



                         THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



                      Quarterly Magazine of the 

                    CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND



Spring, 2002, Volume 46, No. 2



      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
                            e-mail ccotb@earthlink.net
                           Fax: 510-537-7830
                           www.ccbnet.org



                 Los Angeles Area Office, John Lopez 
             3925 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90023 
                             323-780-3500


                   Sacramento Area Office, Dan Kysor
                       225 15th St. 
                         West Sacramento, CA 95691
                             
                            916-371-1514
                                                 Fax 916-371-7630
                       E-mail dan@ccbnet.org 


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 wmdowning@mindspring.com




Call the CALIFORNIA CONNECTION at 800-221-6359 for an update on
legislation and CCB events Monday through Friday after 4 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

PROPOSED RULES FOR FREE MATTER, by Melanie
     Brunson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

TESTING FOR BLIND STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA . . . . . . . . . . . .9

WILL WE STILL BE ABLE TO READ BRAILLE TOMORROW, by Norma 
     Schecter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CAREER CONNECTIONS: JOB SEARCH ETIQUETTE, by
     Catherine Schmitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

AN UNUSUAL VISITOR, by Evelyn Drury  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

SENIORS IN ACTION: THOSE FAMILY CONNECTIONS,
     YOUR CHANCE TO HELP, by Bonnie Rennie . . . . . . . . . . 17

CONGRESSMAN STENY H. HOYER ON THE ADA, 
     submitted by Sue Ammeter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

BULLETIN BOARD, compiled by Keith Black  . . . . . . . . . . . 21

DOOR ENTRY SYSTEM FOR THE DISABLED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

LIBRARY USERS BOOK LIST, by Winifred Downing . . . . . . . . . 27

REHABILITATION TEACHING IN THE SUBARCTIC, by 
     Susan Ponchillia  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE: WORKING YOUR GUIDE DOG ON 
     CAMPUS, by Sheila Styron  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

AROUND THE STATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

CCB OFFICERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 

ccb publlications committee  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 


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 be made to discuss the matter with the author
before publication. 




                         FROM THE EDITOR

                       by Winifred Downing

     As Cathie Skivers tells you in the next article, some of the
regular contributors to THE BLIND  CALIFORNIAN are not included
this month, leaving me space in which I indulged my own
preference.
     No one now in CCB knew my husband Glenn, for he died 29
years ago.  During some of his high school years, he had lived in
the Arctic, for his father was a military man assigned to a joint
outpost of the American and Canadian armies who were
experiementing with how items of clothing, food, and equipment
performed in extremely cold temperatures.  
     There were few young people and no school for Glenn to
attend; but he loved reminiscing about his team of sled dogs, the
"honey bucket" that was the toilet and froze solid each night,
and a priest named Father Philippe of the Servite order who
ministered to the religious needds of the natives.  
     You know, then, why I was drawn to the long article about
rehabilitation teaching in the Arctic.  I hope you will enjoy it,
too.
     The deadline for the summer issue of the BC is June 1.


