

	THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



	Quarterly Magazine of the 

	CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND



Summer, 1999	Volume 43, No. 3



	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, CA 94541
	800-221-6359
	510-537-7877
	Fax: 510-537-7830




	Los Angeles Area Office, John Lopez 
	3925 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90023 
	323-268-4526


	Sacramento Area Office, Dan Kysor
	2657 Truxel Road, No. 41
	Sacramento, CA 95833
	916-648-3936
	Fax 916-929-8370
	E-mail dankysor@jps.net 


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@concentric.net




Call the CALIFORNIA CONNECTION at 800-221-6359 for an update on legislation and CCB events Monday through Friday after 5 p.m. and all day on weekends.  At these times it is available also in Spanish.



Nonmembers are requested and members are invited to pay a yearly subscription fee of $10 toward the printing of THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN. 





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

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

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



	TABLE OF CONTENTS

From the Editor, by Winifred Downing 	1

The President's Corner, by Catherine Skivers 	1

Convention Report, Spring 1999, by 
	Catherine Skivers 	3

The Folsom Project for the Visually IMpaired 	7

Notes from the Credentials Committee, by Rhonda King 	9

Technology, Braille and Higher Education, Part 2,
	by Jeffrey C. Senge 	10

Career Connections: Networking, by 
	Catherine Schmitt 	13

The Good Old Days, Taken from The Blind Teacher 	15

Federal Legislation, by Ahmad Rahman 	16

Report on Resolutions, Spring, 1999, 
	by Charles Nabarrete 	17

Out of the Doghouse: Small Claims Court, 
	by Melita Waters 	19

One Hundred Twenty-five Miles fom Kosovo,
	by Jane Kardas 	21

Reflections, by Larry Seibert 	26

1999 CCB Awards Presented, by Roger Petersen 	27

Publications Committee Awards, by Joan Black 	28

Wiifm and Wwicm, by B. M. St. Andre 	29

Bulletin Board, compiled by Keith Black 	30

Legislative Update: Barcing up the Right Tree, Part 1
	by Dan Kysor 	32

Huge Surplus Amassed by Guide Dog Chariy, 
	Taken from The San Francisco Chronicle	38

How Do You Live Your Dash, submited by obbie Shoeman 	42

The Volunteers of Vacaville 	43

A Visit to the Arizona State Convention,
	by Barbara Kron 	45

The History of Orientation and Mobility, Part 1, Taken from 
	the BVA Bulletin 	48 

CCB Officers 	52

CCB Board of Directors 	52

CCB Publications Committee 	52


In accepting material for The Blind Californian, priority will be given to articles concerning the activities and policies of the California Council of the Blind and to the experiences and concerns of blind persons.  Recommended length is under 3 pages; if space constraints make it necessary to divide an article, every effort will b made to discuss the matter with the author before publication.   


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


	FROM THE EDITOR

	by Winifred Downing

	Later in this issue, you will read an article about the Folsom Project for the visually impaired, but I want to precede it with a story.
 	Several years ago when the project's services were concerned mainly with recording books, one of the prisoners began preparing material for a child in Southern California named Amelia Diaz.  After benefiting from William Cloud's careful reading, Amelia wrote him a braille letter which her mother interlined in print, thus providing him with his first experience with braille.  
	Some time later, I saw a request in the journal of the California Transcribers and Educators of the  Visually Handicapped (CTEVH) for volunteers to teach braille by mail to prisoners at Folsom.  Having spent a lifetime with correspondence teaching, I was immediately attracted to the idea and was soon working with Mr. Cloud.  He was a truly amazing student, making almost no errors at all in lesson after lesson.  He ultimately became the first person in the California Correctional System to be certified as a literary braillist by the Library of Congress.  	The prison obtained some computers, and Cloud learned to braille on disks so that he could produce books for the Clearinghouse--the agency responsible for providing books for California's school children.  Eventually, a contract was drawn up; and, after 17 years of being in prison, Cloud was parolled and established residence in Southern California.  And--as if this doesn't sound like "The Waltons" or "Little House on the Prairie"--it was Amelia's father who helped provide the computer for Cloud to pursue his braille transcribing.  His parole officer permitted him to attend the CTEVH conference in Sacramento in March, and I had the opportunity of meeting him.  We were, in fact, on TV channel 3 to talk about the Folsom Project and CTEVH.
	Amelia is now nine years old and is an A student and at the head of her class.  This is a lovely success story in a world starving for positive things to think about.  
	I want to thank you all for the cooperation you have given me in producing this issue earlier than the announced deadline.  I have a chance to attend the Shakespeare festival in Ashland, Oregon; but the tour is leaving early in June so that I need to get my work done on this issue 10 days sooner than I had anticipated.  Everyone has been really considerate, and I do thank you.   The deadline for the fall issue is September 1.



	THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

	by Catherine Skivers

	The Spring convention has come and gone, and in our office we are hard at work on plans for the ACB convention to be held in Los Angeles July 3-9.  Although the Spring convention was successful, we missed having delegates from some of our chapters.  We will be contacting those chapters to determine if CCB can help them in any way.  Some delegates were unable to attend because of illness, some for financial reasons, and others because they want to be present at the American Council convention and felt they were not able to afford both meetings. 
	Our program was filled with many interesting issues which were presented by excellent speakers.  The convention report will give details on that event.  The entire convention program was tape recorded and these tapes are available for $15.00 per set.  Chapters and affiliates may find some of them useful for their meetings.  Too bad, though, that you won't be able to enjoy the sociability of the banquet, and its focus on Cid Urena! 
	If you have been in the Council for 25 years or more and have not received a CCB pin, please contact the office so that you can be properly recognized.  We are proud of those who have stayed with the organization and contributed to its success.  Elmer Chapson, Lucille Strelow, and I were presented with 50-year pins.  It is hard to believe that we have been around for such a long time, but we are outdone by George Fogarty, who has been with CCB for all of its 65 years, and Juliet Esterly, who has been a member for 64 years. 
	Our thanks to the CCB chapters and affiliates for their generous contributions to the scholarship and general funds which totaled approximately $2000.  Raising money isn't easy and we appreciate having the monetary and personal support of our chapters.  
	Those of you who plan to attend the ACB convention and can help at the information desk are asked to call Jeff Thom at 916-429-8201.  The job involves passing out information and answering questions.  Volunteers usually work 2- to 4-hour shifts.  It is an enjoyable time because you get to meet people from all over the country. 
	We still need prizes for the ACB convention.  Bring  them to the convention office.  We also continue to seek items that can be packed in the bags that are given to conventioneers.  Appropriate items are candy, raisins, nuts, and any novelties representing California. 
	We hope that we are close to the sale of our San Fernando property.  Environmental tests required when selling property have been satisfactorily completed.  Someone painted, on the side of the building, an unauthorized mural which is causing some concerns to the city.  We hope this matter can be resolved so that, by the time I report to you again, this problem will have been favorably resolved.  
	We still have not been able to accomplish a resolution to the American Way Thrift Store problem.  CCB is owed a great deal of money which we are working hard to gain for our organization.  Our Fund-raisers are doing well with our car program being our major contributor.  We recently received a bequest of $40,576.  The board voted to transfer $10,000 to our Scholarship Fund and to bring our Crisis Fund back up to $5000. 
	We have engaged Joe Stevenson, Jr, as our new accountant.  He has helped us to file our annual state and federal forms on time and has completed our quarterly and year-end returns.  Now that our accounting is finally under control, we will be having another Budget Committee meeting soon.  Our Scholarship Committee will also be meeting this Summer to determine which students will receive monetary assistance from CCB.  
	The Fall convention will be held in Fresno at the Radisson Hotel, October 28-31.  You will be hearing more about this on the California Connection and in correspondence.  We are planning to have one or more seminars in Northern California.  We were so pleased with the reception of the seminar given in San Diego that we feel we should present seminars in other parts of the state. I would appreciate hearing from you with suggestions for topics you want included on the agenda for the Fresno convention or for the seminars.  During the rest of my term in office, I hope to increase membership, strengthen chapters and encourage strong leadership in our committees. 
	I am privileged to work with a fine group of people who are our Board of Directors.  They take their responsibilities seriously and help in many ways.  I would like to see each of us in CCB adopt the ten most powerful 2-letter words in our language: "If it is to be, it is up to me."  If we each applied ourselves to strengthen CCB, the goals we could reach would be immeasurable. 
	Chapters and affiliates will be receiving a tape from me shortly.  In the meantime, have a happy Summer and keep in touch.


	CONVENTION REPORT, SPRING, 1999

	by Catherine Skivers 

	The California Council of the Blind was founded in 1934 and thus is celebrating its 65th birthday this year.  The theme of this convention was "Who We Are," designed to let members know about the many and varied activities in which CCB is involved.  It was dedicated to Cid Urena in tribute to his long and dedicated service to the organization. 
	On Wednesday, April 7, and Thursday morning, several CCB members went to the State Capitol to call on legislators.  Dan Kysor, Governmental Affairs Director for CCB, had provided information about bills that CCB has introduced and other measures of concern to our organization. 
	The exhibit area, under the capable supervision of Obbie Shoeman, opened on Friday with 25 tables.  Exhibits were open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.  The variety of items shown drew enthusiastic interest.
	Each morning and for two hours after general sessions, Committees and special interest affiliates held their meetings.  Some groups presented joint programs.  Women's Concerns had a "Hands On" fashion show and Kathy Gassen, who had clothes for show and sale, donated 20% of her profit to CCB. 
	The way credentials were handled caused a bit of confusion, which we shall avoid in the future by calling chapters in alphabetical order.  One chapter and one affiliate were not seated or allowed to vote because of failure to appear at the Credentials Committee meeting Friday morning or at the general session on Friday evening. The importance of having membership lists and credential forms filed in a timely manner was stressed.  Rhonda King, Credentials Committee Chair, has an article elsewhere in this issue to remind chapters of their responsibilities in this area.  
	Tapes of the convention are available, and chapters having an interess in a particular topic may want to order the cassettes to hear some of the convention speakers at their meetings. 
	CCB Capital Chapter, Sacramento, hosted the convention and also sponsored, as a fund-raiser, the Welcome to Sacramento party which was well attended.  The Golden Gate Chapter assumed responsibility for the hospitality room on Friday and Saturday evenings.  Golden Gate and CCB shared the profits from this popular event.  The hospitality room is a great place to meet old friends and to make new ones.  
	The Association for Multi-Cultural Concerns held a wine and cheese party to raise funds for that affiliate.  
	Those of us who went to the Presidents' Dinner Friday evening heard interesting accounts of what is going on in our chapters.  
	At the first general session on Friday afternoon, we heard from Henry Der, Deputy Superintendent, Specialized Services, Department of Education.  His topic was "Working Together for all Children."  He stressed the importance of communication and of getting information to students.  He compared the failure to provide materials in accessible formats for blind children to the problems experienced by students who cannot speak English.  He discussed briefly the difference in salaries paid to teachers at schools for the deaf and blind compared to those paid by school districts.  CCB has been concerned about this situation for some time and has been attempting to help correct this inequity so that experienced teachers will not continue to leave the schools for the deaf and for the blind.  
	Members of the Association for Multi-Cultural Concern, Charles Nabarrete, Jerry Arakawa and Don Brown, presented the panel "ADA--Important or Impotent."  The Americans with Disabilities Act covers many areas, and the laws are complex and often difficult to understand so it is important that we familiarize ourselves with this subject.  Chapters could benefit by listening to this panel discussion.  The three speakers are extremely knowledgeable about ADA and clarified many issues of concern. 
	We heard from Rowena Gargalicana, an attorney from Disability Rights in Oakland, who talked about access to state parks.  CCB has joined in an action to accomplish this end.  If you are interested in accessibility to state parks, call Ms. Gargalicana at 510-451-8644.
	CCB has been heavily involved in an HIV Education Program working with organizations serving the deaf and hard of hearing, the developmentally delayed, and the Hemophilia Council.  The object is to train those who provide services to these populations with emphasis on teaching the prevention of AIDS.  The State is divided into four regions and to date training has taken place in 20 counties.  Ahmad Rahman is the Coordinator for CCB and can be reached at 310-327-0463.  If you are interested in becoming involved with this program, contact Dorothy Vallerga in the Bay Area, Bobbie Pellerin in Sacramento,  Kevin Collin in San Diego, Coletta Davis in Orange County and Ahmad Rahman in Los Angeles.  You can reach them through the CB Office.  Information is available on cassette tape in English and Spanish, braille and Large Print.  To obtain literature, call CCB.
	The President's Report reviewed developments in the CCB over recent months.  The Council is negotiating to sell a building donated to our organization to the city of San Fernando.  We are also still attempting to recover money from Bill Ashe and American Way Thrift Stores. Approximately $400,000 is owed to CCB.  
	Our Fund-raisers are doing well with our car donation program being our major contributor.  The Newell Perry fund has approximately $135.000, and we have savings in Paine Webber of approximately $143,000.  Money from the defunct CCB Stockton chapter has been transferred to the Council.  $10.000 will be transferred into the scholarship fund, since more and more students are seeking scholarships and the price of education is ever increasing.  The Crisis Fund will also be brought back to $5000.  The president talked about some of the accomplishments of CCB during its 65-year history and thanked those who work hard helping the organization to accomplish its goals. 	
	Saturday's general session began with a talk by Jeff Thom, CCB second vice president, on the legislative process.  Jeff has worked for 19 years as a Deputy Legislative Council.  He explained how a bill is drafted and introduced and how it proceeds through the Legislature.  It is during this process that it is important for us to write letters, make phone calls and get to know our district legislators.  This is another convention presentation that chapters might consider having as the focus for one of their meetings.  Dan Kysor gave a report on bills that CCB has introduced and others in which we are interested--a report that you will find later in this BC issue. 	
	The next item on the agenda was the presentation by Tricia Leets who spoke on the "Perspective of a Rehabilitation Counselor."  She works for the Department of Rehabilitation in Berkeley where clients value her work and find her a sincere advocate.  Tricia urged people to develop a plan for their future and work hard to achieve it.  If an honest effort is made but services are denied, she recommended filing an appeal.  Most appeals are won, so no one should be hesitant to file. 
	The next panel--composed of Tim Ford, Senior Staff Attorney,  State Department of Health Services; Anita Baldwin, Executive Director, Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco; and Burt Boyer, Executive Director, Lions Blind Center in Oakland--dealt with the "Blind Alliance for Rehabilitation Change" (BARC).  Dan Kysor treats this matter in his article on legislative developments.  A further meeting in Sacramento to discuss rehabilitation with Grantland Johnson, Secretary of Health and Welfare, is scheduled.  
	We all enjoyed the banquet.  Fran Burton from Senator John Burton's office read a resolution from the senator commending Cid Urena and a similar resolution from Senator Fred Aguiar.  This was an honor Cid richly deserved.
	Al Gil did a good job as MC for the banquet.  Also, Elmer Chapson and Manuel Urena talked about Cid's accomplishments through the years.  Cid has provided service to the organized  blind Movement, especially in CCB, throughout most of his life. Some of us were surprised to hear about his earlier activities with unions and other groups.  Jeff Thom presented for Cid the text of a humorous law asking for all kinds of benefits for blind people like free tickets to various events and access to any music they might want.  Leslie Thom and Connie Bateman sang a song called "The Rose," and Cathie Skivers played a Mariachi tape of one of Cid's favorite songs.  Cid thanked everyone; he and his sister, who helped him throughout the convention, obviously enjoyed the festivities.
	11 people were awarded pins for having been members of CCB for 25 or more years.  Elmer Chapson, Lucille Strelow, and Cathie Skivers received 50-year pins. 
	Roger Petersen is CCB Awards Chair; he reports on the awards presented in a later article as does Joan Black for the Publications Committee. 
	Chapters and affiliates donated some $2000 to the scholarship and general funds.  Arkenstone donated an outstanding door prize to be given at the banquet,  an open book "Ruby Reader" won by Don Bishop of San Leandro.  Many other members also won door prizes. 
	Sunday morning's activities were initiated by Gussie Morgan, Pastor in the Apostolic Church, who presided at the devotional service where we remember our members who are sick and who have passed away since our last convention. 
	At the general session, the treasurer gave a brief report,  explaining that CCB is bringing its records up to date with a new accountant.  More information will be made available in the near future to the CCB Board of Directors and the Budget Committee.
	Ten Resolutions, discussed by the committee chair, Charles Nabarrete, in a separate article, were adopted.  
	Jerry Arakawa, Chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the following slate of people who had been selected by the committee to run for election in October: second vice president, Jeff Thom; secretary, Kenneth Frasse; directors, Dr. Martin Jones, Jane Kardas, Gene Lozano, Peggy Martinez and Nellie Glaze. Nominations, of course, can be made from the convention floor at the time of the elections. 
	The meeting was adjourned at noon after reminding members that the Fall convention will be held in Fresno from October 28-31 at the Radisson Hotel.  


