptable," said Kysor, getting ready to barbecue chicken and sausages at his South Natomas apartment.
	The Society for the Blind enlisted Kysor, 44, to help teach a class on barbecuing to blind teenagers, and not just for his cooking skills.
	"A lot of it will be just giving them the confidence," said Kysor, as he positioned a water hose near the grill before lighting the coals.  "They'll feel better equipped to live in the world.  Hey, teenagers love food."
	When coals are ready, they smell a certain way, Kysor explained, although he also timed how long they burn.  Same with chicken or beef--it's in the smell.  A squeeze with a spatula conveys just the right amount of tenderness.
	"Nothing to it," said Kysor, spreading the coals with a spatula.
	He turns his hands, palms up.  "Look, I don't have any burn marks," he said, grinning.
	Kysor, and his wife, Ann, 45, who also is blind, shuttled plates of marinated meat between kitchen and patio grill.  They worked like a carefully choreographed team.
	"We met on a blind date," said Dan Kysor.  They both laughed.
	The Kysors prefer barbecuing with charcoal, but grilling with propane is easiest, so the Society for the Blind class will offer both options--if Books of Dreams can furnish two large grills.
	The class, Kysor said, would provide a small opening into a world of darkness.


	IN PURSUIT OF EQUALITY: 
	MY LIFE AS AN ADVOCATE

	by Teddie Remhild

	The Constitution of our United States of America informs us that we are endowed with certain unalienable rights as citizens of this country, those being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Life is the gift; liberty, the choices we make in the pursuit of happiness.
	As a blind woman for most of my adult life, I have chosen to pursue equality as my choice for happiness and thus have lived the life of an advocate.
	My first confrontation with discrimination because of my vision loss occurred some 20 years ago.  My reaction was disbelief and shock.  The discriminatory perception of my abilities, or lack thereof, was stunning and evoked much reflection on my part.  Subsequently, I concluded that I must become a self-advocate in the pursuit of my happiness and equality in this life.
	Therefore, I embarked on that life choice and, as Thomas Jefferson instructed, vigilance became my byword.  How does this philosophical choice play out in the reality of daily life?  It is a commitment to the endless struggle for equality, challenging the status quo, and asserting one's rights as a citizen.  
	This role as an advocate is made more effective when one joins together with others who share similar experiences and who are also committed to the same goals.  The California Council of the Blind has brought that fraternal component into my life and thereby increased opportunities for potential realization, successful challenges against discrimination and added the comfort of solidarity to the total experience of the advocacy life choice.
	My life exemplifies liberty and pursuit of happiness and as a blind woman, advocacy with the California Council of the Blind has provided me access to empowerment and equality.  



 	LIBRARY USERS READING LIST 

	by Connie Bateman, Vice President, California 
	Chapter, Library Users of America  

	At the semi-annual luncheon of CALUA, we have developed the practice of having people identify books, authors, and/or readers they would particularly like to recommend to the rest of us.  Realizing that BC readers might enjoy these endorsements, we include here this list.  In some instances, the author was not given, but you can order any book just by its title.  We are indebted to Martin Magid, Director of the Subregional Library for the Print Disabled in San Francisco, for furnishing the book numbers to assist in ordering.

Accessible Risk and Contagion, RC39876 (by Robin Cook)
Degree of Guilt, RC35883 (by Richard Patterson)
Events Leading Up to My Death, RC42579 (by Howard K. Smith)
If You Really Loved Me, RC34344 (by Ann Rule)
A Lantern in Her Hand, RC24820 (by Bess Streeter Aldrich)
Love Comes Softly, RC22376 (by Janette Oke)
Middlemarch, RC20078 (by George Elliot)
Ruby, RC37928 (by V. C. Andrews)
Stones from the River, RC38888 (by Ursula Hegi)
The Stranger Beside Me, RC29031 (by Ann Rule) 
Street Lawyer, RC45550 (by John Grisham)
A White Bird Flying, RC43586 (by Bess Streeter Aldrich)
	Authors identified as special favorites were Maeve Binchy, Ann Rule, Jonathan Kellerman, May Higgins Clark, Louis L'Amour, Victoria Holt, Stephen King, and Dana Ross Fuller.