                PRESIDENT'S CORNER, SPRING, 2002

                      by Catherine Skivers

     Time moves so fast that the day for getting my report to THE
BLIND CALIFORNIAN came very quickly.  This report may be a bit
longer than some because there is a great deal going on in CCB
that you need to know about; and our Governmental Affairs
Director, Dan Kysor, and Federal Legislation Committee Chair,
Ahmad Rahman, won't be having any articles in this issue.
     Dan is doing a search of the bills that have been advanced
to see which ones affect the blind and visually impaired.  We are
continuing to work on SB105 by Senator John Burton of San
Francisco.  It became necessary to amend this bill from one
calling for a Commission to one requiring a Division.  As most of
you probably have heard by now, the state of California has a
serious budget problem.  The figure is in the billions.  No bill
will be considered if it calls for money; and, because  Governor
Gray Davis does not look favorably upon boards or commissions, we
decided to seek a Division of Blind and Visually Impaired people. 
SB105 is not expected to be heard until sometime in April. 
     Budget items are taking precedence on being heard right now,
but please keep listening to the California Connection for the
date when the bill is scheduled for hearing.  Dan is sending out
a tape with a wrap-up of last year's legislation, and we will be
getting information to you on which bills in the present session
we will be following.    
     Ahmad Rahman asked that you all contact the Washington
Connection, at 800-424-8666, for the latest updates on Federal
Legislation.  Ahmad has been preparing to attend the ACB
Legislative Seminar held the first weekend in March.  Also taking
the trip to Washington on behalf of CCB are Jeff Thom, Jane
Kardas, Peter Pardini, Barbara Rhodes, Ardis Bazyn, and Sheila
Styron.  Frank Welte is going to represent the Visually Impaired
Data Processors affiliate but will be calling on California
legislators with all our representatives.  I know that these
people will do a great job.  
     One of the things they will be talking about is that
Visudyne, a medication which helps many people with macular
degeneration, is not available through Medicare.  This is a
serious matter that we in CCB and ACB will endeavor to help
correct.  You'll be hearing more about legislation at the
convention as well as in the next BC.  
     In my time as your President, I have attended many 
functions of all kinds.  On February 21st I was privileged to be
one of the judges at a Braille Bee which was held at the
California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont.  Beginning,
intermediate, and advanced braille learners participated in a
Braille Bee, an idea originated five years ago, by Annie Gelles,
the braille teacher, and Mary Ann McBee, a volunteer parent.  
     Students were given a card with a braille word which they
had to spell and to say what braille signs or contractions were
used in the word.  The winner in each category was given a plaque
with his or her name in braille and print.  Stuart Wittenstein,
Superintendent of CSB, is having all the names engraved on a
plaque kept in the administration building.  
     What the students liked most, though,  was the rest of their
prize which was to have lunch with a staff member of their choice
in a restaurant that they selected.  Those of you who attended a
residential school, as I did, can imagine that this occasion was,
for me,  a trip back in time.  I can't remember when I enjoyed
any day as much as I did February 21st.  I had begun it by
attending a meeting of the Community Access Committee of the
school and then went on to all three of the Braille Bees.  The
kids cheered each person who answered correctly and shared the
disappointment of those who lost but applauded them for having
given a good try. 
     CCB is monitoring closely a situation that has developed in
Los Angeles County.  We were advised that, because of a ruling by
a federal judge, schools for disabled students would be closed,
these students to be sent to other schools in L.A.  County.  We  
have had a law firm look at this decision, and the lawyers are of
the opinion that schools are not being closed, but instead,
students from outside of such special schools will be brought
into the classes.  This of course affects Frances Blend School
for the Blind which is one of the two schools for the blind in
California.  We had hoped to be able to bring an injunction to
stop this from happening; but it seems we can't file such an
injunction because the schools are not being closed, and there is
some thought that we really can't do anything until we find that
integration of these schools is detrimental to our blind and
visually impaired students.  It seems that it will be a little
late when that happens.  After discussing this situation with a
couple of attorneys in our organization, we intend to get a
second opinion on the whole matter.  Once again, I urge you to
listen to the California Connection.  You will be hearing a
report at the convention in May. 
     Recently I attended a meeting of the Blindness Advisory Task
Force (BATF) of the California Department of Education.  We have
submitted to Delaine Eastin a final draft report of our work. 
She was at our meeting yesterday and pledged support for the
recommendations we made and said she would attempt to seek
legislation where it is needed to assist blind and visually
impaired students.  She asked that we meet again in early May at
the CSB where she intends to hold a press conference about the
work that has been done on our findings.  We were happy to see Al
Gil, who came down all the way from the state of Washington to
participate in the meeting.  The report is going through its
final editing, after which it will be printed in brochures for
distribution to the legislature, school districts and others.  We
requested Braille copies.  The report will be put up on Websites;
but, as we all know, everyone does not have access to acomputer.
I am certain that our Education and Governmental Affairs
Committees will be among our members who will have a genuine
interest in the work that was done by the BATF.  
     Manuel Urena, Program Manager for the California Department
of Rehabilitation, will be retiring at the end of March after 32
years of service.  A dinner will be held for Manuel on March 25th
at the Holiday Inn on J Street in Sacramento.  Many of you have
attended conventions there.  We plan to roast Manuel.  Because
I've known him since he was in high school, I plan to participate
in this event.  Manuel and Pat Urena will be in Europe when our
convention takes place so we shall wait until a later time to
congratulate him and recognize his many years of service to blind
Californians.  
     You should be receiving your convention announcements in the
next few weeks.  For some reason it is difficult to get things
like reports and announcements done when you are traveling
everywhere all the time.  The program is looking good.  The San
Mateo County Council of the Blind chapter will be the host 
chapter.  The members are helping to make it a great event and
will host the Welcome to San Mateo Party on Thursday afternoon.  
     Most of you know, I believe, that Juliet Bindt Esterly died
on Dec 20th, 2001.  We had a conversation a few months before her
death in which she indicated that she did not want any memorial
service.  She knew that when Lucille Strelow passed away, she
felt the same way; but she wanted a party to celebrate her life. 
Julie said that she guessed no one would be around to give a
party when she was gone.  When I told her that, if she left this
world before I did, she would have a party, she did not want me
to spend money. 
     Many of you knew Julie, and you know that I meant it when I
told her that I would give the party anyway, and maybe this time
she would not give me an argument.  She laughed very hard about
that.  I'll keep my word to Julie so on Friday evening we will
have a party for her.  It seems fitting to do this at a state
convention where more of those who knew her might attend.  If you
didn't know her,  you'll be welcome anyway because Julie loved
parties and she wanted everyone to attend.  
     In February I went to the American Council of the Blind
mid-year meeting in Houston, Texas.  The presidents of state
affiliates met for a day and a half to learn about fundraising, a
dues increase for all ACB members, plans for the national
convention in July, and pending legislation. 
     Ever since ACB was founded, large affiliates with more than
625 members have paid three dollars for each of 625 members. 
This was chosen as a cut-off point so that large affiliates would
never control the organization.  Dues have been raised to $5 so
that when we send our check in this month, it will be $3,125.  A
Constitutional amendment will be offered at the ACB convention in
July which, if adopted, will require affiliates to pay $5 per
member.  No raise in the number of votes an affiliate would have
is presently included in this proposal.  From the brief
discussion that took place on the subject, there are differences
of opinion that should make for a very snappy debate.  I hope
Californians will come to the convention prepared to assist in
this matter.  At these conventions, we always have a caucus to
discuss pending measures and hear from candidates who are running
for office.  With the many Californians who are active in so many
areas, we have found that the best time for our caucus is a
breakfast meeting which will be held on Thursday morning, July
4th at 7:00 A.M.  What a way to start Independence Day!  
     Those of you who attended our fall convention may recall
that Dr.  Catherine Campisi, Director of the Department of
Rehabilitation, was unable to be present because her mother had
had a stroke a few days before.  Her mother, Lucille Campisi,
passed away on February 25th.  We sent our condolences to
Catherine and her husband Ralph Black.  Catherine has requested
that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be sent to St.  Anthony's
Parish, 660 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA 95831.  The money will be
used to help defray the costs of funeral services for the
elderly.  Contributions can also be made to anyone's favorite
charity.   
     The CCB 2002 spring convention will be held Thursday, May 2,
through Sunday, May 5, at the San Mateo Marriott Hotel, 1770 S.
Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402 (Reservations: 800-228-9290)
650-653-6000.  The room rate is $70 for single or double
occupancy.  We have learned that Southwest Airlines no longer
flies into the San Francisco Airport, and therefore many of you
have indicated that you will come into the Oakland Airport. 
There are several shuttles that go to San Mateo; however we are
working with a cab company to see if we can arrive at an
arrangement which might be more equitable.  It would be helpful
if, when you send in your registration, you indicate that you
plan to fly into Oakland.  Keep in touch with the California
Connection; our office will have some information on this matter
in a few weeks.  I hope many of you are planning to be present.
One of the greatest things about being a member of CCB are the
friendships that we all enjoy.  The theme of this convention will
be "Bridges To The Future".  Come and join us while we cross all
of them.  


                 PROPOSED RULES FOR FREE MATTER

          by Melanie Brunson, ACB Director of Advocacy 
                    and Governmental Affairs 