n	THE FOLSOM PROJECT FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

	The Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired was established as a community service program in 1989.  FPVI is a non-profit tax-exempt organization located within Folsom State Prison.  The program is operated by Folsom Prison staff and inmates (12 of them supervised by a correctional officer) and is sponsored by the Folsom City Lions Club.  It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Lions Club members and Folsom Prison staff.  
	This program was implemented to provide the visually impaired and learning disabled communities with a library of books on tape.  FPVI furnishes books to individuals and schools throughout California.
	FPVI is a member of the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped (CTEVH).  In addition the project transcribes educational books for the Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology (CSMT) for visually impaired school children.  It also records textbooks for individual students, teachers or schools.
	FPVI offers quality recordings on a wide variety of topics by various authors.  The collection consists of best sellers; fiction and non-fiction; mysteries, westerns, science fiction, and romances; textbooks; classics; and children's books.  It also accept requests for recordings not already in our library.  Some 800 titles are available, and approximately 45 borrowers are served each month.  
	There is no charge for the services FPVI provides.  You may contact FPVI for further details and turn-around time Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.,  916-351-3032.  These services can be provided because of the caring people who give their assistance and support to our work.  
	The Folsom Project for the Visually Impaired is now a link in the chain of volunteers who will be providing braille transcription services to those who are in need of such assistance.  Thanks to the generous help of local braille instructors Winifred Downing, Betty Schriefer, Ann Kelt, Joanne Noble, Evelyn Cook, and Deborah Fredericks, there are now two individuals certified in Literary Braille who, in 1998, furnished to CSMT 27 braille books--all the third grade readers for the Department of Education and 9 sixth grade work books.  Five more students are currently working toward their certification.  In the very near future, this service will be offered. along with the recording services already provided.  More braille books will be required because the Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology is undertaking a major project to provide history and literature books in braille.  

	FPVI also makes available access to vision care for those who could otherwise not obtain it.  The project receives donations of eyeglasses from Lions Clubs International which are then cleaned, gauged for prescription, and sent to individuals in  need of eye wear.  
	Along with supplying local agencies and the homeless, FPVI has donated glasses to victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Davis Free Clinic and to needy individuals in Mexico, Chile, and the Philippines.
	With all its services, FPVI works with the following agencies on a regular basis: Department of Rehabilitation, the Department of Motor Vehicles, Legislative Library, the State Architect, Sacramento County, community colleges, private colleges, and nursing homes.  FPVI is proud to be of assistance in this great endeavor.  Anyone wishing to know more about the braille program or about the project in general is urged to contact the office: P.O. Box 6422,  Folsom, CA 95763-6422; 
916-351-3032. 


              NOTES FROM THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE

                      by Rhonda King, Chair
                     Credentials  Committee

     This article is a reminder to chapters and affiliates of the importance of presenting credentials at conventions.  Each chapter and affiliate receives credential forms several weeks prior to each convention and is to fill in the required information: president, delegate, alternate delegate, number of members and number of votes that can be claimed.  According to the CCB Constitution and Bylaws, each chapter and affiliate must return this form 30 days prior to the convention, but, under extenuating circumstances, can present the credentials to the
Credentials Committee at the regularly scheduled meeting at the convention--usually at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.  The committee gives its report at the Friday evening general session and allows delegates to register their chapter or affiliate at this time if it has not been done previously.  
	It is very important to get each chapter and affiliate registered for any voting to elect officers and members of the board of directors, to take a position on changes in the constitution or bylaws, to pass or refuse any resolution, etc.  Elections, for example, usually take place later on Friday evening at the general session.  
    At the Spring convention in Sacramento, the Credentials
Committee had to decide whether or not to recommend accepting the registration of one chapter and one affiliate on Saturday, one day later than the required time for the presentation of credentials.  After some discussion, the committee recommended not to accept the late registration of these two groups, and the CCB members assembled at the general session voted in favor of the committee's recommendation.  
	There were two reasons for the committee's decision.  First, the credential forms are routinely sent out to each
chapter and affiliate in plenty of time to be completed and returned to the CCB office before the convention.  Second, if we were to make the exception for these two groups, no matter what the reasons may have been for being late, then we would have to continue making exceptions for other groups at future conventions.  That practice would not be fair to all those chapters and affiliates that put forth the effort to get their credential forms submitted either prior to the convention or at the Friday evening general session.  
    If a delegate is unsure, prior to the convention, of what his or her responsibilities are, he or she should speak with the chapter president.  If by any chance there is no person available to be at either meeting, a chapter representative should call the hotel on that Friday and leave a message for one of the committee members or for Catherine Skivers, CCB president.  The members of the Credentials Committee are: Rhonda King, Chair; Jerry Arakawa; and Barbara Kron.
    We encourage everyone's cooperation in this important matter
and thank all of you for trying to do what was  best for all  involved.  I Hope to see many of you at the Fall convention in Fresno in October.


	TECHNOLOGY, BRAILLE, AND HIGHER EDUCATION, Part 2

	by Jeffrey C. Senge

	In 1995, a regional Braille facility was established at California State University, Fullerton.  Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Braille Transcription Center (BTC) project was a three-year research model designed to study the feasibility of regionalizing braille transcription services for students in postsecondary education.  Using state-of-the-art computer-based telecommunications and braille production technology, the project demonstrated how timely and accurate braille transcription could be managed by a regional facility dedicated to braille production.  Results as well as a discussion of the status of the BTC project follow.  For a detailed description of the background, set up, and operation of the BTC, please refer to part 1 of this article in the previous issue of The Blind Californian.
	Results: Between January 1, 1996, and June 30, 1998, the BTC transcribed more than 700 jobs totaling nearly 25,000 pages of braille for 28 students on 15 campuses of the CSU.  In most instances the braille was returned by the date needed and in the hands of the students at the same time their sighted peers received the information in print--made possible through the combined effort of the BTC staff and the 66 CSU faculty and staff members who participated in the project.  On more than one occasion, students told us this was the first time they had ever gotten their syllabus or exam in braille at the same time as the rest of the class got theirs in print, and others reported how helpful it was to have access to class handouts or overheads during the class session where they were being discussed.  Having direct access to these materials enabled them to participate along with their classmates in a meaningful way.  It would appear from these results that the BTC project was a tremendous success and had strong support from all those it served throughout the CSU.
	Knowing that the grant was going to end in the summer of 1998, and that without continued funding the BTC would be forced to close its doors, Dr. Dote-Kwan and I launched a grass-roots campaign to institutionalize the BTC for future generations of braille readers attending the CSU.  With the support and cooperation of CSU, Fullerton administrators, the project was presented to the vice presidents of student affairs on each of the 22 CSU campuses.  Since the main issue at this point was continued funding for the center, each campus was asked to contribute equally toward the operating expenses of the center--$5,000 annually per campus.  Letters were sent to each campus explaining the cost and production benefits of having 22 university campuses share a single braille transcription center.
	In addition, each student, faculty, and staff member served by the center was asked to take a few minutes to emphasize to their respective administrators the importance of supporting the institutionalization of the BTC.  Finally, leaders of blindness-affiliated organizations throughout the state and the nation were invited to express their concerns should it be necessary to close the center.  Even though the BTC project appeared to be an overwhelming success in improving timely access to instructional materials in braille, our efforts to secure the funding necessary to institutionalize the operation failed, since over three-quarters of the CSU campuses did not elect to financially support the BTC beyond the grant.  As a result, I am sad to
report that the BTC was forced to close its doors on July 31, 1998.  While the project demonstrated the feasibility and cost effectiveness of such a model for providing braille transcription services to students in a state-wide postsecondary educational system, support just was not sufficient to continue the project.
	Discussion: The BTC seemed to be a good idea--such an efficient way to address students' need for braille materials by combining today's computer-based technologies with a talented team of specialists focused completely on the production task.  It seemed that we had finally devised a method of addressing the information barrier faced by a relatively small number of students who happened to be blind but were otherwise qualified to advance in higher education.
	What went wrong?  Why did not the BTC receive the institutional support it needed?  Are there not laws requiring universities to provide reasonable accommodations and equal access to their programs, activities and services for students with disabilities?  
	After reflecting on these questions for several months, I offer a few thoughts on the closure of the BTC.  I believe that the best way to do this is to attempt to answer these questions in reverse order.  
	Are there not laws requiring universities to provide access to their programs, activities, and services for students with disabilities?  Yes, there are laws requiring reasonable accommodations to ensure such access.  They have been on the books for several years and, for the most part, from what I have observed, colleges and universities are doing a remarkably good job of providing reasonable accommodations.  However, when it comes to providing timely access to individualized instructional materials in braille, most postsecondary educational institutions are falling far short of the mark.  A few are taking this responsibility very seriously and have developed procedures to provide accurate and timely access to materials in braille, but it is far from the standard practice today.  I believe this situation arises from the fact that braille is a complex accommodation to provide, and there are not enough blind students  requesting it emphatically.  If it is acceptable to a blind student to be given an audio tape of instructional material, then chances are that is what he/she will get.  Presently, in most postsecondary situations, the likelihood of a student's receiving materials in braille without a significant self-advocacy campaign is remote.  
	Why did the BTC not receive the institutional support it needed to continue?  I believe that the BTC did not receive sufficient user support.  I am disappointed to have to report that out of the over 100 students, faculty, staff, and professionals in the blindness field whom we contacted requesting letters of support, only five responded--two letters from students, two from faculty members, and one from a blindness professional not affiliated with the CSU system.
	The truly sad part of this is that the administrators who chose not to support the continuation of the BTC told us that they did not view it as a service that was in demand on their campuses.  They were not opposed to providing braille, but they thought they could manage doing it more cost effectively on their own campuses as they had done in the past.  One thing we know from our study in 1993 is that the majority of CSU campuses were not doing a very good job of providing braille; but, since the braille users were not complaining, why spend $5,000 each year to address a problem that did not even seem to exist?   Most people would agree that an administrator with a tight budget would find it hard to justify spending valuable resources on a program for which there was little demand.  I am not convinced that the administrators are totally at fault here.
	What went wrong?  As those who understand the relationship between braille skills and opportunities in education and employment will testify, blind consumers did not respond swiftly or forcefully enough to educate our college administrators on the importance of providing braille.  The students we served did not take the time to meet with their administrators to advocate for quality braille services.  Only a few consumers and professionals put forth the effort to explain to those deciding the fate of the BTC why it was a good investment in both the future of California's blind students and the CSU.  The blind consumers of California really dropped the ball.
	Although the BTC project has ended, it accomplished what it was designed to do--studied the feasibility of regionalizing braille transcription services for institutions offering postsecondary education.  We now know it is possible to use from a single facility existing technology to serve the braille transcription needs of students attending many different colleges without sacrificing accuracy or timeliness of braille delivery.  We have also learned that there is still much work to be done in
the area of individual and collective advocacy training before a facility similar the BTC is likely to become institutionalized within California.
	Those of us who worked tirelessly to bring the BTC to reality are still every bit as dedicated to improving braille accessibility as we were in the past.  Before the BTC or a similar facility can be successful, however, blind students and consumers must make it known that braille is an absolute necessity for success in higher education and beyond.  Simply put, it will take more than action from above; it will also require a significant and well organized push from below to institutionalize such a facility in California.
 	