	A SENSE-ABLE LOOK AT BRAILLE AND SPEECH, Part 1

	by Jim Halliday

	Editor's Note: In the summer issue of the newsletter produced by HumanWare, Inc., 6245 King Road, Loomis, CA 95650, appeared an article concerning Braille and Speech taken from a longer paper.   Finding the material instructive from several points of view, I asked permission to reproduce the article in its entirety.  Part 1 is printed here with Part 2 to follow in the spring issue.)
	Recently I was asked to write a paper on the use of braille versus speech.  Coincidentally, an article on braille literacy in a blindness industry publication created such a stir among speech users that a scheduled follow-up article was cancelled, just to keep peace with the publication's readership.  No wonder people get confused over this issue.  Debating whether speech is better than braille, or visa versa, is like saying that one sense is more important than another sense.  Of course, hearing is more important to a musician; sight is more important to a painter; touch is more important to a sculptor.  The value of one sense over another depends on why a particular sense is needed and how that sense is applied.  Obviously, speech is auditory and braille is tactile.  However, if we look deeper, we see that the debate is actually over which medium is the best alternative to sight.
	Sight is an amazing sense that instantly and simultaneously detects broad spatial characteristics, intricate patterns, complex symbols, multiple color combinations, juxtaposed data points, spatial relationships, and even subtle variations that add depth of meaning to an image.  Other senses can detect these characteristics to varying degrees of success, but no single sense can adequately replace such a complex input mode.
	During more than twenty years of direct involvement in the evolution of both braille and speech technology, I've witnessed thousands of success stories on both sides of this issue.  I could profess that braille is better than speech and be absolutely, unequivocally correct.  I could also state just the opposite and be equally credible.  But such broad statements are senseless.  Only by combining our other senses can we hope to extract effective input from a visually oriented world.
	Multiple Disabilities  If we want to be senseable about this issue, then we must get past this "either-or" mindset to understand what the individual using these technologies is trying to accomplish.  I have friends with diabetes who have developed neuropathy, which diminishes a person's tactile sensitivity.  Braille is nearly impossible for a person with neuropathy, so speech is by far the best alternative.  I also have friends to whom speech is absolutely worthless because they are totally deaf and totally blind.  Nevertheless, we frequently exchange E-mails--I use my computer and monitor, and they use their computers and braille displays.  Amazingly, other than through the content of our dialog, there is no way that I can tell that they can neither hear nor see.  Braille is truly the best alternative for these folks.   
	Just as stereoscopic vision is important for depth perception in a sighted person, stereophonic audio is necessary to locate the source of a sound for a blind person.  If a blind person is hard of hearing in only one ear, targeting the source of a voice can be extremely difficult without some physical contact or line-of-sight monitor.  Such disability can cause a blind person to become disoriented when depending on sound for spatial cues.
	Learning Styles  I am a musician of sorts and clearly an auditory learner.  I've usually learned more effectively from spoken lectures than articles or books.   This auditory preference even extends to fiction.  To read an author such as Joseph Conrad can be drudgery for me, but when I hear his wondrously visual words read aloud, Conrad becomes one of my favorite writers.  Despite my natural affinity for audio materials, I read two to three dozen print books each year from cover to cover and use several dozen more for reference.  Why? 
Aside from sheer availability, I find it useful to highlight passages, take notes, or ponder complex issues or philosophies.  These sorts of books and literature seem to demand more interaction with my brain than listening alone permits.
	My wife is quite the opposite in terms of lectures and literature.  "Let me read it," she says when I suggest listening to a taped lecture.  "I'll understand it better."  She is definitely a visual learner, yet she is the best listener I know.  Whether she is listening to an angry parent, brainstorming with a faculty member, negotiating a heated union contract, conducting a management meeting, or counseling a student, she seeks to understand the other person's point of view first.  Then she masterfully re-articulates those points in her own words to be sure she understands.  It is fascinating that such a visually oriented person can be such an adept and thoughtful listener.
	The Brain  The cognitive process of thinking takes place in the cerebral cortex.  This is where we store our memories, conceive our plans, interpret our worlds, and imagine our futures.  The sensory areas of the cortex identify and interpret information received by our eyes, ears, skin, nose, and mouth.  The association areas of the cortex convert the input from our senses to observations, perceptions, and insights, which in turn are converted to images and language.  The motor areas of the cortex then send messages to the spinal cord to control movement.