     Manager, Mail Preparation and Standards 
United States Postal Service
1735 N. Lynn St., Room 3025
Arlington, VA 22209-6038
     Re: 39 CFR Part 111NPRM: Eligibility Standards for Free
Matter for the Blind and Other Physically Handicapped Persons
(Federal Register: January 3, 2002.)
     INTRODUCTION: The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the Blinded Veterans
Association (BVA) are pleased to respond to the request of the
Postal Service for comments in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
on the provisions in the Domestic Mail Manual, as incorporated by
reference in the Code of Federal Regulations (39 CFR part 111)
pertaining to mail sent as Free Matter for the Blind and Other
Physically Handicapped Persons.
     ACB is a national organization of blind and visually
impaired persons, many of whom make use of this privilege on a
regular basis.  We also have seventy affiliates, and many of
these organizations regularly rely upon the free matter mailing
privilege as their only means of communicating important
information to their members.
     The American Foundation for the Blind--the organization to
which Helen Keller devoted more than 40 years of her life--is a
national nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate the inequities
faced by ten million Americans who are blind or visually
impaired.  Headquartered in New York City, AFB maintains offices
in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and a governmental
relations office in Washington, D.C.
     The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) is the only
Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organization
exclusively dedicated to assisting blinded veterans and their
families.  Organized in 1945, BVA received its Congressional
Charter in 1958.  The Charter designates BVA as the
organizational advocate to represent all blinded veterans before
the Executive and Legislative branches of the Federal Government. 
BVA is composed of fifty-three Regional Groups and has
relied on the Free Matter privilege for many years to provide
pertinent information to its members.
     While we support efforts by the Postal Service to insure
that the free matter mailing privilege is not abused, we must
oppose most of the amendments contained in this proposed rule. 
We believe that implementation of these amendments would
adversely impact the right of individuals to use this privilege,
present an undue burden for the organizations that communicate by
mail with such individuals, and, in some cases which we will
detail below, be contrary to Congressional intent.
     SECTION BY SECTION COMMENTS: (The following comments are
organized by section numbers as presented in the NPRM.) 
     Section 1.3 Eligibility: We recognize that there may be a
need to detail eligibility criteria for individuals with greater
specificity, and this section appears to do so in an acceptable
manner.
     Section 1.4 b.,  Certifying Authority: We support this
alteration in the definition of "competent authority."  We
believe that allowing additional entities and individuals to
certify eligibility will make it easier for persons with
disabilities to obtain the requisite certification.  This would,
in turn, make it easier for the Postal Service to obtain proof of
eligibility from individuals sending or receiving mail under this
privilege.
     Section 1.5, Certification of Eligible Recipients by
Organizations:  We oppose this proposed amendment.  Although the
background materials contained in the Federal Register notice
pertaining to this proposed rule indicate that the proposed
amendments would not require organizations to obtain and document
proof of recipients' eligibility before sending mailings
postage-free under this privilege, we believe that requiring
those organizations to "certify" that recipients of their
mailings are in fact eligible, has the same effect.  It is
unclear how the Postal Service expects organizations to certify
that "each recipient is eligible to receive free matter" without
obtaining proof of eligibility from each recipient.  Nothing in
this section indicates that organizations would be allowed to
certify eligibility in good faith, or assert that, based upon
information the organization has available to it, it is believed
that individuals are eligible.  This places the burden of
ascertaining eligibility of potentially thousands of recipients
upon organizations whose resources do not equip them to undertake
such an onerous task.  Some consumer organizations of the blind
send mailings to several thousand individuals.  A large number of
those individuals are members, and it can be presumed that they
are blind, but the sender has no way of establishing that fact.
     We believe that the current scheme, whereby individuals
register with local post masters, and the post masters document,
or grant, proof of eligibility, puts the burden where it
rightfully belongs.  We see no reason to remove this
responsibility from the local post master and place it on another
entity.  If an organization inadvertently mails an item to an
ineligible recipient, the item should be returned and the
organization notified that this individual is not registered with
their local post master.  Then, if the individual fails to notify
the appropriate post office that he/she is eligible and the
organization fails to remove the individual from its mailing
list, the Postal Service should be allowed by law to initiate an
audit of the organization's mailings or take other appropriate
action.  
     We also have serious concerns about the provision in this
section whereby organizations are subject to Postal Service
audits of addresses receiving free matter to substantiate
recipients' eligibility.  The provision fails to explain what is
meant by an "audit."  If it entails turning over a mailing list
to the Postal Service, we believe the Postal Service should first
address the measures that will be taken to protect the privacy of
individuals on those mailing lists.  Additionally, this section
fails to specify what is to be done with this information once it
is obtained by the Postal Service, how it is to be determined
that each recipient meets the appropriate eligibility standards,
and who is to make that determination.  If, as was indicated in
the supplementary material accompanying this NPRM, the Postal
Service could contact the National Library Service to ascertain
whether the individuals on the mailing list were among their
patrons and use the results of this inquiry to establish
eligibility for free matter mailing privileges, we believe this
scheme is highly inadequate.  The fact that one is "eligible" to
use National Library Services does not necessarily mean that he
or she has chosen to receive those services; many newly blind
persons do not wish to do so.  This section should provide a more
narrowly defined means of establishing eligibility, which will
result in accurate information being given to the Postal Service
and respect the privacy and dignity of its blind and visually
impaired customers.
     Finally, it is unclear what will be done as a result of the
audits provided for in this section.  A number of questions
remain unanswered.  For example, does the Postal Service propose
to assess penalties against organizations deemed to be in
violation?  If so, how much of a penalty?  If not, what is the
purpose of the audit?  What, if any, procedures will be put in
place for challenging the findings of the auditor?  Furthermore,
the fact that post masters are not routinely complying with the
current regulation does not provide adequate justification for
this revision of the regulations.  As we have indicated elsewhere
in these comments, we believe it is much more feasible for local
post masters to document eligibility for those customers within
their jurisdictions than it is for many of the organizations that
use free matter mailing privileges.  
     Section 1.6, Qualifying Individuals: We recognize that the
Postal Service has an interest in ensuring that the free matter
mailing privilege is exercised only by eligible individuals. 
Current regulations allow local post masters to obtain evidence
of eligibility from individuals, and we have no objection to
continuing this practice.
     Section 2.1 a,  Acceptable Matter: We are concerned about
the intent and potential implications of this section.
 It specifies that "braille" and "type" are eligible forms of
reading matter.  However, there is no mention of CD-ROMs or
computer diskettes, which have been accepted by the Postal
Service as eligible for free matter mailing for a number of
years.  It would seem that, if the intent of these revisions is
to clarify and codify current practices, these items should also
be listed along with other types of reading matter.  If these
items were purposely left out in order to impose new restrictions
on eligible reading matter, then we cannot support this
provision.  We believe that by accepting these materials in the
past, the Postal Service has created a presumption that it is
permissible to send such items as free matter.  This presumption
has been confirmed by the actions of the Postal Service for some
time now, and we believe that by affirming this presumption,
the Postal Service has created a constructive right to send these
items as free matter.  Further, we believe that such a right is
consistent with Congressional intent.  In establishing, and later
expanding, the Books-for-the-Blind Program, Congress noted the
types of media that were available at the time to produce reading
materials for people who are blind.  Computer technology could
not have been foreseen and accounted for at that time.  However,
there is general agreement in the blindness field that such
technologies greatly increase both the quantity and quality of
information that is available to the blind today.  Since Congress
demonstrated an intent to cover the broad scope of materials used
by the blind at the time the statute was written, we believe that
logic dictates defining that scope here in a manner that will
encompass the entire range of technologies used to convey
information to the blind of our day.  This is a serious omission
on the part of the Postal Service.  
     Additionally, we must object to the failure of the Postal
Service to acknowledge the fact that many individuals who are
eligible to send free matter do not read Braille and do not have
access to typewriters or computers.  These individuals, most of
whom are 55 years of age or older and have only recently lost
their vision, can only read and write using characters that are
14-point or larger but do so using pens or black markers.  We
believe that it is both shortsighted and discriminatory against
older Americans for the Postal Service to refuse to extend free
matter mailing privileges to the correspondence of these persons.
     For these reasons, we strongly oppose this provision. 
Should this section be implemented as it is written, we will seek
Congressional intervention to obtain a more inclusive rule.
     Section 2.2 d,  Conditions: The addition of the reference to
the definition of advertising contained in Section E211 raises as
many questions for users of the free matter mailing privilege as
it answers.  Of primary concern is part d of this definition. 
This part purports to prohibit a periodical or newspaper from
advertising "its own services or issues, or any other business of
the publisher, whether in display advertising or reading matter." 
This is both vague and confusing.  If the purpose of this section
is to clarify what is meant by advertising, then it fails
miserably.  Nothing in this section actually tells the lay person
preparing a mailing just what type of content is prohibited
advertising.  As it relates to "reading matter," This section
could be interpreted to prohibit the inclusion of even a meeting
notice contained in an article, if an article is "reading
matter."  We do not believe that this is what Congress had in
mind when it provided for the postage-free mailing of items, such
as periodicals, by and for the use of the blind.  In fact, even
the National Library Service includes such announcements in its
publications and those publications are mailed as free matter. 
We recommend a more thorough examination and clarification of
this provision.
     Section 3.1, Acceptable Letters: This section also fails to
provide for the use of computer diskettes and CDROMS as a means
by which people who are blind or visually impaired can send
letters.  It also fails to allow the free matter mailing of
letters that are handwritten or printed in 14-point or larger
characters.  As we stated previously, we believe these
restrictions on the use of the free matter mailing privilege are
unrealistic and contrary to Congressional intent.  These
omissions should be remedied by the Postal Service before this
rule is implemented.  
     Section 5.1, Register to Mail: Registration at the post
office where mail will be deposited is not a major problem for
organizations any more than it is for individuals.  Therefore, we
do not oppose this provision.
     Section 5.2, Reporting Mailings: First, we cannot support
this proposal without more information about the proposed content
of the statement which will be required of all mailers.  Second,
it is unclear to us why it should be necessary to require
organizations to submit a statement with each mailing.  It
appears to us that it would be sufficient to require
organizations to indicate that they regularly send mailings of
200 or more pieces at the time they register with the post office
wherein those mailings will be deposited.