	CAREER CONNECTIONS

	by Catherine Schmitt

	"Networking" is more than just a word.  It is the way over 70% of people find employment.  Networking involves planning, making contacts and sharing information for professional and personal gain.  It can take place before, during or after a
meeting; over lunch; at a mixer or even in the grocery store. 
	While carrying on a conversation with another person sounds simple, some people find networking to be a challenge.  The process can be intimating to anyone, especially for persons who are shy or have limitations in speech or sight.  
	Here are some tips that are intended to help you in your networking activities.  Not all of the suggestions may work for you or be appropriate to the setting in which you find yourself, so experiment.  The key to successful networking is practice, practice and practice, though it is sometimes done unconsciously. 
     Set Your Goals  When attending a function, decide how many people you want to meet.  Set a goal, say,  of five new acquaintances and acquire three new tips or suggestions. 
     Prepare  Know who will be attending the function and what plan is on the agenda.  Also, find out as much as you can about the host or hosting organization.  You may want to make contact with the organizer of the event ahead of time to ask a question about the speaker or program length.  You will have forged a connection and can anticipate a friendly greeting when you arrive.  If you feel comfortable, you can let the organizer of the event know that you have difficulty seeing and explain what assistance you will need.  Remember, however, that the organizer has many responsibilities and will not be able to spend much time  with you at the event, so your request should be specific and  presented, if possible, with a suggested solution.  
     Outlook  View yourself as the host of the function.  Your role is to make the attendees feel comfortable and to get to know as much about them as you can.  Focus on meeting individuals, not  a group of people.  By paying attention to individuals, you will feel less overwhelmed and more confident. 
     Smile  People like to make the acquaintance of others who look friendly and approachable.  Remember, all the other attendees are also entering on a new experience.  
     Bring a Friend Along  If it is appropriate, invite a friend to accompany you if you do not want to go alone.  If you know someone else who has been invited to the event, suggest that you go together.  Make an agreement that you will encourage and assist each other in meeting people.  
     Strategic Location  When you arrive, do not sit down.  As tempting as the thought may be, sitting down creates a barrier to meeting new people.  Standing allows for mobility and casual entry into conversation.
	Introduce Yourself  Take the initiative to say your name and ask that of the person you address.  Find something in common to get conversation started--perhaps a comment on names: "My sister's name is Anne," or "I love lilies; that's a beautiful name."  Wear your name tag on the right lapel so that others may read it easily when you shake hands.  
	Connecting  If you are attending a function and have spoken to the organizer ahead of time but have not met that individual, mention that you would like an introduction.  
	Conversation When you meet someone it is a good idea to limit the initial conversation--perhaps five minutes.  Topics could include how much you are looking forward to hearing the speaker, a comment on the profession involved, an observation on the weather, or a late news development.  The economy, the entertainment available locally, or the business climate are also good suggestions for conversation.  You could compliment the individual on her perfume or cologne, ask for a description of the program speaker, or how the room is decorated.  You can ask if your companion came to the function alone or with a friend, and then ask to be introduced to that friend if you think it appropriate to do so.  Thus you would widen your circle of acquaintances.  After a few minutes, expect that you will both move on to speak with other guests.  
	Keep a Hand Free  Do not hold a plate of food and a drink in your hands at the same time while standing because then there is no way of shaking hands with anyone you meet.  A hand shake can tell you a lot about a person that your lack of sight may keep you from learning--height, something about overall body size, the presence of ornate rings, evidence of work wear, and a notion of the person's enthusiasm or lack thereof.  
	Presenter's Points  At a reception after a function, think about three main points or comments that the presenter(s) made which you can use for discussion in a brief conversation with others.
	Business Cards  Ask for a business card from each person you meet.  After the event is over, indicate on the card or on a separate piece of paper, where and when you met the person for future reference.  You may also want to furnish your own card, even if you are not presently employed.  Your card could have your name, phone number, address, and professional or personal area of interest. 
	Thank Everyone  At any meeting, you should be able to come away with new ideas or tips.  Thank the people who provided the information, even if it doesn't prove to be immediately useful.  Offer your thanks on leaving the meeting or in a 1-minute phone call or note afterward.  Your contacts will appreciate the follow-up.    
	Strong networks happen only when supportive and friendly
relationships and business contacts are established.  This is why
your assistance and support of others is just as important as
receiving assistance for yourself.  Understand that you may not
benefit immediately from networking.  It may be several years before you see results.  The opportunities for personal and professional growth, however, can outweigh the delays and challenges.


	THE GOOD OLD DAYS

	(Taken from Newsletter of the National  Association of Blind Teachers, an ACB special-interest affiliate, 904 W. Cedar Street, River Falls, WI 54022-1020.)
	Here is a copy of a 1922 teachers' contract for $75 a month:
	Miss (teacher's name) agrees
	1. Not to get married.  This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher marries.
	2. Not to have company with men.
	3.  To be at home between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless in attendance at a school function.  
	4. Not to loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
	5. Not to leave town at any time without the permission of the Chairman of the Trustees.
	6. Not to smoke cigarettes.  This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher is found smoking.
	7. Not to drink beer, wine, or whiskey.  This contract becomes null and void immediately if the teacher is found drinking beer, wine, or whiskey.
	8. Not to ride in a carriage or automobile with any man except her brother or father.
	9. Not to dress in bright colors.
	10. Not to dye her hair.
	11.To wear at least two petticoats.
	12. Not to wear dresses more than two inches above the ankle.
	13. To keep the schoolroom clean:
	(a) To sweep the classroom floor at least once daily. 
	(b) To scrub the classroom floor at least once weekly with soap and hot water.
	(c) To clean the blackboard at least once daily.
	(d) To start the fire at 7:00 a.m. so that the room will be warm at 8:00 a.m. when the children arrive.
	14. Not to wear face powder, mascara, or to paint the lips.


	FEDERAL LEGISLATION 

	by Ahmad Rahman

	Linkage  Congressman Ehrlich (R-MD) held a press conference on April 28th on the grounds of the Capitol Building to introduce the House linkage bill, HR1601, titled the Blind Empowerment Act.  ACD was represented by Executive Director Charlie Crawford,meantimemeantime who spoke on its behalf.  In a press release Rep. Ehrlich was quoted as stating that "presently, the unemployment rate for the blind is about 70%.  We must enable the blind, by removing this disincentive.  We must re-link the blind with the seniors.  By raising the exempt earnings threshold for the blind, we are restoring fairness and encouraging, rather than penalizing, work."  Currently the Bill has 224 co-sponsors.  The Blind Empowerment Act was referred to the Social Security subcommittee of the House Ways and Means committee.
	In the meantime, please call your Senators and urge them to sign on the Senate Linkage bill, S285.  This bill now has 20 co-sponsors.  Contact your senators through the Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
	Work Incentives Legislation  The House version of the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act (HR1180) was marked up in subcommittee on April 20, 1999.  Two amendments passed clarifying the provisions.  The first provides that the Medicaid provisions of the bill would apply only to workers between the ages of 16 and 65.  The second allows disabled workers who subscribe to Medigap insurance (which supplements their Medicare) to cancel that supplemental insurance if they receive health care benefits from their employers.  If workers subsequently lose their employer health benefits, they would be immediately eligible to have the supplemental Medigap insurance reinstated.
	Copyright Law Amendment  Currently fewer than 4% of the books and periodicals published in the United States each year are available in formats that can be accessed by blind or visually impaired people--audio, large print or braille.  Recent changes in the copyright law allowing reproduction of books in alternative formats by authorized entities without prior permission from publishers and copyright holders have not led to increased access to these published materials for this country's blind or visually impaired population.
	The proposed amendment to the copyright law would require publishers to submit an electronic copy of each publication they register with the copyright office of the Library of Congress and that these electronic copies be submitted in a manner that conforms to standards used by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for the production of books in alternative formats.  The electronic copies would then be available to the National Library Service for more timely production of books in braille, audio and large print formats.


                                          
	REPORT ON RESOLUTIONS, SPRING, 1999

	by Charles Nabarrete
                                                                
	There were fewer resolutions presented at the Spring CCB convention than in other years.  However, the issues considered in these resolutions are important to the blind and visually impaired community.  The members of the Resolutions Committee were diligent and worked conscientiously to perform their task and to represent the intentions of the members of the Council.
	Resolution 99A-1 considered the impact which the Order of Selection system adopted by the Department of Rehabilitation (DR) has on blind applicants.  Even though blindness is generally and legally judged to be a severe disability, DR's Order of Selection often results in having blind applicants for DR services placed on waiting lists for unreasonably long periods.  99A-1 demands that DR immediately abandon the present Order of Selection priorities, replacing the present system with a process which considers blindness a very severe disability, and directs the CCB to seek legislation to remedy this problem if DR does not do so.  	The process used by DR to award contracts for the provision of Client Assistance Programs (CAP) is addressed in Resolution 99A-2.  DR, after screening proposals from agencies for funding CAP service programs, has a policy of funding the proposal having the lowest proposed budget.  This resolution demands that DR not use budgetary considerations as the most important factor in determining which program will be funded to provide CAP services. 	In Resolution 99A-3, the accessibility of California courts was considered.  About four years ago, the state adopted a court rule which requires courts to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled persons who submit a request for such accommodations.  However, only a few court districts have adopted procedures for considering  such requests, and some blind and visually impaired jurors or parties have not been provided such accommodations.  99A-3 directs the CCB to file a complaint with the Department of Justice to require a compliance review of the California courts and directs President Skivers to appoint a committee to monitor court compliance.  That committee will make recommendations for any further action.
	The American Council of the Blind (ACB) has shortened the 1999 convention by one day because of refusal of the convention site hotel to contract for a convention which includes two weekends.  Because this change was made without consulting affiliates and affects the business of the convention, Resolution 99A-4 requests that ACB avoid shortening future conventions and recommends that the convention begin and end on weekdays so that only one weekend is involved.  The resolution also directs CCB to submit 99-A4 to the ACB Resolutions Committee for consideration at the national convention. 
	Commissions from vending machines located on State and Federal property are supposed to go to the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) and are used mainly to fund the vendor retirement program.  A 1999 state audit of the BEP fiscal management found that a large number of such vending machines were not under contract to pay revenues to the BEP, and recommended that DR increase the number of persons assigned to collect such revenues.  These revenues could be increased by more than $450,000 per year if more vending machines were placed under contract.  Resolution 99A-5 demands that DR add three additional staff members assigned to collect vending machine revenues for the BEP program.
	In Resolution 99A-6, the depiction of the blind on two Spanish language television programs was considered.  In the first program a blind woman named Esmeralda was portrayed as a beautiful competent individual.  However, in the second program a parody of the Esmeralda character was presented as an incompetent person who repeatedly ran into things.  In response to a written complaint from a CCB member, the producers of the second program agreed to remove the offensive character to avoid portraying the blind as objects of ridicule.  99A-6 commends the Esmeralda program for presenting a positive image of blind persons and also commends the producers of the second program for taking prompt action concerning the offensive material.
	Because DR has failed to fill vacant rehabilitation counselor for the blind (rcb) and counselor teacher (ct) positions, many current and new DR blind and visually impaired clients are being placed with generalist counselors.  Resolution 99A-10 demands that DR promptly fill these vacant rcb and ct positions with qualified individuals.
	Resolutions 99A-7, 99-A8 and 99-A9 commend the hotel staff, adult volunteers and Girl Scout volunteers who assisted at the CCB convention. 
	Copies of resolutions are available upon request from the CCB office.