	According to Bryan Kolb and Ian Whishaw from the Department of Psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, "One extraordinary finding is that each of the sensory areas connects with its own portion of association cortex and thereafter with its own portion of motor cortex.  Thus when a person responds to a visual stimulus, a select pathway from sensory cortex to motor cortex is activated.  When the person responds to an auditory stimulus, a different pathway is activated."
	Since each sensory input uses its own pathway, then the more pathways we use, the broader the input.  Even less efficient pathways augment and deepen the quality of overall input.  An example of the successful application of multi-modal input might be some of the computer products on the market for people with learning disabilities.  By simultaneously presenting text auditorily (through a voice synthesizer) and visually (by highlighting each word as it is spoken) people with dyslexia are able to comprehend written materials much more quickly and with greater retention.  The secret of success seems to lie in the use of multiple senses, i.e., multiple pathways within the brain.
	The pathways triggered by our individual senses feed information to both hemispheres of the brain.  The "right brain" is involved with non-language functions such as the control of spatial abilities or the ability to understand the "big picture."  The "left brain" is involved with language functions or with the complex detail that makes up the "big picture."  The right-brained person might say that the left-brained person can't see the forest for the trees, while the left-brained person would say that the right-brained person doesn't have a clue what kind of trees are in the forest.  Obviously, using half a brain has its limitations.
	Literacy  Literacy is a whole-brain function and, I might add, a multi-sensory function.  Literacy comes from Literatus (learned in "letters", scholarly) and is measured by a person's ability to read, write and understand those "letters".  Letters are essentially symbols, which when joined together are called text.  Text might also include numbers and punctuation.  Text comes in many forms, each one requiring different parts of the brain to facilitate true understanding.  If the visual sense is missing, then multiple senses may be required to compensate.  Let's examine some of these different text formats and determine which senses might be used to achieve the best understanding.  As we proceed, keep in mind that just as there are different formats for print that lend themselves to different applications, there are also different forms for braille and speech.
	Braille Formats  Braille can be produced one dot at a time on small, 3"X5" note cards using a slate and stylus.  It can be embossed one sheet at a time on a braille writer or in multiple sheets using a computer attached to a braille printer.  It can be produced in large quantities from metal plates using a large press and then bound into thick volumes.  Braille can be used to label equipment, controls, disks, or raised-line maps and charts.  Mechanical braille displays or terminals can be connected to computers to review the screen and provide a single line of braille in lengths of 20, 40, or 80 characters that correspond to any line or portion of a line the user chooses to read or edit.
	Speech Formats  Notes can be recorded on tape, although organization and retrieval of taped notes can be extremely laborious.  Electronic notetakers can have either braille or typewriter-style keyboards.  These devices are ideal for storing notes digitally, which enables users to quickly search and retrieve information and listen to it in synthetic speech.  	Talking Books are no longer used exclusively by people who are blind.  Every major bookstore now has an audio section with everything from novels to self-help programs.  However, as with braille, only a small portion of the total number of books-in-print is available in an audio format.  Combining a computer, a speech synthesizer, a scanner and special software creates a reading machine that will provide an effective way of reading otherwise inaccessible books and articles.  These systems are effective for reading standard prose but are less effective for reading more disjointed text such as price lists, phone books, spreadsheets, ads, artistic lettering, headlines, etc.  These same computer systems, when bolstered by special screen reading software, can speak whatever is displayed on the computer screen.  These systems are excellent for word processing and other computer functions.  However, many other computer activities can be both slow and confusing when dependent on speech alone.  Let's review some different types of text information and determine whether speech, braille, tactile graphics, or all of the above are most appropriate.
	(To be continued in the next issue.) 


	CCB OFFICERS

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

First Vice President: Charles Nabarrete, 239 N. Walnut Haven Drive, West Covina 91790 

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 

Dr. Martin Jones, San Francisco
Jane Kardas, Ukiah 
Rhonda King, San Bernardino 
Patricia LaFrance, Temple City
Peter Pardini, Mill Valley
Roger Petersen, Mountain View
Mitch Pomerantz, Los Angeles 
Ahmad Rahman, Carson
Teddie Remhild, Anaheim
Eugene Lozano, Sacramento  

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


	CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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