            TESTING FOR BLIND STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA 

     State Board of Education Adopts Policy to Ensure Disabled
Students Get Modifications to take California High School Exit
Exam
     The State Board of Education today (Dec. 5, 2001) approved a
waiver policy to the California High School Exit Exam that will
allow disabled students to use necessary modifications when
taking the test, thereby ensuring those students will have a full
opportunity to earn a diploma.
     Under the waiver policy, disabled students who need special
modifications such as readers or calculators to take the exit
exam will be able to use them even though these modifications are
deemed to fundamentally alter what is being measured on the test,
said State Board President Reed Hastings.
     That means disabled students who earn the equivalent of a
passing score on the exit exam with the use of the modifications
will still be able to earn a diploma, Hastings noted.
     "The purpose of the waiver is to permit those students who
are otherwise qualified but do not have the opportunity to learn
to read or perform math computations because of a disability, to
receive a diploma," Hastings said in a statement.
     Currently, high school students must pass the exit exam as a
condition of graduation, starting with the class of 2004,
although the State Board has the authority to delay the
consequence date pending further review of the test.  The exit
exam consists of English-language arts and math tests that are
designed to assess whether high school students have mastered a
basic set of skills to participate fully in civic life and to
succeed in the workplace.
     State law provides that students with disabilities be given
the exit exam with "accommodations" that are appropriate and
necessary.
     Last month, the State Board approved regulations that allow
special education students the necessary test-taking
accommodations to address a student's identified disability
(disabilities).  Readers and calculators, however, were
disallowed as accommodations because they are deemed to be
modifications that fundamentally alter what is being measured on
the exit exam--reading comprehension and the ability to add,
subtract, multiply and divide, among other skills.
     The State Board, however, adopted the waiver policy in
recognition that some students have specific disabilities that
affect their ability to learn to read or their ability to compute
and yet are able to complete high school level coursework with
the use of modifications, such as a reader or calculator.
     Under the adopted waiver policy, a school district may
submit a request on behalf of a student with disabilities to the
California Department of Education with evidence that, among
other things: 1) the student is successfully taking high-school
level coursework and 2) has taken the exit exam with whatever
modifications are deemed necessary and has achieved a score
equivalent to a passing score on the exit exam.  The
accommodations or modifications must already be included in a
disabled student's "individualized education program" or
IEP.
     Under the State Board's regulations, there are a number of
allowable accommodations that do not require a waiver.  They
include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Presentation
accommodations, such as large print versions or braille
transcriptions; 2) Response accommodations, such as responses
made with a mechanical or electronic device used solely to record
a student's answer; 3) Scheduling accommodations, such as more
frequent breaks during the regularly scheduled test session; 4)
Setting accommodations, such as special furniture or lighting, or
a separate, secured room.
 
     State Board members also noted today that the exit exam is
an un-timed test, so disabled students--as all students--can take
all the time they need to complete the exam.
     The waiver will be available for the 2002 exit exam,
scheduled for next spring. The State Board reiterated its
commitment to work with the Legislature to develop a statute that
would allow this waiver process or a similar one to be handled by
local districts.


         WILL WE STILL BE ABLE TO READ BRAILLE TOMORROW?