                       OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE:
                          Small Claims Court 

                        by Melita Waters, President 
                         Guide Dog Users of California

     At the end of last year, 1998, Governor Wilson signed into law Assemblywoman Deon Aroner's bill AB2702 which adds Civil Code
Section 52.2.  This new law makes Small Claims Court available for redress in denial of access issues.
     This new tool is something about which I had little if any knowledge.  What is Small Claims Court?  How does it work?  How do I access this new tool?  What is required of me?  Is this something I can use totally independently?
     Since I couldn't see why I would be any more or less knowledgeable about it than the average person, I did some research that perhaps will be of benefit to others.  This is in no way to be considered legal advice.  I am not an attorney.
	There are several things that you must know before we begin.  While you may consult an attorney before going to Small Claims, you may not have an attorney speak on your behalf in court.  You have the responsibility of representing yourself.  When you bring an action in Small Claims Court, that means you are the [laintiff.  If you win or lose, you may not appeal the decision to a higher court.  You may not pursue the matter any further.  If you are the defendant in a Small Claims case, appeal to Municipal Court is something that is available to you, should the court find for the plaintiff.  This will most probably require your engaging an attorney to represent your interests.  You are responsible for providing yourself with an interpreter if you  need one.  The Court is required only to make a list of potential interpreters available for your use.  Also, if you want an official record of the proceedings, you must provide your own  certified court reporter.  While you can make a tape recording for your own reference, an official record requires a court reporter.
     One of the best things to know is that there is a Small Claims Advisory Program that can help guide you through the process.  While every county in California does not have its own Small Claims Advisor, all the counties have some kind of agreement to provide this service.  In some areas, there are counties that have agreed to join in making this assistance available--sometimes in conjunction with other entities that do offer this help.  The Small Claims Clerk at the courthouse is the person who will be able to point you in the proper direction for this service.
     When you go to the courthouse to file a Small Claims
action, it will depend on the particular court as to whether you will be assisted in filling out the necessary forms.  There is no prohibition against helping you, but some courts will and some will not.  There are those who maintain that filling out these papers for you is giving legal advice or practicing law without a license.  It will depend entirely on who you talk to.    
     When your turn comes to present your case in court, you must
be well prepared.  Have all of your evidence and witnesses in good order.  Be comfortable with your material and ready and willing to explain your position to the judge.  Above all, stay focused on the point of the case.  The judge will very likely guide you by telling you what he/she wants to know.  Resist getting distracted and telling the judge all kinds of things that are not relevant to the situation.  Rambling on and on will not impress the judge in your favor and could very possibly be irritating and cause a less favorable decision.  
     Small Claims is a system that is ripe for abuse because many frivolous suits find their way there in the hope of making a few dollars.  The excessive use of the court undoubtedly occurs because it costs so little to file a case: just $20 and, in hardship cases, the fee may be waived.  
     You are far better off if you really make an effort to resolve the matter before deciding to take the case to Small Claims.  Make a "demand" of the party that you think wronged you.  If you cannot reach an agreement, send a letter setting forth your demands.  Really try to settle the matter without going to court.
     In Small Claims Court, all claims  must have a dollar value since they are allowed to deal only in monetary decisions.  Any recovery will be based on the actual damages you suffered so be very sure to document them.  
	If you fail in your effort to settle, you may decide to file a claim.  Make sure you name the correct party in your suit.  If you make an error and name the wrong defendant, you have lost your chance at gaining redress from the correct party.  After you have filled out and filed the proper forms, you will present them along with your filing fees, and be given a day and time to appear in court.  Present yourself on that day at the appointed time and bring everything that you will need to advance your case, including witnesses and documents.  Both you and your dog, if you have one, should be as well groomed as possible--and supply yourself with a large basket of patience.  You'll need it, for these things usually take time!
     The judge will have you and your opponent present your sides of the story.  Do not interrupt when the judge is talking or listening to the other party in the case.  The judge will give you ample opportunity to give all the evidence you have to offer and plenty of time for you and the judge to question your witness(es) as well.
     Be sure to have a firm handle on what you want to gain from your suit.  Keep in mind that Small Claims actions have a dollar cap--under $5,000, and you may not bring more than two cases in any one year if each amounts to $2,500.  
     The Small Claims process is one that may be very difficult to use totally independently.  There is nothing--no instruction sheets, no forms, no guidelines: nothing--available in accessible formats.  The most efficient way around this glaring hole in the system is to make the best use you can of the Small Claims Advisor Program.  Because this service is provided, we may have difficulty getting things put into accessible formats.  A remedy is already in place, though, and working, since I believe that the ADA requires provision of such materials; but whether we have a choice in what is being provided is not specified.  
     If anyone decides to use this new tool, please let us all know how it worked for you and whether you feel that it is a tool to be used as a first choice.


	ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE MILES FROM KOSOVO

	by Jane Kardas

	April 17th, 1999, my flight lifted from the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport en route to Newark, New Jersey, and eventually to Eastern Europe.
	I dismissed promptly the comments from my eldest son about the possibility of danger traveling in Europe at this time.  Instead, I dwelt on more impractical thoughts such as would Ken be at the airport to greet me, and how would we get along as traveling companions with the stress of travel, packing and unpacking for 15 days?  Ken had visited me in California on several occasions and we always had a great time, but 15 days?  Once his reassuring hug greeted me at the airport, everything seemed to fall into place.  He quickly introduced me to the airporter and rapid transit that swiftly carried us to his Manhattan apartment.
	Being avid walkers, it wasn't long before we headed to Central Park.  Ken wanted to show me that New York City--and especially that Central Park--had become a safe haven for residents and tourists alike.  Ken commented that there were more patrol cars than pedestrians in the park.  For the first time, I listened to the clop, clop, of the horse-drawn carriages that traversed the park.
	The following morning sped by as we made final preparations for the trip.  We ate a quick breakfast before heading to the airport to catch the first round of our flights to Finland en route to Warsaw, Poland.
	Renatta, our tour director, greeted us in Warsaw.  Renatta, a native of Krakow, had a good command of the English language.  She had only twenty-six of us to guide, as many potential tourists had canceled their travel plans because of the military conflict in Kosovo.
	When Ken made the reservation with the tour company, he had not mentioned that we were visually impaired.  I expressed some concern to him as I had heard horror stories of people who were bumped from tours because of their visual impairment.  He remained undaunted, however, and we did the best we could to blend into the group.  There was a dinner and reception at our hotel that evening with our fellow travelers when we may have (I don't recall for certain) told Renatta about our visual limitations.  You can imagine the difficulty we had with the buffet style dinner!
	The next morning a walking tour of Warsaw was scheduled.  Arriving five minutes late, we missed the group and so headed out on our own, determined to find a loaf of Polish bread.  I asked several people if they spoke English, finding none; but, just as I was about to give up, a woman came toward us and asked if we needed some assistance.  As it turned out, she was an English teacher and quickly took Ken and me in tow to a nearby bakery where she insisted on treating us to a wonderful loaf of bread and other sweet pastries.  Being deeply concerned about the attitude toward Americans and NATO at this time, I was delighted when she offered that she was very fond of Americans and that she had visited our country on several occasions.
	As immediate past president of the Redwood Empire chapter, I had been very pleased when Larry Swenson, our current president, offered to share his experience and contacts in Warsaw with me.  The following day, Annya, a University of Warsaw student, arrived, and with her guidance we took a cab to the Laski School for the Blind.  Annya had tried to describe herself to me over the telephone, not realizing that, with my sight loss, any description of herself would fall on deaf ears.  She described herself as being tall with long dark hair and was about to tell us that she was 174 centimeters tall when she realized that perhaps not only would we not recognize her but that we might not understand the transfer from inches to centimeters.  She was correct! 
	That day was cold and rainy with snow flurries so we took a cab to the Laski school where we met with a tiny elderly nun who was dressed in a traditional religious habit and spoke only Polish.  Unfortunately, we were unable to meet with any of the students.  At this Catholic school we discussed the prerequisites to attend.  The students were totally blind; any partially sighted student was required to mainstream into the public school system.  There were 300 students, grades K-12, of whom 280 were boarders and only 20 were day students.  100 teachers add to the daily attendance of 400.  The 10 to 11-year-olds learned to cane travel through the neighborhood.
	On our bus trip back to our hotel, we discussed with Annya the attitudes regarding the bombing in Kosovo and U.S. involvement there.  She expressed a general feeling of sorrow for the political situation and loss of lives.  Annya was writing her thesis on American culture, specifically the impact of the counter-culture of the 60's on the popular culture of the 90's.  Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area in the heart of this movement, I found this especially amusing.  
	The fourth day we traveled to Auschwitz and Krakow.  At the concentration camp we felt the foreboding spirits that still haunt the train depot, gas chambers, and barracks.  Besides the Nazi extermination camp itself, we viewed rooms full of personal belongings, including suitcases and cookware.  To add a more personal touch, photographs of some of the victims were displayed on the walls.  We were told that human hair was used to stuff mattresses and even to weave some articles of clothing.  By stark contrast, the next destination of our tour was a monastery.
	It was a relief to ascend from the death camp of Auschwitz to the hills of Jasna Gora to visit a beautiful 700-year-old monastery.  It is considered to be the holiest  place in Poland by members of the Catholic Church.  They were proud to announce that the Pope had visited there.  Our guide, Father Eugene, showed us jeweled chalices, religious relics and wonderfully colorful robes decorated with threads of 14-carat gold.
	We traveled on to Krakow the next morning where we were to tour St. Mary's Church and Wawel Castle.  Again we got separated from our tour group.  (The first time had been in Warsaw.)  I believe that it was at this time that our fellow travelers came to terms with the real implications of our visual impairments.  	Much of Krakow, as well as much of Warsaw, has been restored to its historic splendor after being bombed in World War II.  We dined in a casino that night, receiving friendly service from our English-speaking waiter.
	On our sixth morning, we traveled by motorcoach through Slovakia on our way to Budapest, the Hungarian capitol, located on the Danube River.  We entered it on Tuesday, April 27, and it was here that we were a hundred and twenty-five miles from Kosovo.  This was our favorite stop on the tour.  The picturesque river, crossed by many beautiful bridges, runs through the city.  The name Budapest is a compound word from the names of two cities, one on each side of the river: Buda and Pest.  It is renowned for its healing waters and hot spas.  We went down to catch the underground train, and there we found graffiti covering everything.  The smell of fresh paint assaulted our noses.
	On our first walk around Budapest, we joined Phil and Sally, a couple from Southern California who took us across the Liberty Bridge.  It was in Budapest, too, that we first heard the low frequency audible traffic signals which are far more useful and less obtrusive than the American variety  These pedestrian signals emit a constant tone, making it easy to locate the signal box. 
	We ate in a restaurant with a a straw-covered floor, large bowls of unshelled peanuts and lighted candles at each table.  We visited a pedestrian mall, rode in a street car, and took a tour to Szentendre and the cathedral town of Eszstergom.
	One other time we took the underground train--this time to the city hall in Vienna, where we attempted to find out about blind services in Austria.  Time would not allow us, however, to travel out from the 5th to the 15th district where we might have learned more about this subject; but we did meet a blind man who had a guide dog in harness.  He told us that the school that trains the dogs produces only 40 dogs a year.  For some reason, his dog was muzzled.  We wished that we had more time to talk to him, but we were in line at a deli and had to move on.
	In some of the formerly Communist countries that we visited, people we spoke to thought that medical services were better under Communism than at the present time.  However, now they do have an opportunity to choose, whereas in the past, they did not.
	We went to the magnificent Cathedral of St. Stephen's in the town square; and later that evening, we returned to find that a giant video screen had been set up showing the coverage of the unfolding military intervention in Kosovo.  Most of the crowd cheered the Serbians.  As we strolled further down the mall, we heard a street musician playing a guitar and singing "We are the  world, we are the children" both in English and German.  He had a beautiful voice; and we were struck by the irony of it all.  
	Everywhere there was a strong police presence.  On the eleventh day we made a lengthy trip to Prague, and the following day we ventured out of the city, climbed a steep hill to visit the castle of Kanopiste where is kept one of the largest owls in the world.  Ken was pleased to don a sturdy leather glove;  and, with the assistance of the keeper, the owl was transferred to Ken's arm.  She was magnificent with huge glowing amber eyes.  She weighed only 5 pounds, but her majestic presence and beautifully mottled feathers showed that she was a giant among birds.
	In Prague we finally had glorious weather with an abundance of sunshine.  We cruised and had a sumptuous luncheon including hors d'oeuvres and wine or beer aboard a ferry boat and later basked in the sunshine on the upper deck.  Ken and I joined Toby and Skip, a couple from Maine, on our first trip through the rapid transit system in Prague.  It was there that I realized that my greatest fear was not Kosovo but a speeding escalator in Prague.  When our two sighted companions described to us the speed at which the escalator descended, my heart began to pound and my palms started to sweat.  Ordinarily, there is another option like a staircase or an elevator, but not so in this situation.  Having no other choice, Skip stepped aboard, followed by Ken, then me, and finally Toby.  In a sense, I was part of a human sandwich.  We spent considerable time with Skip and Toby, and then we parted company with plans to meet again in the hotel that evening.  On our return alone, and once again were greeted by the speeding escalator.  I stood frozen.  I encouraged several people to go on ahead of me before a young  woman approached and insisted on helping me.  She was certain that, if she took my arm in hers, we would arrive safely at the top.  We had to make this maneuver twice, since there was another escalator waiting at the top.  I am sure everyone in the station could hear my sigh of relief.  I owe that young stranger a great deal.  After that day, I was able to ascend and descend with a firm grip on Ken's arm.
	On day 14 we flew back to Helsinki, Finland.  As we drove toward our hotel, we stopped at a church that was an architectural wonder.  It had been blasted with dynamite out of the side of a hill and had a copper ceiling.  In some areas of the inner stone wall, we could feel moisture trickling through.
	The tour guide who greeted us at the airport in Helsinki tried to prepare us for the May Day Celebration already in its third and final day.  It consisted of college students and alumni who annually migrate to Helsinki for this event.  The standard uniform for the weekend was a painter-styled white jumpsuit which each student decorated to his own satisfaction.  The painter-style hat was adorned with a tassel hanging down the side.  The color of the tassel denoted the school of study.  It was obvious that alcohol was flowing freely among the many revelers.  The restaurants were crammed with people, and there were bands and music everywhere.  Our friends Sally and Phil once again maneuvered us through the streets.  We left Helsinki the following day.
	That evening back in New York, we took the Staten Island Ferry.  As we sailed past the Statue of Liberty and viewed the spectacle of the city lights, I thought how fortunate we were to have such a feeling of safety and well being far away from the undeclared war of Kosovo.  


                           REFLECTIONS

                         by Larry Seiber

	(Editor's note: In the last issue of The Blind Californian, Larry reminisced about his early flying experiences and how persistent he was in pursuing his dream of being a pilot.  Here he reminds us of the dreams of others who have had important consequences in American history.)
	Harvey Firestone was extremely persistent with his rubber experiments.  He had tried thousands of different rubber mixes, leading to a sort of family joke, if not a family embarrassment, "Harvey and his rubber experiments."  
	One day some friends Harvey forgot he had invited stopped by for dinner.  He quickly stuffed his experiment in the oven to avoid any further embarrassment or ridicule.  What he didn't realize was that Mrs. Firestone was cooking dinner.  The result was vulcanized rubber and the start of the rubber tire industry.  	Another example of a surprise recovery was Henry Ford.  Although he had filed bankruptcy three times before he was 47, he trying once again--this time experimenting with a gasoline powered engine on a four wheel chassis in a rented garage.  When he finished the project, he went to the owner and said, "I  think
we have a problem here.  I have built a machine in your garage, and there is no door large enough to get it out."  The owner took a look at the contraption and said, "I think you have something here, Henry."  They each took a sledge hammer and tore the garage down around the vehicle; for the first time,Henry Ford drove his motorcar on the streets of Dearborn, Ohio.  
	The message here, I think, is that you should do whatever in life you want to do.  Don't let anything or anybody stop you.  80% of people today have no goals in life beyond just getting through the week.  The other 20% are the dreamers.  If you feel you are one of those Dreamers, write down on a piece of paper 10 or 12 goals that would be really important in your life for the next year.  Pick one of those goals and circle it.  Now, try to do just one thing every day that brings you closer to accomplishing your objective, even if it is a small thing.  If you do this, you will be absolutely amazed at how much your life will change in the next year.  If, through hard work and persistence you are successful, try not to forget those who are also struggling beside you.
	From time to time a number of people have asked why and how I got involved as a volunteer with CCB.  I have always cared about people and my desire was always to help wherever I could.  I grew up reading O'Henry and other writers whose stories were quite often object lessons in how to live.  Although it probably won't answer the question fully, I have always felt that love for one's fellow man and what we can do for others is the whole purpose of life. 
	We have heard about the mysterious traveler searching everywhere for the meaning of life to no avail.  It is like the man who was determined to find gold and traveled the world looking for it.  He finally returned home with nothing but a broken spirit.  He decided that gold was not what he really
wanted after all but rather just peace and quiet, a chance to experience the beauty and simplicity of life and to do good for others.  He planted a beautiful rose for others to enjoy.  As he was digging, he struck something hard; and when he uncovered the object, he realized he had struck gold in his own back yard.  My feelings are based on the premise that if you have love in your heart, you have everything.  If you have no love in your heart, for your fellow man, it doesn't matter what else you have.  It will never be enough.  I remember an old song called "Falling Leaves Upon the Ground".  Some of the words are: 

"Can't you give me my flowers while I am living and a kind word 	to help me along.  
If you can't give them while I am living, don't send them when I 	am gone." 

The best exercise you can ever do is to reach down and help lift someone else up.  If you want to discover gold in your heart and really feel good, just do something for someone else to help make his or her life a little easier or better.  It is best said in a poem written in 1916 by Thomas Heagle:
          
Love that is hoarded molds at last until we know someday
The only love we ever have is what we give away
And kindness that is hidden all alone will turn as hard as any 	stone
It is the things we hold so dear that we will lose some day        The only things we ever keep are those things we give away.


	1999 CCB AWARDS PRESENTED

	by Roger Petersen, Chair
	Awards Committee 

	At the CCB convention banquet on April 10, the Awards committee unveiled its 1999 awards for the California Council of the Blind.  
	Three women were inducted into the CCB Hall of Fame.  Two of them, now deceased, were active Randolph-Sheppard vendors in San Diego and long-time CCB activists, Ione Miller and Byrdyna Goodart.  The third is a lady who has helped CCB--and its deaf-blind members in particular--in countless ways over many years: Margaret Noah Nickerson.  
	A Humanitarian Award was presented to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2070 of Monrovia, California.  Their hall has accommodated many of the functions of our San Gabriel Valley Chapter, as well as a CCB legislative seminar.  
	Two CCB Merit Awards were presented.  One went to our own Dorothy Vallerga for her consistent and capable volunteer service in the CCB office.  The other was presented to a business person who has been of great and long-time service to our San Gabriel Valley Chapter, Larry DiPeppe of Alex DiPeppe's restaurant.
	This year, we presented our most prestigious award, the CCB Distinguished Service Award, to Eugene Lozano, who has been an activist in CCB and in ACB for more than 25 years, particularly in the areas of environmental access and transportation.  The very existence of the Environmental Access Committee of ACB and the Committee on Access and Transportation of CCB depends in no small part on Gene's advocacy.
	The awards conferred by the Publications Committee are discussed elsewhere in this issue of The Blind Californian.  
	I wish to thank Gussie Morgan of Compton, Joe Smith of Sacramento, Bernice Kandarian of Mountain View, and John Lopez of Los Angeles for their service on the Awards Committee these past two years.  I plan to have a meeting of the committee at the Fall convention to discuss the general direction and policies of the Awards Committee.  If you have any comment to make before then, please let me hear from you: 2211 Latham, #180, Mountain View, CA, 94040; 650-969-1688.


                  PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE AWARDS

                      by Joan Black, Chair
                     Publications Committee

	This year, as announced earlier, the Publications Committee decided to present two annual awards: one for  "Best Lifestyle
Article " and the other for "Best Issue Oriented" article.  
	Jeff Thom was the unanimous choice for the Lifestyle Award for "HAIL TO THE CANE," Summer, 1998, issue of The Blind Californian."  The article was written with originality and humor that made it unique. 
	Teddie Remhild was the recipient of the "Best Issue Oriented" article for "AN ADVENTURE IN SELF-ADVOCACY" (BC, Summer, 1998), which focused on the determination not to give up, even when everything seems to be going the wrong way.  Eugene Lozano and Brian Hall were contenders in this category.    
	A special acknowledgment was given to Larry Seiber for "The Dash Between the Double Nights" (BC Spring, 1998), which described the life and work of the deaf-blind poet James Morrison Heady. 
	Lastly, a gift of a silver cameo necklace was presented to our editor, Winifred Downing, as a token of appreciation for all the dedication she expends in editing The Blind Californian.  This is a demanding task and Winifred performs it selflessly.
	Now it is time for everyone to get to work and write some more award-winning articles.      



                        WIIFM AND WWICM
                (Pronounced Whiff um and Wick um) 

	by B. M. St. Andre

    Have you ever joined an organization without first asking a few questions?  "What's in it for me?"  (WIIFM) is generally one of these questions.  "What will it cost  me?"  (WWICM) is another frequently asked question.  It usually goes hand-in-hand with WIIFM.  It is not only the person who is thinking about joining a group who is asking questions.  "How can this person help us to achieve our goals?"  is an unspoken query often made by the group being  considered.
     Each of us has a reason for wanting to join a group.  Your reason for joining may be that you have a belief in the good works and advocacy advanced by the group.  You may have a strong desire to do your part in that advocacy and good works.  For another person the draw-card for joining may be socialization.  The reason for someone else may be information about the group from a friend.  All are excellent reasons for joining a group.  All can lead to personal satisfaction, the ultimate goal of WIIFM.    
     What is your first thought when you hear the word "cost?"  Many would first think of cost as money, but cost is also defined as "the exertion or expenditure of time or energy."  This latter definition is especially true in terms of a group such as the California Council of The Blind.  It is through fund-raising projects, donations, and the hard work of its members that CCB achieves its goals. 
     The real backbone of any organization is the group of members--sometimes nonmembers--who contribute both monetarily and physically.  The people who belong to this group work on committees, hold offices, and are always ready to help.  
     How long can we count on these gracious people to keep CCB afloat?  Will CCB flounder when these individuals combine WIIFM and WWICM and conclude that their cost is greater than their gain?  Which of us will be ready to step into their places? 
      It is not uncommon for a person to choose to join CCB yet be unaware of the non-financial burden of membership.  Those who are apathetic will never realize this burden.  Those who are non- apathetic will find themselves practicing WWICM, again and again.      Do YOU find yourself among this group, struggling to keep your local group going?  If not, is it because you don't know what you can do to help?  Check the list below to see if there isn't some way in which you could help advance the interests of the organization.  
     You may not be in a position to contribute more money than you already do.  You may not have the contacts to whom to sell tickets or products.  This list is not all-inclusive but it might give you an idea of the kind of help needed to make an organization like CCB successful.
	1. Do you suffer from arthritis, or another condition, which limits the use of your hands?  Could you fold napkins or roll silverware in napkins?
	2. Can you wash dishes? 
	3. Are you capable of putting table cloths on tables?
	4. Are you either speech or hearing impaired so that you couldn't make telephone calls?
	5. Do you type?  Could you help with printed correspondence, requests for donations or thank-you letters for donations that have already been received?  (If you are sighted or can read large print, could you read printed material onto tape for a person who is blind and who does type?) 
	6. Do you read and write braille so that you might help in sending out braille communications?
	7. Can you wrap prizes? 
	8. You are attending a convention.  Your local group has taken a booth.  Are you willing to adjust your schedule so that you can take a shift staffing the booth?
	9. Are you able to staff a table at an activity to hand out tickets and, using either print or braille, keep track of names on a list?
     Have you worked on any of your group's committees during the last two years?  If you are interested in working, but need assistance, there are plenty of folks around to work with you.  We all know about being self-assertive; here again, all you have to do is ask. 
     CCB cannot succeed without the help of all its members.  The big question is, "Are  YOU willing to give the time and physical energy to keep the California Council afloat?"  


                         BULLETIN BOARD

                     Compiled by Keith Black

	"Getting in Touch with Braille Literacy," a national conference concerning the teaching, use, and promotion of braille, will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco, November 11-14, 1999.  The hotel rate is $109 single or double occupancy.  The conference registration fee of $185 covers registration, a reception, all workshops, the exhibits, and three meals.  The deadline for registering is October 1.  For further information, contact Barbara Maher, 650-328-5022.
	Our Special, the only braille magazine designed specifically for blind women, is seeking a new editor.  Anyone wishing to apply should send a letter to National Braille Press, in care of Our Special, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115 saying why she thinks she would be a good editor along with her qualifications for the position.  Factors to be considered are facility in reading and writing English braille, excellent grammar and computer skills, and a knowledge of and interest in women's issues.  The new editor will keep in touch with the Our Special staff; handle correspondence; read and select material for each issue; and inaugurate or eliminate magazine columns.  This is not a full-time position.  The compensation, which has not yet been determined, would supplement other income.  It is not necessary to live in commuting distance to NBP; phones, faxes, and e-mail make it possible for the editor to work from home.  
	From Dialogue Magazine, Winter, 1998: "Large Print Music" is a new series of sheet music for people who are visually impaired.  For more information contact Stephen Development Company, 3542 Fair Oaks Lane, Longboat Key, FL 34228; 941-383-4398.  
	"Digital Talking Books:  Planning For The Future," a 72-page report outlining the scope of activity and steps required to develop digital talking books, was recently released by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  Copies are available in braille, large print, and on cassette and computer diskette from the Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542; 202-707-5100; E-mail nls@loc.gov.  
	Voice Diary is a full-featured, palm-size personal information manager with 30 minutes of recording time in a sophisticated database structure.  It is the first electronic organizer with a complete voice user interface for sight-free operation.  Use it as a daily "to-do" list, phone book, diary, and more.  Contact Voice Diary, Ltd., Misgav Technology Park, 20179, Israel, or on the Internet at www.voicediary.com.  You may also check with mail order companies in the U.S. for pricing and availability; 800-537-2118 or 800-322-4784.  
	The current "Speak To Me!" catalog of products offers many new items including the Uniden VoiceDial 900 MG-Z Cordless Telephone (a voice-recognition phone:  Just say the name and it dials the number for you after it has been programmed).  For more information contact Speak To Me! at 800-248-9965 or on the Internet at www.clickshop.com/speak/.  
	IBM Special Needs Systems announces the availability of the IBM Home Page Reader.  IBM Home Page Reader Version 2.0 for Windows takes Internet access for blind and visually impaired users to a dramatic new level.  In short, this innovative product is a spoken on-ramp to the Information highway.  By teaming up the tremendous capabilities of IBM's ViaVoice OutLoud (TM) text-to-speech, SAPI-compliant speech synthesizer and Netscape (TM) Navigator (TM), Home Page Reader orally communicates web-based information just as it is presented on the computer screen.  From graphics descriptions and text in column format to tables and data input fields, Home Page Reader audibly provides the complete information the user needs quickly and efficiently.  No extra hardware synthesizer to buy.  The user simply interacts with the computer using a basic numeric keypad in a Microsoft R Windows R environment.  Home Page Reader opens exciting new doors of opportunity to independently access the vast resources available on the Internet.  Home Page Reader became available in January, 1999.  To receive more information about Home Page Reader or any other IBM product for persons with disabilities, write or call IBM Special Needs Systems at 11400 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758; 800-426-4832.  
	From The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, April, 1999: Books on Vision Loss.  Ziegler reader Frances Lief Neer is the author of "Dancing In The Dark," a practical, down-to-earth approach to coping with loss of eyesight.  She also is editor of "Perceiving The Elephant--Living Creatively With Loss Of Vision."  This book includes essays by eye doctors, caregivers and counselors, teachers and others.  The books are available for $10.95 and $14.95, respectively, from the Creative Arts Book Co., 833 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, Ca 94710; 510-848-4777, or fax 510-848-4848.  
	Disability Radio Show.  "On a Roll" is a live weekly commercial radio talk show providing news, resources and discussion about disability lifestyles.  "On a Roll" airs Sunday nights at 9:05 p.m. Eastern time on the Talk America Radio Network and on the Internet at www.onarollradio.com.  "On a Roll" gives away software prizes to all its callers, courtesy of Microsoft, a major sponsor.  Call Greg Smith, "On a Roll"'s host, at 937-767-1838.  
	Entrepreneur.  Antoine McCracken is the totally blind CEO of Charm City Specialties, a wholesale distribution company specializing in the sale of personal alarms, fine jewelry and other accessories.  As a result of his business achievements, the Division of Rehabilitation Services (in his area) has presented Mr. McCracken with a Consumers Of The Year award.  He makes presentations on entrepreneurship at seminars, rehabilitation
centers and to individuals.  Call 877-282-4276.  