         by Norma Schecter, Literary Specialist, CTEVH 

(At the meeting of the California chapter of the Braille Revival
League on November 2, Melita Waters read Norma Schecter's address
to the group since
she  was unable to be present.)       
     An ancient Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting
times."
     Today's braille is beginning to resemble the historic "War
of the Dots".  Where do we stand and why--and what can we do to
express our opinions as BRL members and as individual readers? 
Consider the following statement:
     "The purpose of any reading medium is to convey a thought
from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader with as
little interference as possible in between."
     Bernard Krebs, first Chairman of the original U.S.  Braille
Authority, reports when there were so many different systems of
touch reading in our country, it seemed a hopeless task to get
the various leaders to get together.  Finally one statement
emerged that everybody could agree on.  It said: "Any rule or
contraction that interferes with comprehension or correct
pronunciation, or easy recognition by the fingers, shall not be
used."  So the braille we all learned was dedicated to pleasing
the fingers of the readership.
     With the beginning of the computer age, both print and
braille were more and more exclusively produced with various
computer programs.  With the advent of the Spell-Checker,
resulting in the firing of print proofreaders, we know what is
happening in print.  Even the original form in which the book
goes from the publisher to the actual print-producer is now done
by electronic transmission.  The publishers can transmit also to
braille-producers, who then utilize the Duxbury braille
translater to turn it into Grade 2 braille.
     Some people thought how much more efficient it would be if
there were only ONE braille code--literary and math and science
and computer--so that there could be many more braille books
produced much more quickly and at a reasonable cost.  A Unified
Braille Code was proposed, and work was begun.  Then it was
decided to make it international, so that all over the world
there would have to be only one English braille from which idea
caame the proposed Unified English Braille Code.
     However, English is not a simple language (ask any new
immigrant trying to learn it).  When Duxbury had trouble with the
"Natural Pause Rule", which causes problems with joiners like
and, for, of, the, and with, the UEBC decided to have no joiners
whatsoever in their code.
     They kept the contractions and, for, of, the, and with, but
always spaced them from each other.  "After all," they said,
"sighted kids have been reading these as separate words forever
and it doesn't seem to have hurt their reading speed!"
     These are sighted producers of braille, of course.  They
forget--or they never bothered to learn--how different the two
modes of reading are.
     Think about the amazing "perceptual window" of the human
eye.  A single glance takes in far more than one word.  The eye
can read a whole sentence--more, even a small paragraph--at a
single glance, in just seconds.
     Now consider the "perceptual window" of the fingertip, which
can see only one cell at a time.  For the braille reader, each
and every cell is a set space whose distance must be traversed. 
Whether that cell contains a letter, a whole word, or a
one-syllable contraction, it joins with its neighbors to be a
meaningful word for the hungry brain waiting for meaning. 
Punctuation keeps words in grammatically logical groups; empty
cells serve to separate words from each other.  But they are all
part of the total mileage that the fingers have to cover.  HAVE
TO cover.
     Each braille page has 25 lines of 40 cells, 25 centimeters
long and making almost 650 cm of travel on a page--PLUS, for
one-handed readers, an equal distance to return to the next line,
for a total of almost 1200 cm of actual travel for one braille
page.  Even allowing for blank lines, and not-quite-full braille
lines, that comes to some 100,000 cm of travel for just one
volume of braille.
     But the UEBC folks feel it is imperative to have a
one-to-one correspondence between a print symbol and its braille
symbol.  The number of cells it takes to get the specified
meaning doesn't seem to matter very much to these
computer-oriented folks.  You were given, at the door, a summary
of all the "NEW AND CHANGED SIGNS" proposed so far by UEBC,
arranged by dot-number sequence.  Out of more than 30 signs, only
5 are one-cell signs; most are two-cell, and a few are even three
cells!
     They don't seem to understand why we make such a fuss about
things taking more cells.  In our current Grade 2 Braille, one
cell provides the open parenthesis, and the same one-cell sign
serves as the close parenthesis.  Confusing? Not at all--it's no
problem to the fingers--the reader's intelligence recognizes
whether it precedes or follows a word, of course.
     On the other side of that, of course, the UEBC's scanner has
no human judgment.  And the proposed new signs require 4
completely different cells--two for the open parenthesis, and two
others for the close parenthesis, because of the insistence on
the need to have a one-to-one correspondence between print symbol
and braille symbol, no matter how many cells it takes.
     The computer's scanner instantly recognizes three cells that
together mean the beginning of a fully capitalized passage--while
the fingers have to travel over 3 cells of print decoration
saying impatiently, "But where's the meat?"
     Going back to our list: the UEBC committee has already
decided to discard 8 contractions, of our original total of 189. 
They are: ble, com, dd, ally, to, into, by and ation.  You're all
familiar with the letter-combinations that will then have to be
spelled out in the UEBC future, and judge whether those were
useful, important contractions or not.
     You'll also be the judge of whether losing all the "joiners"
has had any effect on your reading speed.
     Another thought suddenly struck me--the UEBC "Sampler" 
conscientiously gives you a list at the beginning of each short
sample, of all the new or changed contractions that will be
contained in each sample you are about to meet in the following
page or two.  Nowhere is there any statement about planned
changes in the rules, with only a few exceptions.
     I discovered a rule-change almost at once, as soon as my
attention was directed toward that possibility.  I came across
the phrase: "17th to 19th century"-- and discovered that not only
was the word "to" spelled out (and therefore not joined), but
also the code didn't use the contraction for "th" in the ordinal
numbers "17th" and "19th"--so a wee 10-cell phrase suddenly
occupied 14 cells!
     So what can we do about it?  First, we can try to make the
BANA committees understand why we make such a seemingly
unnecessary fuss about the increase in the number of cells.  If
our Olympic runners came to the Games and suddenly found that
their race had had 40% more yards added to their distance--would
they complain?
     Second, we can ask why the rules that produced beautifully
readable braille were changed because the computer can't
recognize context, or a "natural pause." Couldn't they have left
a rule that made reading easier, and used a few certified braille
proofreaders to fill in the gaps in the translator's capacity,
and absorbed the small additional cost of production?  (That's
what one of England's major braille presses does, to everyone's
satisfaction.)
     Third, some presses have two standards, one of which is
called "Jiffy Braille.  It is quite popular for hurry-up general-
interest reading matter, with everybody agreeing that it's worth
it for the savings in cost and increased speed of production.  
Many human transcribers really yearn to produce finger-friendly,
beautiful braille for you, their clients; why can't they be
permitted to?
     Thank you for letting me share with you my concerns for the
future of braille.  I hope this has given you some food for
thought--enough for you to sign up to get your copy of the
Sampler--to read it carefully and conscientiously, and to write a
thoughtful evaluation, sending one copy to the BANA Chair and one
to our national BRL office.  And let's get a lively discussion
going about the proposed UEBC changes, and what you think we can
and should do to make our opinions known as clearly and as widely
as possible.  After all, doesn't it say somewhere in
Leviticus--"Thou shalt not place a stumbling-block in the
path-way of the blind." 


            CAREER CONNECTIONS: JOB SEARCH ETIQUETTE 

                      by Catherine Schmitt

     Job search etiquette is just as important as your resume. 
More often than not, the process is about creating a business
relationship with a stranger.  Each person has feelings and
develops a perception of the person he/she meets.  
     As in attending a formal dinner, you should be on your best
behavior throughout the job search process.  One needs to
remember that the voice mail message greeting may be the first
(and possibly last) contact that the employer is initiating with
the job seeker.  A message with foul language or something like
"hey dude, we're out partying, leave a message," is a turn-off to
a potential employer.  You will probably never know that he ever
called, for he does not want to waste his time with someone who
may not take work seriously or who offends others.  
     The presentation and content of the cover letter is just as
important as the resume.  Both need to be clean in appearance and
without grammatical errors.  Mistakes, even just one, says to an
employer that you may not represent the firm positively if you
are hired or that you do not want to take the time to review your
work.  Also, make sure that you double check the correct name of
your educational institution and job settings.
     Employers look to make connections with applicants through
common experiences.  Did we attend the same school, or have we
worked at the same company before?  Such questions may be asked
by the employer while reviewing your resume in an effort to learn
more about you.  
     If an interview is scheduled more than a week in advance,
confirm the interview two or three days ahead of the date.  This
is especially important if you do not know the name of the person
with whom you are meeting, the location, or need to make sure of
the time of the interview.  For example, telephone the person who
scheduled the meeting and say "I am calling to confirm the
meeting on Thursday at 2:00 pm.  Will you be meeting with me or
can you provide me with the name of the interviewer?"  If there
is a search committee or interview panel, it is acceptable to ask
for their names and titles as well.  This information can be
helpful in your preparation.  
     Arrive fifteen minutes or a half hour early.  You have heard
the old adage "time is money;" don't waste the employer's time by
being late.  If you need to, arrive an hour early.  Begin by
introducing yourself saying that you realize that the interview
is scheduled for 10:00  a.m. and that you are early because of
transportation.  Then ask if it is all right to have a seat to
wait until your interview time.  Take this opportunity to review
your notes on company information.  
     If you need to cancel the interview, telephone as soon as
possible.  That is the polite and considerate thing to do, and
you never know when you will meet this person again.  It is
appropriate to say, "Hello Mr. Akin, I am sorry to inform you
that I will not be able to keep our appointment because of an
unexpected personal situation (or emergency).  Thank you for your
consideration and good luck with your search."  If it is truly an
emergency and you are still interested in the position, you can
ask, "Is there any possibility of rescheduling an interview for
tomorrow (or whenever you are certain that you will be
available)?"  A warning though: do not leave a message stating,
"my dentist just called and can see me at 1:00 p.m. and so I
can't make our 2 p.m. appointment.  I will just stop by to meet
with you at 3:00 p.m."  The author had an interviewee actually
say these words and then show up at 3 p.m. In this situation, the
interviewee is saying that his needs are more important than the
employer's convenience and that the employer should work her
schedule around him.  This is not the impression to give to an
employer who is considering several applicants for the position.
     Present yourself honestly.  You do not want to say that you
designed and presented curriculum for a time management workshop
when you actually assisted someone with the presentation. 
However, you do not want to underestimate your accomplishments
either.  If you are the president of your community CCB chapter
and you have led the group in the development of a vision
statement and achieved 100% of the 10 chapter goals for the year,
you do not want to say simply that you are "just the president of
the local CCB chapter."  You are striving to strike a balance. 
The more examples  of specific achievements you can cite, the
stronger will be your presentation.
     Meal interviews are nerve-racking for everyone.  If you are
not able to read the menu, you can ask if there are one or two
suggestions that the interviewer would recommend, or you can ask
the interviewer to mention some of the chicken dishes that are on
the menu.  A focused approach is preferable to a general request
such as "Please tell me what is on the menu."  Choose something
that is easy to eat.  This is not the time to order spaghetti or
ribs.  Remember, this is an interview over a meal, not the other
way around.  
     Remembering eating etiquette is important for everyone. 
Here are a few reminders:  Do not start eating until everyone at
the table has been served.  Do not talk with your mouth full of
food, and use your knife to cut your food so that it will fit
easily into your mouth.  Also, if you need to cough or sneeze,
turn away from the table and cover your mouth.  
     After the interview, send a thank you letter.  It might be a
single letter to a committee or individual letters to people you
met during the interview.  If you really want the position, be
sure to state your interest in the company.  
     These are some suggestions for keeping your job search
etiquette positive, but is not an all-inclusive list.  Use your
resources: your common sense, conversations with others about
etiquette, and reference books.  Here's to a positive job search!