      


              LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 
               Barcing up the Right Tree, Part 1!

                 by Dan Kysor, Director
                CCB Governmental Affairs  

	At this writing, our three pieces of Legislation, SB858, SB1242 and AB685, are holding their own--passing unanimously through virtually all the committees in which they have been heard.  
	SB858 allows for SSDI recipients who have assistive dogs to receive the assistive dog food allowance.  SB1242, by Senator Deborah Ortiz, requires building inspectors to inspect for tactile signage in public buildings before a certificate of occupancy can be issued to the building owners.  Finally, AB685, by Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, calls for the certification of detectable warning products before they are sold, making sure that they meet existing regulations.  
	We are also monitoring other legislation of interest to the blind and visually impaired of California.  For more information on these bills, refer to the Spring, 1999, issue of The Blind Californian and monitor the California Connection 1-800-221-6359.
	I want to depart from my practice of describing pending legislation to discuss an unusual situation unfolding here in California.  Both consumer organizations of the blind and many agencies serving the blind and visually impaired have banded together in a common cause: to reform rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired individuals. 
	In an era of full employment and advanced technological opportunities, it is inexcusable that eligible blind and visually impaired persons wishing to go to work face an unemployment rate of 70% while the services received from rehabilitation counselors and trainers are sub-standard.  In most cases, the counselors and trainers have no knowledge of the unique needs of the blind and visually impaired, resulting in a job placement rate far below the national average.
	Because of this deplorable situation, which has actually gotten worse in the last few years, an alliance has been formed to push legislation for specialized, separate services to blind and visually impaired consumers.
	A two-part article will focus on the Blind Alliance for Rehabilitation Change (BARC)  In this first part I will explain the BARC position on the issue.  What we have is an incredible show of unity that must result in the blind and visually impaired residents of California going forward with this effort.   	
	Employment Services  What is the argument for presenting the case for providing vocational rehabilitation services by specialists in an identifiable administrative structure?  
	Would you want someone who knows nothing about driving a car to give you or your loved ones driver's training?  Would you go to someone unfamiliar with tax law to calculate your taxes?  Of course not!  Equally ridiculous and potentially dangerous is the practice of expecting trainers or counselors who are unfamiliar with the unique needs of people who are blind or visually impaired to teach skills of braille, independent travel with a white cane, career planning, or use of adaptive technology.  Instructors, counselors and their supervisors must be familiar with strategies and resources known to be successful in enabling blind or visually impaired persons to achieve independence and employment.  Otherwise the process is both ineffective and frustrating to those who need to learn these essential skills.  We therefore strongly recommend that legislation be enacted to establish a separate commission or similar administrative structure with specific authority and responsibility for providing training in employment and independent living skills to citizens of California who are blind or visually impaired.
	For several years, the number of job placements for Department of Rehabilitation clients who are blind or visually impaired has been significantly below that of most other states.  Resolutions and statements by membership organizations of blind persons have made it clear that rehabilitation services should be provided by specialists in the field of blindness.  
	Rationale   The benefits of a separate commission or department have been clearly established.  Where this paradigm exists, blind or visually impaired persons are much more likely to become tax payers rather than tax consumers.  People like Helen Keller and George Shearing would not have achieved what they did without the dedication, determination, and skills of teachers and counselors who had knowledge of how to help them.
	Twenty-four states have chosen to provide rehabilitation services through separately administered departments or commissions.  Two recent reports objectively demonstrate that rehabilitation agencies having personnel with specific training in working with persons with impaired vision in a separate department or commission are significantly more effective in assisting their clients in obtaining gainful employment.  (Mississippi State University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, 1998; National Accreditation Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 1996).
	It may appear that a unit serving the relatively small percentage of the population with limited vision costs more.  The studies already alluded to clearly indicate that the return on the investment is more than justified.  64% of the blind or severely visually impaired clients whose files were closed by states having separate agencies were considered to be self-supporting.  In contrast, only 46% of those closed by generic rehabilitation agencies achieved that status.  Clearly, the greater success rate shows that more tax revenue is generated by clients served by separate state agencies.  These reports also show that states with specialized services place greater numbers of totally blind people and blind/visually impaired individuals from ethnic and cultural minorities.  
	Despite these findings, a misconception exists among many government officials that large "umbrella" agencies are cheaper to administer.  These officials also believe that client outcomes are not negatively affected by a broad, generic approach to delivering rehabilitation services.
	Rehabilitation Services for the Blind in California:  An estimated 2.9% of Californians have vision loss significant enough to cause difficulty in reading standard print, with 0.6% unable to read any print at all.  Based on a population of 32 million, then, about 926,000 Californians are visually impaired.  With an annual budget of $372 million, the California Department of Rehabilitation is mandated to provide federal/state funded and regulated training leading to employment and independent living for persons with disabilities.  Of the total allotted, less than $23 million is designated for services to the blind and visually impaired.  While the exact dollar amounts are not available, the following are generally given as estimates:  $1,800,000 for operation of the State Orientation Center for the Blind, $10,700,000 for the Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program, $3,290,000 for salaries and fringe benefits for Rehabilitation counselors and counselor-teachers for the blind.  An additional $3-$5 million is allocated for purchase of services for visually impaired clients and for contracts with nonprofit organizations which provide services not offered directly by the Department of Rehabilitation.  There were no figures available for administrative overhead for these programs.
	For each of the past five years the Department has annually assisted 800 to 850 persons in achieving the goal of "homemaker".  While this laudable and federally recognized outcome enables visually impaired adults to live independently at home, it does not add or return the client to the general work force.
	Over the same five-year period, the Department's   rehabilitation counselors for the blind have assisted 150 to 180 blind or visually impaired persons to obtain full- or part-time employment.  This is less than 5 successful job placements per counselor.  Statistics from other states report an average of 10 to 12 clients per counselor placed in employment, with some states reporting even higher numbers.  The 10-12 placement figure is more than twice the rate for California.  
	For example, in 1997, the New York State Commission for the Blind, which has about the same number of rehabilitation counselors as does California, reported 397 persons placed in employment and 1302 achieving the homemaker status.  The state of Washington, with 10 vocational counselors serving blind persons, reported 100 persons placed in competitive employment at an average starting salary of $18,083.
	We believe California's poor employment outcomes are caused by insufficient information and lack of expertise for meeting the needs of blind persons among the Department's counselors, supervisors and administrators; little uniformity of resources throughout the state; and a general lack of emphasis given to achieving employment as an outcome for clients.
	Considering California's economic health; its unemployment rate of about 4%; the number of community-based agencies, access technology companies, and computer training programs available to serve persons with visual impairments, the state's Department of
Rehabilitation job placement rates should be significantly higher than they are.
	California has more than 30 nonprofit community agencies serving persons who are blind or visually impaired.  Annually, these agencies assist well over 60,000 persons through a wide range of services and training such as information and referral, use of low vision devices to maximize functional vision, braille, daily living skills, vocational and career planning, use of specially adapted computers and related access technology, and independent travel with a long cane or dog guide.  Most of the funding for these agencies--in excess of $40 million--is raised through contributions and grants from private sources.  The California Department of Rehabilitation purchases services from some of these agencies.  However, the portion of state/federal funds is small compared with the privately generated money.
	Consumers and service providers point to significant inconsistency in quality and level of services throughout the state, lack of responsiveness and misinformation by staff and bureaucratic delays.  What is needed is clear, decisive leadership focused on assisting blind and visually impaired persons to achieve employment.  California must do better!
	The undersigned are members of the Blind  Alliance for Rehabilitation Change; feel free to contact them for information and suggestions concerning the role you can play in solving this important problem.
	Cathie   Skivers, President, California Council of the Blind
	Jim Willows, President, National Federation of the Blind of California
	Bob Ralls, Executive Director, Foundation for the Junior Blind and Co-chair, California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired
	Anita Baldwin, Executive Director, Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Co-chair, California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired
	LaDonna Ringering, Executive Director, Center for the Partially Sighted
	Gil Johnson, Director, American Foundation for the Blind, San Francisco Office
	December, 1998






                         BULLETIN BOARD

                     Compiled by Keith Black

	"Getting in Touch with Braille Literacy," a national conference concerning the teaching, use, and promotion of braille, will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco, November 11-14, 1999.  The hotel rate is $109 single or double occupancy.  The conference registration fee of $185 covers registration, a reception, all workshops, the exhibits, and three meals.  The deadline for registering is October 1.  For further information, contact Barbara Maher, 650-328-5022.
	Our Special, the only braille magazine designed specifically for blind women, is seeking a new editor.  Anyone wishing to apply should send a letter to National Braille Press, in care of Our Special, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115 saying why she thinks she would be a good editor along with her qualifications for the position.  Factors to be considered are facility in reading and writing English braille, excellent grammar and computer skills, and a knowledge of and interest in women's issues.  The new editor will keep in touch with the Our Special staff; handle correspondence; read and select material for each issue; and inaugurate or eliminate magazine columns.  This is not a full-time position.  The compensation, which has not yet been determined, would supplement other income.  It is not necessary to live in commuting distance to NBP; phones, faxes, and e-mail make it possible for the editor to work from home.  
	From Dialogue Magazine, Winter, 1998: "Large Print Music" is a new series of sheet music for people who are visually impaired.  For more information contact Stephen Development Company, 3542 Fair Oaks Lane, Longboat Key, FL 34228; 941-383-4398.  
	"Digital Talking Books:  Planning For The Future," a 72-page report outlining the scope of activity and steps required to develop digital talking books, was recently released by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  Copies are available in braille, large print, and on cassette and computer diskette from the Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542; 202-707-5100; E-mail nls@loc.gov.  
	Voice Diary is a full-featured, palm-size personal information manager with 30 minutes of recording time in a sophisticated database structure.  It is the first electronic organizer with a complete voice user interface for sight-free operation.  Use it as a daily "to-do" list, phone book, diary, and more.  Contact Voice Diary, Ltd., Misgav Technology Park, 20179, Israel, or on the Internet at www.voicediary.com.  You may also check with mail order companies in the U.S. for pricing and availability; 800-537-2118 or 800-322-4784.  
	The current "Speak To Me!" catalog of products offers many new items including the Uniden VoiceDial 900 MG-Z Cordless Telephone (a voice-recognition phone:  Just say the name and it dials the number for you after it has been programmed).  For more information contact Speak To Me! at 800-248-9965 or on the Internet at www.clickshop.com/speak/.  
	IBM Special Needs Systems announces the availability of the IBM Home Page Reader.  IBM Home Page Reader Version 2.0 for Windows takes Internet access for blind and visually impaired users to a dramatic new level.  In short, this innovative product is a spoken on-ramp to the Information highway.  By teaming up the tremendous capabilities of IBM's ViaVoice OutLoud (TM) text-to-speech, SAPI-compliant speech synthesizer and Netscape (TM) Navigator (TM), Home Page Reader orally communicates web-based information just as it is presented on the computer screen.  From graphics descriptions and text in column format to tables and data input fields, Home Page Reader audibly provides the complete information the user needs quickly and efficiently.  No extra hardware synthesizer to buy.  The user simply interacts with the computer using a basic numeric keypad in a Microsoft R Windows R environment.  Home Page Reader opens exciting new doors of opportunity to independently access the vast resources available on the Internet.  Home Page Reader became available in January, 1999.  To receive more information about Home Page Reader or any other IBM product for persons with disabilities, write or call IBM Special Needs Systems at 11400 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758; 800-426-4832.  
	From The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, April, 1999: Books on Vision Loss.  Ziegler reader Frances Lief Neer is the author of "Dancing In The Dark," a practical, down-to-earth approach to coping with loss of eyesight.  She also is editor of "Perceiving The Elephant--Living Creatively With Loss Of Vision."  This book includes essays by eye doctors, caregivers and counselors, teachers and others.  The books are available for $10.95 and $14.95, respectively, from the Creative Arts Book Co., 833 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, Ca 94710; 510-848-4777, or fax 510-848-4848.  
	Disability Radio Show.  "On a Roll" is a live weekly commercial radio talk show providing news, resources and discussion about disability lifestyles.  "On a Roll" airs Sunday nights at 9:05 p.m. Eastern time on the Talk America Radio Network and on the Internet at www.onarollradio.com.  "On a Roll" gives away software prizes to all its callers, courtesy of Microsoft, a major sponsor.  Call Greg Smith, "On a Roll"'s host, at 937-767-1838.  
	Entrepreneur.  Antoine McCracken is the totally blind CEO of Charm City Specialties, a wholesale distribution company specializing in the sale of personal alarms, fine jewelry and other accessories.  As a result of his business achievements, the Division of Rehabilitation Services (in his area) has presented Mr. McCracken with a Consumers Of The Year award.  He makes presentations on entrepreneurship at seminars, rehabilitation
centers and to individuals.  Call 877-282-4276.  