                       AN UNUSuAL VISITOR 

                         by Evelyn Drury

     Here I am to pass along another story.  Some of you may
recall my experience of rescuing the baby goose from our back
pond.  Life can be an adventure when you have animals, and not
seeing adds an interesting twist to the mix.  Let me tell you
about my latest adventure.
     Last Wednesday afternoon seemed just like any other workday
afternoon.  As Madden (my guide dog) and I approached the house,
we were greeted in the driveway by one of the cats, and all
seemed in order when I walked into the house.  I went about my
usual routine of putting Madden out in the yard, stowing my
things, greeting any of the animals that came to see me, and, of
course, checking my e-mail.  
     Madden was barking out in the yard but there was a man doing
tractor work out on the road, so I thought that was the reason. 
After a few minutes, I decided to round up the cats for the night
by presenting them with their dinner.  When I put their food down
in the laundry room, I noticed that one was missing.  Since it's
not unusual for one to hang back, I wasn't too concerned and went
to let Madden in for his dinner.  When he was happily occupied
with his meal, I dided to go out to locate the remaining cat.  
     Opening the door which goes out to the back patio I took a
couple of steps and could tell that a skunk had paid us a visit. 
Could this be why Madden had been barking?  I don't have to tell
you that I was certainly glad he had not been sprayed.  It did
concern me however, that one cat was missing; I couldn't help
conjuring up images of my cat reeking to high heaven and no doubt
scared to death.  
     It was then that I heard a creature moving about on the
patio, sneezing frequently.  Oh no, my poor cat!  Well, at least
it hadn't gone off somewhere to hide.  I crouched down and called
to her.  I won't say that the animal came up to me, but you know
how cats can be.  It was moving about and continuing to sneeze so
I thought I'd better see what the trouble was.  
     I reached my hand out to feel her.  Have you ever had one of
those experiences of touching something only to be so shocked
that, without your even being aware of it, your hand jerks back? 
That's what happened to me.  Things just didn't feel right; the
fur was puffed up; and, although my finger tips only made contact
for a fraction of a second, I had the distinct impression of
longer and coarser hair.  The creature, however, didn't seem in
the least frightened by me though he still sneezed.  i told
myself I had simply over-reacted and needed to look again.  After
all, who else could this animal be but my missing cat who was no
doubt in shock because of what had just happened to her.  
     Again I reached over and felt the sneezing animal.  Although
this time my hand didn't jerk away of its own accord, I can
assure you that I made the deliberate decision to remove it
quickly!  After all, my missing cat didn't have such a tiny back,
and its tail wasn't this big and fluffy.  Could this be a skunk? 
It felt like I would imagine a skunk should feel, but why was it
showing no signs of fear or aggression toward me?  Come on now;
this is just too strange!  
     I decided at that point that I needed to get someone to
confirm or reject my hunch, so I called our wonderful neighbors
who live just north of us.  A few minutes later they arrived; and
when they walked up to the fence, immediately confirmed my
suspicion.  Not only did I have a skunk, but it was a big one!  
     The smart thing to do, I decided, was simply to leave the
thing alone, and hope my cat would show up in the front yard.  If
I left the skunk undisturbed, he wouldn't be inclined to move
around to the front of the house leaving a non-threatening path
for the cat.  All the other animals were in so at least I didn't
have the whole crew to worry about.  
     I went out front several times to call the poor cat.  I was
sure she was hiding somewhere in absolute terror and maybe soaked
with skunk perfume.  The cat tuna I took out wasn't enough to
entice her from wherever she was hiding; I just hoped and prayed
she was safe and alive.  
     At about nine o'clock, I was at my computer when I heard our
big black cat on the top of my scanner, which is just to my
right.  For some reason he has taken a liking to that particular
spot; but then I heard something to my left.  Since the other
cats were in the laundry room, I knew we had a second animal in
this room.  Could it be my poor little sprayed kitty?  Although
the idea of bathing her in tomato juice (recommended treatment
for skunk odor) at that hour didn't hold much appeal, I would
have been happy to do it if this meant she was back safe and
sound.  As I was moving toward the place where I had heard the
movement, I ardently hoped the skunk hadn't somehow gotten into
the house.  I couldn't see how that would have been possible,
but, needless to say, it could have been a stinky situation.  
     About then my fears were put to rest, for I heard my cat's
voice.  I ran over and shut the door so she couldn't get away. 
When I found her and picked her up, I was delighted to discover
that she was absolutely fine.  
     I now suspect that she was inside the whole time.  She is
the most wary of all our cats and probably came in immediately
when she saw the visitor on the patio.  She stayed in hiding for
a few hours to avoid an encounter. 
     By the way, when Jim came home from work a couple of hours
later, he saw no sign of the skunk.  It hasn't returned, and it
goes without saying that we hope we won't be seeing that
particular visitor again.  
     An interesting aside is that the smell I mentioned earlier
was not overpowering, and I don't think Jim even picked up on it
when he went out back that night.   By the next day, it had
completely vanished.