      
	HUGE SURPLUS AMASSED BY GUIDE DOG CHARITY

	Submitted by Dan Kysor

	Critics Say Group Sitting on Too Much Wealth

	by David Sietz

	(Chronicle Staff Writer; Wednesday, May 12, 1999, San Francisco 
     While many charities struggle to stay afloat, San Rafael's 
venerable Guide Dogs for the Blind never had it so good. The school, North America's leading facility for teaming
the visually impaired with dog guides, has accumulated so much unspent money that critics say the operation is abusing its tax-exempt status while shortchanging the blind.  
     To the chagrin of state charity regulators and some benefactors and former students, the school wound up last year with more than twice as much money as it needed.  It spent $21 million but still had nearly $24 million left over--at least the fifth consecutive year of hefty surpluses.
     With the extra cash year after year, Guide Dogs has amassed a bulging endowment that now totals about $200 million--far surpassing those of many of the Bay Area's top charities.  The renowned Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, for example, does not even have an endowment, while the fund at San Francisco's Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, another major benefactor of the inner-city needy, totals only $16.7 million.  
     While Guide Dogs' wealth-building breaks no laws, regulators and organizations that monitor charities dislike heavy stockpiling of cash.  The National Charities Information Bureau, which sets standards for giving, advises donors to be wary of organizations that generally hold in reserve more than two years' spending.  Guide Dogs has set aside an amount of money that would cover its operations for about 10 years.
     "The point is that you shouldn't be accumulating money . . . if you're not going to spend it," said bureau spokesman Dan Langan.
     School officials defend the organization's riches, saying they are trying to perpetuate the operation and need to hedge against investment losses that would harm the endowment.  They also forecast that the number of students will grow as the general population ages.
     "This is acting as prudent managers," said Richard Graffis, an investment adviser who chairs Guide Dogs' board of directors.      But some critics say that the school, which was formed to help blinded servicemen during World War II, is run these days more like a business than a benevolent nonprofit organization and that
it seems more intent on enriching itself than trying to determine what more it can do to help the blind.  
     "Hoarding doesn't do anybody any good," said Yeoryios Apallas, a deputy attorney general in the state Department of Justice's charitable trust division.  "Given the incredible needs of the sight-challenged, I cannot believe that these funds
cannot be used more effectively."
     The size of Guide Dogs' endowment is all the more startling, critics say, because last year the school graduated only 354 students and did not fill all its classes.  It also must compete with nine other such schools for a relatively small number of students. 
     According to the American Federation for the Blind, the
nation's blind population of 1.1 million is growing only slightly, and fewer than 10,000 use dogs.  Far more--about 130,000--use canes, according to the federation.  While California law puts no limits on nonprofit organizations reserving funds; state regulators operate by the standard that charities exist to give away money, not to save it.  Occasionally, officials will put pressure on organizations they consider to be violating a public trust. ...
     Particularly upsetting to some critics is that, despite the size of its endowment, Guide Dogs continues to solicit public contributions energetically.  The school, popular with donors since its founding in 1942, took in $16 million in bequests and donations last year--a rate of $44,000 a day.  No one quarrels with Guide Dogs' achievements, which have been captured in stories many times.  Started in a rented house in 1942, the school, now headquartered at an immaculate 11-acre
campus spotted with willows and Japanese maples, has developed a devoted following among former students and donors.
	It has trained 8,000 blind people in the use of yellow Labrador retrievers and other breeds--free of charge--then continued to support its graduates, affording them free counseling and even paying some of their veterinary expenses.
     And the public has responded enthusiastically, giving twice as much in 1998 to Guide Dogs as the next largest training school received.  Many contributors are spurred by the sight of the school's alert and well-groomed dogs being trained on streets surrounding the organization's campuses in San Rafael and outside Portland, Oregon.
     One of Guide Dogs' strongest defenders is Morgan Watkins, associate director of academic computing at the University of Texas at Austin, who attended the school and now serves on its board.
     "As I sit here and rest my hand on my golden retriever and reflect on the many times I've been on campus, I think I can say that the services we provide are excellent," he said.  "Are there ways to improve?  There are always ways, and we are trying to do that with constant review."
     Critics, however, complain that by soliciting donations at a time when Guide Dogs is already earning more money than it can use, the school is misleading the public and diverting charitable donations from needier causes.
     "It would seem to me that anybody who has more than enough revenue from an endowment to run its operation should not be out there fund-raising," said Ed Eames, a blind Fresno author and co-writer with his wife, Toni, of a book on dog guide schools.  "When do you let other guys get in and get part of the pot?"
     Besides, some researchers say, the number of people with visual impairments may not necessarily grow as the population gets older.
     Medical advances in areas such as cataract surgery and treatment of diabetes, a leading cause of blindness, could reduce visual handicaps.  And even if the blind population does increase, the proportion of the sight-impaired who are drawn to the idea of using dogs will not necessarily rise, especially with increasing self-sufficiency generated by the computer age, observers say.
     "The fact is we don't really know what's going on," said Emilie Schmeidler, senior research associate with the American Foundation for the Blind.
     Guide Dogs said it has no evidence to back up its growth prediction and is primarily banking on trends.  The school has begun research to get better answers, officials there said.
     While sympathetic to the charity's desire to save money for a rainy day, critics implore the school to attend more to the current needs of the blind, even if it means altering the charity's charter to branch out beyond dog guide training.
     "The future for a charity is today--to take care of the needs of their constituents," said Apallas, the state charity regulator.  "All they need is to be a little more creative." ...
     But Richard Bobb, Guide Dog's president and chief executive officer, rejected any likelihood in the foreseeable future that the school would branch out, arguing that the organization has more than enough on its hands to train dogs and pair them with students.  "Our mission is relevant," he said.
	Apallas said the state has no authority to force Guide Dogs to spend more of its resources, but it could raise its concerns with school officials.  Regulators cited the wealth issue in their 1994 letter, but there was no apparent follow-up.
     "Excess revenue accumulated during the year seems high," Larry Campbell, registrar of charitable trusts, wrote to the school at the time.  "Determine if more excess income can be used to provide more current public benefits."
     There was no response from Guide Dogs on file with the Justice Department, and current school officials said they were unaware of the state's inquiry.
     In any event, the letter has had no apparent effect on Guide Dogs, which has continued to accumulate surpluses. ...
     Controversy is not new to Guide Dogs.  It was criticized several years ago for being slow to put blind people on its staff and board of directors and for treating some blind staff members dismissively.  It rejects the accusations.  
     Currently, five of the school's 235-member staff and four of its 18 directors are blind.  There are no blind people in top management.
     The school also was caught in a 1994 imbroglio over construction of its $14 million Oregon campus.  Critics accused Guide Dogs of heavy-handedness in winning local government approval of the project, and the school, despite its wealth, persuaded the state of Oregon to help provide it with a low-interest building loan from a bank. ... 
     With the opening of the Oregon campus, the staff has nearly doubled and management costs have jumped 185 percent in the past five years.  Three of Guide Dogs' top managers earn more than $100,000 a year, and Bobb received a 14% raise last year, bringing his annual salary to $200,000.
     Fund-raising costs have also increased, even as the endowment ballooned.  The school spent $796,171 on development last year, up 10 percent, in line with a campaign to increase donations.  The $16 million in combined bequests and donations received last year was up about 30 percent from 1997.  
     "Part of the reason I was brought here is to keep the bar high," said Bobb, a former leasing company executive.
     Some of Guide Dogs' competitors yearn to have it so good.
     "We obviously wish we could have that budget," said Don Robinson, executive director of Guide Dogs of the Desert, a small, innovative Palm Springs-area school that strains each year to meet a spending program of just under $1 million.
     "Its a struggle.  It's nonstop."      
	As Guide Dogs' wealth is scrutinized, critics note that England's largest dog guide school was under similar fire four years ago, resulting in the British government drawing up strict rules forbidding cash stockpiling by charities while asking the public for money.
     Robert Gnaizda, a San Francisco public interest lawyer who has sued rich charities, holds the view that organizations like Guide Dogs should be subject to periodic state review to determine whether they are fulfilling their mission and enjoying community support.
     "The state would have much greater authority to look into expenses and might take into account if charities hoarded," Gnaizda said.  "This would be a check against the wealthy getting wealthier." ...


	                   HOW DO YOU LIVE YOUR DASH?

                           Anonymous

     (Editor's note: This poem was read by Obbie Shoeman to open
the first session of the Spring, 1999, convention of the California Council of the Blind in Sacramento, California.) 

I read of a man who stood to speak 
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years. (1900-1970)

For that dash represents all the time 
That she spent alive on earth 
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth. 
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars--the house--the cash. 
What matters is how we live and love 
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.  
If we could just slow down enough 
To consider what's true and real, 
And always try to understand 
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more 
And love the people in our lives 
We've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect, 
And more often wear a smile-- 
Remembering that this special dash 
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash--
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash? 


	THE VOLUNTEERS OF VACAVILLE

	(Editor's note):  This material was taken from from a brochure circulated by the Volunteers of Vacaville.)
	Who Are We?  Housed inside the California Medical Facility, a state prison, we are an organization dedicated to producing materials to aid those who are vision and physically impaired.  Since our conception in 1960 we have transcribed over 80 million feet of tape. The Volunteers of Vacaville, (VOV), is a privately funded organization, thus receiving no money from state or federal sources.  Instead, we rely solely on contributions from private individuals and public service organizations, as well as modest membership fees.  Presently, the VOV has limited its efforts to:
	* Transcribing printed material onto audio tape.
	* Duplicating book titles from our library.
	* Service for repair of the Perkins Braille Writers.

	A Brief History:  We began as a cooperative effort between the staff and inmates at California Medical Facility (CMF) after we were contacted by Betty Brundo, former coordinator of the Volunteer Transcribing Service of San Mateo.  Mrs. Brundo contacted CMF Superintendent Ellis Savides seeking assistance in meeting the growing demand for transcription of printed material onto audio tape.  Mr. Savides enlisted the aid of Lieutenants Jim Boling and Ben Jarvis as well as Sergeant Jim Todd.  These staff
members immediately set about procuring the equipment and funding necessary to begin.  A call for help was extended to the inmate population, and approximately 50 inmates responded, 18 of whom were able to meet the reading skills and voice quality requirements.  Others were chosen to serve the administrative needs of the organization.
	Aural Media Services:  The heart of our organization is transcribing written material onto audio tape.  Transcribing
requires the greatest portion of manpower, space and resources.  Our annual output is balanced between transcription of new titles requested by clients (3,000 to 4,000 hours of literary works), and duplication of titles already listed in our catalog of "Books on Tape."
	Most of our general members also participate in our Monthly Book Club Program.  The program includes the automatic production and mailing of either a fiction or non-fiction best seller, or both.  Unless we hear from you stating otherwise, you will automatically receive one fiction and one non-fiction book each month.  The titles are chosen by the staff of the Volunteers of Vacaville.
	Who Qualifies for Our Service?  Anyone who is unable to read or use standard printed materials because of visual impairments or physical limitations is eligible for VOV programs.  A survey sponsored by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) found that two million persons with some degree of visual impairments may be eligible; and another million with physical conditions such as paralysis, missing arms and hands, lack of muscle coordination, or prolonged weakness could benefit from the use of reading materials in recorded form.
	"Books on Tape" Catalog:  Our "Books on Tape" catalog features over 2000 books in numerous categories including adult fiction, children's books, westerns, science fiction, mysteries, romance, fantasy, and many, many more!  
	General Membership:  The cost of a general membership is $30 per year.  Benefits of a membership include the following:
	Submission of 4 books per year for transcription.
	Membership in our monthly book club.
	Duplication of three books per month from our "Books on Tape" catalog.  	
	Non-members:  Non-members may enjoy our services as well.  The prices for non-members are as follows: 
	Transcription of personal fiction books: $5 flat fee plus $1 per track
	Transcription of personal non-fiction books: $5 flat fee plus $2 per track.
	Duplication order from our catalog: $10. flat fee per book; ($5 for children's books).
	Textbook and Classroom Material:  The Volunteers of Vacaville serve public schools, colleges and universities by reading classroom or course textbooks.  We are dedicated to doing  our part in assisting educational advancement. 	
	Brailler Repair Service:  We continue to service and repair all models of the Perkins Braille Writers.  A complex
machine of many intricate assemblies, it should be cleaned, lubricated and adjusted at least once every two years.  For $25 our service technician will have a machine functioning smoothly. 
	If parts are needed, we charge a minimal 10% over the factory cost.  Finished braillers are generally returned to the customer within five working days. To ensure your satisfaction, we guarantee our labor with a 90-day warranty.
	Packaging is important during mailing.  In order to meet postal requirements during shipping, a brailler box must be used.  If you do not have such a container, send your brailler in any box.  You will be charged $8.80 for a proper box when the machine is returned to you.  We encourage you to keep the box to use for future shipping.  Remember, the box is labeled "Free Matter For The Blind."
	Who Serves the Clients? Dedication by the Volunteers of Vacaville is the key to a thirty-nine-year record of success!  How dedicated are the men who work in this program? Who and what kind of people are serving you today?  The Volunteers of Vacaville have a full-time staff of 16 inmates working as readers, monitors, duplicating technicians, administrative clerks, brailler technicians and an inmate coordinator.  The staff comes from all walks of life; they are people who are paying a debt to society.  A bond exists that ties them together with a common desire to improve a difficult situation in order to better themselves and the world in which they live.
	A spirit of giving and concern pervades the Volunteers of Vacaville, allowing them to give more than they imagined they were capable of doing.  They learn to give freely of time and energy; and see how giving has its rewards.  The usual recidivism rate in prisons is rising; but among former project volunteers fewer than 15% have returned.   