                SENIORS IN ACTION: THOSE FAMILY 
                CONNECTIONS, YOUR CHANCE TO HELP

                        by Bonnie Rennie

     Have you ever wished there was something tangible you could
do for your visually impaired brothers and sisters inside and
outside CCB? Are you over age 55 with some knowledge of families
struggling with life after vision loss?  Can you attend our
convention program on Saturday morning, May 4th?  Then this may
be your big chance to make a lasting contribution, helping
seniors by helping their families. 

     This year, the Committee on Senior Blind is going to create
and disseminate some educational and positive literature.  We
will take it to blindness agencies and senior centers, selected
doctors' offices and other relevant places to promote our
capabilities, CCB, and support for distressed family members.  

In order to craft these short pieces of literature, we call on
you, the experts, for input.  At our Saturday program, we will
ask careful questions about how your family has responded to your
visual impairment, what you found most and least helpful,  what
you would tell your family, if you could, to make things better
for you or for them.  Your input will remain anonymous but will
shape the content and focus of our final products, and you'll
know that something useful eventually came out of your family's
rough and rugged approach or their adaptability and successes in
the adjustment area.  The time and wisdom you share with us will
allow us to spread a message of hope to people in need of it and
to increase CCB's visibility in the community.  

Please direct quesitons or input to Bonnie Rennie at
714-870-9135.  You may also type a response or prepare it on
cassette and mail it to me at 1711 W. Olive Ave., Fullerton, CA
92833. 


               CONGRESSMAN STENY HOYER ON THE ADA

                    submitted by Sue Ammeter

     Justice For All: Below please find the article "Not Exactly
What We Intended, Justice O'Connor," a fantastic Washington Post
op-ed (Sunday, Jan. 2, 2002) by Congressman Steny Hoyer, who
managed the House deliberations over the ADA in 1989-90.  He
explains why the Supreme Court was gravely mistaken in its recent
unanimous ruling on the nature of disability-based
discrimination. 
     Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day 
O'Connor said she understood the intent of Congress--what my
fellow lawmakers and I meant--when we wrote and then enacted the
Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
     She never asked for my view; the court doesn't work that
way.  Still, in four places in her opinion, Justice O'Connor
cited a phrase or context to invoke what "Congress intended." 
Then she and her fellow justices unanimously narrowed the scope
of the act and ordered a lower court to reconsider a decision
that allowed a woman suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome to be
excused from certain tasks at a Toyota Motor plant in Kentucky.  
Casting doubt on the woman's right to protection under the
legislation, O'Connor wrote that a disability must substantially
limit major activities "that are of central importance to most
people's daily lives."
     It is difficult to say, based solely on the letter of the
law as we wrote it, that O'Connor is wrong.  But as the
congressman who shepherded the legislation through the House of
Representatives, I believe that the "intent of Congress" was
clearly more expansive than Justice O'Connor's ruling would
suggest.
     It is not unusual for the Supreme Court to invoke "the
intent of Congress" in interpreting the Constitution or pieces of
legislation.  It helps make our Constitution and laws living
documents instead of dead letters.  But divining the intent of
Congress, even a decade ago, can be tricky business, especially
given the compromises and disparate motives that go into the
making of legislation.
     In this case, I know a lot about the intent of Congress and
how the Americans with Disabilities Act came into being.  The
story sheds light on what we meant by disability and on the
perils of judicial attempts at retroactive mind reading.
     The original sponsor of the ADA in the House was Tony
Coelho, then a California Democrat and majority whip.  Coelho had
a personal interest in the bill.  After a head injury suffered as
a child, Coelho developed epilepsy.  This would not fit the
court's definition of something that prevented Coelho from
performing major life activities. Unless someone told you about
his epilepsy, you would never know he had it.  Yet because of
misconceptions about the effects of epilepsy, he had been
expelled from a seminary, had his driver's license revoked, been
discriminated against by health insurers, and rejected by the
armed services.
     When Coelho resigned from Congress in 1989, he asked that I
take over stewardship of the bill.  My wife also had epilepsy,
though it was under control.  So I knew of the prejudice such
illnesses can evoke.  And it contributed to my belief that a
range of illnesses should be covered by the ADA and should not
disqualify a person from employment or cause discrimination.
     This highlights a crucial issue in the ADA debate:
perceptions are important to overcome, too.  Many medical 
conditions, like mental illness, if treated properly, are 
not debilitating.  In our minds, it was important to protect 
not only people who had genuine trouble functioning 
normally, but people whose employers might wrongly perceive 
as being substantially impaired.
     When writing the legislation, we borrowed the definition of 
handicapped from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which applied to
federal grant recipients. We did this because the courts had
generously interpreted this definition.  Moreover, we thought
using established language would help us avoid a potentially
divisive political debate over the definition of disabled.  The
ADA was designed to extend protection to people working in the
private sector and seeking access to public accommodations,
transit systems and communications networks.  So we simply
adopted the definition of disability from language in the 1973
act.
     Justice O'Connor cited that language in her opinion earlier
this month.  That's where she found reference to an illness "that
substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of
an] individual."  Ella Williams, the woman at the Toyota plant
who had carpal tunnel, might not be able to prove her condition
blocks her from one of life's major activities, such as walking,
seeing or hearing.  O'Connor said that "household chores, bathing
and brushing one's teeth" were also the types of tasks the court
of appeals should have considered in deciding whether Williams
was "substantially limited" in performing manual tasks.
     Is this what we had in mind when we passed the ADA--that
lawyers for businesses and individuals should spend time and
money arguing about whether people can brush their teeth and take
out the garbage?  Not at all.
     The whole tenor of the debate at that time was far broader. 
For example, we defeated an amendment introduced by Rep. Jim
Chapman (D-Tex.) to protect restaurant owners who refused to hire
people with HIV/AIDS.  The restaurant owners wanted the law to
specifically exclude HIV/AIDS from the definition of disability. 
No disability, no protection.  The Restaurant Owners' Association
argued that if, medical 
evidence to the contrary, the public perceived that people 
could transmit AIDS by handling food, people would avoid 
restaurants that employed such people.