Volunteers of Vacaville
Post Office Box 670
Vacaville, CA 9696-0670
(707)448-6841 Ext. 2044, Monday-Friday, 8AM-2PM


	MY VISIT TO THE ARIZONA STATE CONVENTION

	by Barbara Kron

	Since I am a resident of both California and Arizona and have been active with the California Council for the last fifteen years, I really miss that involvement during the months that I am in Yuma.  As Yuma is in the southern part of Arizona and the Arizona Council is active only in the northern part of the state, I am at least a 3- or 4-hour drive each way to attend a meeting--not a practical option for me.  
	This year, probably because of my constant complaints to the Arizona Delegation at the national conventions, I was invited to attend the Arizona state convention and to participate as a panel member.  The panel dealt with coping with visual loss in later life.  Led by Ruth Druden, a peer counselor, it consisted of three people with different types of eye problems.  I was fascinated as the subject developed because, before the program was over, my husband Del, who had never before attended any meeting of the organized blind, was being questioned by both the audience and the panel about how he was coping with my visual loss.  He spoke of the time we were in Laughlin, Nevada, and I thought two cement trucks were covered wagons.  He emphasized the fact that a sense of humor is a vital part of companionship and life.
	The Arizona convention this year was only a 1-day meeting, held in Phoenix at the School for Blind Children.  The Arizona Council is small; but what it lacks in size, it makes up in enthusiasm. 
	The morning session started at 8:30 with a continental breakfast.  Introductions were made, at which time I gave a greeting from the California Council and urged everyone to attend the national convention in Los Angeles this summer.
 	I found the general sessions much the same as ours, dealing with the usual political and social issues.  
	During our first break, we were greeted by the children and each of us was assigned a tour guide to show us the school.  My guide was a 13-year-old girl named Sandy, who was a real charmer.  she had been at the school for only a little over a year, having lost her sight because of detached retinas in both eyes.  My husband was lucky enough to have two guides, a boy and a girl, both third graders, who immediately announced that they were boyfriend and girlfriend and showed him their friendship rings which they had got out of Cracker Jack.  
	The school serves children 2-18 and is primarily an after-school and week-end facility for the school-aged children who are mainstreamed into public school during the week.  I visited the technical center, where there were several computers; printers, both large print and braille; and many other interesting things.   I wanted to learn more, but there was still lots to see--an extensive braille library, therapy rooms, class rooms, a multi-purpose room, playground and a large assortment of beautiful sculptures and other hands-on items.  Our tour was over much too soon.
	We were given a working lunch while continuing with the general session.
	In the evening, we went to Carlos O'Brian's, a lovely Mexican restaurant where we were able to order from the regular menu.  The evening's entertainer played guitar and sang folk songs while we were eating.  After dinner, we heard a dynamic speaker who is a mobility instructor and then came the awarding of scholarships, the most interesting and inspiring of which was presented to a 91-year-old man who is enrolled at the University of Arizona.  One of the requirements for receiving a scholarship is that the candidate must show his/her registration and class schedule. 
	The whole experience was lovely, costing only $50 for two people, including registration, breakfast, lunch and dinner,--and we both won door prizes.  I can hardly wait until next year!



	THE HISTORY OF ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, Part 1

	(Editor's note: The following excerpt is reprinted, with permission, from the March/April, 1998, issue of the Blinded Veterans of America (BVA) Bulletin.  Since many of the individuals who were prominent in researching and establishing orientation and mobility as a blindness skill are advancing in years; and there is, therefore, a real danger that this material may one day not be available, it is important to present and retain it now.)  
	The use of the cane or the staff by the blind dates back to antiquity, but the organized study of cane use is perhaps as recent as the last half of the last century.  Cane technique, as we have come to know it today with the use of the Long Cane, dates back to World War II.  This is roughly fifty years ago.  The prime mover in the technique, Richard Hoover, a man of remarkable talent, died in 1986.  
	The roots of blind mobility are often attributed to the Old Testament.  The concern for the blind is traced to Deuterononomy XXVII, 18: "Cursed be he that maketh the blind wander out of his way, and all the people shall say Amen."  The use of the staff by the blind has its roots in Greek Mythology.  "The ancient prophet Teresias was deprived of sight for an offense against the gods; he was compassioned by the goddess Charicolo, who in pity for his misfortune gave him a staff by which he could conduct his steps with as much safety as if he had use of his eyesight."  In the Biography of the Blind, James Wilson (1835) offers these observations on the use of a cane.  "A blind man inclines to the hand in which the staff is carried, and this often has a tendency to lead him astray when he travels on a road with which he is unacquainted."  
	Wilson goes on to describe the establishment of The Asylum of the Blind in Belfast in the year 1800.  If a formalized program for cane instruction existed there, it was not made clear by Wilson.  The first formalized system of cane travel was offered by William Hanks Levy (1872) in "Blindness and Blind."  Levy's basic technique was as follows: "The cane is held
in the right hand.  It is held vertically six inches in front of the user.  The hand grasps the hook (crook) of the stick, protecting the hand with the body of the cane."  (Note that a straight cane would not be usable with this method.)  "Before starting, the stick should gently sweep the ground in front.   While in motion the user waves the stick from left to right in step with the feet."
	Levy's system also includes the need for use of the other senses.  Hearing detects the approach of people and things.  Smell helps detect landmarks, and the use of thin shoes literally helps the traveler get the feel of the terrain.  
	The qualities of the stick are also addressed.  It needs to be light but not elastic, so impressions can be transmitted.  The  handle must be like a hook.  Height should vary with the individual, though no measuring system is offered.  Levy's (1872) method for obstacle exploration is almost identical to today's use of a cane.  However, his true innovation in cane use came in detecting drop-offs and steps.  "When steps, or other hindrances are anticipated, the stick should be advanced to its full length, so as to perceive at the earliest possible moment, the circumstances of the position."  This is the first recorded use of the cane extended as a probe or bumper.  Levy did not,  however, advocate truly independent travel.  This is made clear in his descriptions of street crossings: "Comparatively quiet streets may be crossed without a guide, but those of considerable traffic should not be attempted.  Just touching a first passer--asking him to lead you across the street--is better than risking your neck."  
	After Levy, the next observations in cane travel came 24 years later by E.F.B. Robinson (1896) in his book, The True Sphere of the Blind.  His actual cane technique, though novel, did not prove as useful as Levy's; however, his observations on travel and the traveler were most insightful.  Robinson's cane technique calls for a straight stick.  To start, the traveler taps the edge of a sidewalk for the first few steps to draw a straight line of travel.  To hold the line of travel, Robinson notes that the traveler must walk erect and quickly.  
	The following describes the actual use of the cane: "As he is in a quiet part of town, he walks rapidly and balances his cane immediately in front of him, keeping it oscillating like the pendulum of the clock to guard his shins and knees."  Robinson made other observations about traveling in the environment.  He noted that people by "tacit agreement" walk down the right side of the sidewalk.  Like Levy, he also stresses the feeling of the surface by the feet of the traveler.  For the cane itself, he suggests steel.  Despite the fact that it is heavy, its durability and conductivity qualities are extolled.  
	World War I gave the world the first experiment with mass casualties in this century.  The British rehabilitated their war blind at St. Dunstan's.  Sir Arnold Lawson (1922), in describing the blinded soldier in his book War Blindness at St. Dunstan's gives us a psychological insight into the newly blind: "When sight is first lost, the patient is plunged into an intellectual abyss.  He finds, or rather fancies himself, completely dependent on others for everything.  He cannot walk, eat, or amuse himself; his every action seems to necessitate an appeal for help."  
	To combat these problems, a mobility system was developed.  Lawson describes it as follows: "Thus to enable him to find his way about the building, narrow strips of carpet, the edges of which can be detected by the stick which each man is provided, are laid along the corridors; and handrails where necessary afford further help, whilst stairs are indicated by patches of rubber or wood which feet instantly detect."  This would seem to indicate the British supported an organized use of the cane for mobility.  
	Perhaps this statement by Sir Arthur Pearson (1921), a blinded war veteran and later the person in charge of St. Dunstan's, will shed light on cane use.  "Not long after my sight went, I gave up the use of one unless I was walking by myself in a place I didn't know well or I was going for a tramp over rough country.  I am quite sure that I got along much better without than I did when I depended upon one.  I walked more naturally and felt more confident.  The experience of the men of St. Dunstan's who accustomed themselves to this habit agreed with mine."  Surprisingly, Pearson described a fairly sophisticated cane technique.  It includes point forward, with occasional tap side to side.  He advocates occasional sideways tap along the curb or the wall at the side of the walk to draw a line of travel.  Though he sees the cane as the elongation of the arm, he warns that a heavy cane is a reminder of a beggar.  This theme is an important one in acceptance of cane use.  Observations of the environment were also made.  He cautions the blind traveler to pay sharp attention to the dip in the road prior to reaching the curb.  He also warns that horse drawn carts may mask the approaching noise of fast cars.  
	In the late 1920's Seeing Eye came into  being.  In the thirties, a young instructor, Richard Hoover, at the Maryland School for the Blind, had asked the Principal, Warren Bledsoe, if he could experiment with independent travel using a cane.   The answer at that time was no, but World War II would forever change the field of mobility.  
	A special committee was created by The Office of the Surgeon General in the Spring and Summer of 1942 to investigate agencies for the blind in America and overseas.  It was believed the war was certain to create many newly blinded servicemen.  On May 28, 1943, Valley Forge and Letterman General Hospitals were designated the special treatment centers for blind casualties.  Pooling its patients also meant pooling its resources.  The Army put out its call in the ranks and to civilians to recruit personnel with experience working with the blind.  This is how people like Richard Hoover and Warren Bledsoe, Jr. found their way to Valley Forge.
	Two other individuals played significant roles at Valley Forge.  Father Thomas Carroll, affectionately known as "the blind priest," was a frequent visitor to Valley Forge and chaplain at Avon (Old Farms).  Kathern Gruber was in charge of the program for the war blinded for the American Foundation for the Blind.  Both would become members of the Veteran Administration's Citizen Advisory Committee and play key roles in the establishment of the VA's Blind Rehabilitation Center at Hines.  Initially, the Army believed the VA would receive discharged servicemen and complete their rehabilitation.  In his account of Army rehabilitation of blind servicemen, Colonel James Greer suggests that it was believed the VA would establish an institution similar to St. Dunstan's.  However, the VA refused to do this.  The matter was temporarily resolved on January 8, 1944, when President Roosevelt made the Army the office of primary responsibility to establish a servicing institution for blinded servicemen.  
	(Editor's Note: The VA was in the midst of a huge scandal that was being Congressionally investigated when World War II broke out.  All this action was tabled.  In the light of these major problems, it is not shocking they refused to become the sole source provider of blind rehab, a daunting task if one expected World War I type casualties.  After the war Omar Bradley, a five-star general, was appointed to head the VA and clean up the problems.)  
	The VA did obtain Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut in Spring, 1944, and opened on May 21, 1944, as Old Farms Convalescent Home.  Veterans were to go here for follow-up on training after their Army rehabilitation.  
	On August 25, 1944, Dibble General Hospital (present-day Menlo Park) replaced Letterman.  Colonel Greer was Chief Ophthalmologist and Hoover's commanding officer at Valley Forge.  In recounting the Army's rehabilitation efforts for the blind in an article in "Outlook for the Blind" (1946), he describes how a soldier would learn orientation, "He was expected to learn fairly quickly to get around alone with and without a cane; to travel easily with people; to get in and out of automobiles, buses and trains; to go up and down stairs and escalators; to go through revolving doors; to walk along unfamiliar streets, following directions; and to explore unfamiliar terrain by using his cane...."  
	In discussing Avon, Greer makes no mention of orientation.	Russell Williams offers a far more telling description: "Avon, at the outset of its establishment, held that a cane was not necessary, modifying this doctrine to some extent as time went on with regard to downtown travel, but always appearing to ascribe some particular virtue to avoidance of its use whenever possible."  Warren Bledsoe recounts that the Saturday Evening Post did an article on Avon entitled "They Learn to See at Avon Farms."  The use of facial vision was the topic.  The Office of the Surgeon General got involved in favor of the Valley Forge Program.  In the summer of 1945, they dispatched an orientor from Valley Forge to Dibble to train staff.  This was to ensure that service-members reached Avon trained in cane use already.  
	The Mobility Program at Valley Forge really got off the ground when casualties began to mount as the Normandy invasion began in mid-1944.  Richard Hoover in his writing recalls that one day at a staff meeting at Valley Forge, someone said: "Does anyone here think the blind people in America do a good job getting around?  I think they do a poor job."  However, Bledsoe recalls the scene quite differently.  After the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944, the topic of discussion at a staff meeting was the supposed shattered morale of the newly received blinded soldiers.  It was Hoover who said: "I think the first thing they need to know is how to get around.  People say blind people in this country do a good job of getting around.  I don't think they do a good job.  They do a hell of a poor job."  	This may have offended some of the staff in the room, but it did prompt then Lieutenant Colonel Greer to examine the possibility of Orientation Training.  By this time Hoover was ready to offer a formal practical course of training.  Colonel Henry Beuuwkes, Hospital Commander, was impressed with Hoover's proposal.  He not only agreed to adopting his Long Cane training, but to allowing  screening and selection of instructors, and the necessary manpower to allow effective training.  The following curriculum comes from a 1946 article written by Hoover.
	Rehabilitation of the blind was slated for 16 weeks, but Valley Forge was a treatment center which could extend the time of a soldier's stay.  The orientation consisted of 98 hours and was broken down as follows: 1) Travel (20 hours), 2) Special Methods (12 hours), 3) Demonstrations (12 hours), 4) Sports (12 hours), 5) Background Lectures (12 hours), 6) Discussion (10 hours), 7) Detail Duty (6 hours), 8) Tests (8 hours).  
	To travel independently the use of five natural aids was taught.  They included sound, touch, scent, muscular sensation and obstacle sensation.  Hoover remarks that the first three were depended upon most, the last two the least.  
	(Part 2 of this article will appear in the Fall issue of The Blind Californian.) 


	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
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; 650-969-1688

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

Brian Hall: 5722 Abraham Ave., Westminster, CA 92683; 714-894-3497 

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

Daveed Mandell: 1981 Francisco, #7A, Berkeley, CA 94709-2105; 
510-665-9260



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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