     But the majority in Congress wanted AIDS sufferers, and 
others perceived as disabled, to be covered by the ADA, so in the
end the law did not mention the issue.  
     There could of course be 535 different answers about the
intent of Congress when it passed the ADA.  It passed both houses
by wide margins: 403 to 20 in the House and 76 to 8 in the
Senate.  Several committees and subcommittees in the
House--including the telecommunications, education and labor,
judiciary, and transportation committees--weighed different
sections.  I led the battle on the House floor.  On the Senate
side, the legislation was co-sponsored by Tom Harkin (D-Iowa),
Robert Dole (R-Kan.) and 32 other senators.  If anything, Harkin
had a more expansive definition of disability than I did.  His
deaf brother was sent to the Iowa School for the Deaf and Dumb,
where students were taught one of only three trades: baker,
printer or cobbler.  And Dole, who suffered a debilitating injury
to his right arm in World War II, was also a strong and leading
advocate of the ADA.
     When we wrote the ADA, we estimated that 43 million people
would be covered.  That seemed like a lot and we thought that
showed we intended the law to be broad rather than narrow.  Until
the ADA passed, the average guy thought of a disability as
something that meant you couldn't walk or see or hear.  Our
broader estimate helped build support for the legislation.
     Now, however, O'Connor has cited that figure to say that
carpal tunnel and other conditions might push the national total
of people protected under the ADA far beyond 43 million and that
Congress did not intend that. "If Congress intended everyone with
a physical impairment that precluded the performance of some
isolated, unimportant, or particularly difficult manual task to
qualify as disabled, the number of disabled Americans would
surely have been much higher," she wrote.  But the number we used
wasn't designed to limit the effect of our legislation but to
show its breadth.
     When President George H.W.  Bush signed the Americans With
Disabilities Act in July 1990, partisans on both sides of the
aisle rejoiced that we had made our nation a better place for
everyone.  Bush said, "with today's signing of the landmark ADA,
every man woman and child with a disability can now pass through
once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence
and freedom."
     Has our vision come to fruition?  Yes and no.  The ADA has
clearly helped people with some disabilities.  It has transformed
how architects design buildings, how conference organizers plan
events, and how states provide services to people with mental
illness and retardation.
     But defense lawyers in recent years have concocted novel
arguments to exclude impairments that do not sufficiently limit a
major enough activity.  People with diabetes, heart conditions,
cancer and mental illnesses have had their ADA claims kicked out
of court because, with improvements in medication, they are "too
functional" to be considered "disabled." One trial judge ruled
that a salesman who tried to return to work after recovering from
a heart attack was not "disabled," and therefore not entitled to
protection when his employer fired him because it feared he would
not be as productive as before.
     Recent studies show that plaintiffs lose 90 percent of ADA
claims, mostly on the grounds that they are not disabled enough. 
Ironically, that includes a majority of claims brought by
Coelho's fellow epileptics.  The ADA has become a "Lawyers'
Employment Act," instead of the "People's Empowerment Act" we
intended it to be.
     So perhaps the most striking thing about the Supreme Court's
decision this month in Toyota Motor Manufacturing v. Williams is
how we and the advocates for the disabled failed to anticipate
what this court's views of our views would be.  Our
responsibility now is to revisit both our words and our intent in
passing the ADA.  In matters of statutory interpretation, unlike
constitutional matters, Congress has the last word.  We can
decide whether the employment policy effectively put into place
by the Supreme Court's interpretations of the ADA is a solid one. 
Or we can decide to rewrite the statute.  In either case,
Congress must look at this landmark civil rights law and
determine whether it is carrying out the promise and potential we
all celebrated in 1990.


                         BULLETIN BOARD 
                    compiled by Keith Black 

     Free Computers! The Communicating Computers for the Blind
Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit foundation established to
provide free computers, software, and training to persons who are
visually impaired. You must be totally blind and be a U.S.
resident, have no computer experience and be able to type in
order to qualify.
     All training and living expenses are free and cover a
two-week period at the Foundation facilities in South Dakota. 
When training is completed, the free PC used by the student is
shipped to the student's home.
     Students will be responsible for their own transportation to
South Dakota and for their screenreading software, Connect
Outloud.  If you are interested in this opportunity, call
605-644-0445.

*****          *****          *****        *****
     Peninsula Center for the Blind (PCB) is presenting its third
biannual Lox Vision Seminar in the Fairchild Auditorium at
Stanford Medical Center, Friday, May 10th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
PM.  Keynote speaker is Richard Lewis, MD, MS, Professor of
Opthalmology, Medicine, Pediatrics and Molecular and Human
Genetics at Baylor University.  Dr. Lewis' speciality is in
retinal diseases and ocular genetics.  For further information
call Brenda Rupel at 650-858-0202 or e-mail at
brendarupel@yahoo.com

*****          *****          *****          *****
     CAMP HAROBED, by Rob Cook:
     At the spring convention in Sacramento last year, President 
Cathie Skivers allowed me to give a very short announcement about
a new camp for blind and visually impaired adults that was being
started in Washington State.  It is now time to formally announce
the establishment of Camp Harobed, a new rural recreation site
for blind and visually impaired adults and their families. 
Though the camp is located in the beautiful forests of the
Olympic Range near Belfair Washington, we hope that within the
near future it will expand and serve blind and visually impaired
individuals, their families or interested groups from throughout
the Pacific Northwest.  
     The camp was initiated as a memorial to Deborah Bloom Pigott
who, with her husband Jack, had always wanted to share their 15
acre hideaway with Debbie's visually impaired peers.  As a native
Californian and former CCB member, I believe Debbie would have
welcomed anyone from California to the property and the camp.  
     In 1982, Jack and Debbie met in California, were soon wed
and two years later moved to the property in Belfair to build a
home and settle amidst the natural splendor of the region. 
Debbie was an avid camper, hiker, white water rafter, fisherwoman
with generally enthusiasm for any outdoor recreational
opportunity, as was Jack.  Unfortunately, Debbie passed away
suddenly in August of 2000 from a cerebral hemorrhage; and at
that point, Jack thought Debbie's dream of turning their mountain
property into a recreation site would be left to him.
     Soon after Debbie's death, however, friends who knew of her
dream (and Jack's hopes of a memorial for her) began making those
desires a reality called Camp Harobed.  The camp's name was
created during an initial work session, by simply spelling
Deborah backwards.  The plans for the camp are, like the name,
rather simplistic.  Debbie loved to be active within a natural
setting by camping, hiking, boating or swimming, so camping and
activities related to direct involvement in the outdoors are
emphasized at the camp.  Presently, the camp has few formal or
architectural additions to the rural landscape, though this does
not detract from the basic activities that we hope to expand over
time.  There is a nice pond for swimming and boating, and more
than 14 acres of fir- and pine-covered hills to camping, picnics
or wandering.  Additionally, Jack and several neighbors are
beginning to work on clearing land for a games and ball field
area adjacent to where some of the planned facilities will be
erected.   
     Articles of Incorporation were filed in March of 2001, and
an application for Federal tax-exempt status (501c3) is currently
being reviewed by the IRS.  The camp's 7-person Governing Board
is headed by Jack Pigott.  Planning and fundraising committees
have begun work and now, Camp Harobed is really beginning to look
for membership and support.  
     The first camp-out was held in August of last year with
thirteen blind and visually impaired campers; and according to
those who attended, "we really need to let as many folks in on
this as possible!"  Plans have already begun for camp-outs, and
reservations are being accepted for the upcoming season. 
Presently, however, Debbie's dream camp is in its early stages of
development and is not equipped for extensive use other than for
hiking, swimming and tent or trailer camping.  We still need to
develop areas near the small lake on the property, draft more
extensive plans for the layout and facilities for nature trails
and play fields, and generally build up the number of interested
parties who might desire membership or help fund the camp.  
     Until further funding and additions to the property are
managed, We invite all those who are interested in a beautiful,
rural area where they want to spend time to call or write us for
details and a schedule of upcoming events.  Individual
memberships are only $5 per year, which will allow individual use
of the camp, voting rights in the organization and any level of
participation in the early efforts to enhanced the camp.  Annual
Organizational memberships start at (but are not limited to) $25
and also allow participation in the campaign to create a positive
outdoor environment where persons with visual impairments can
fully enjoy the beautiful wooded domain of Debbie's dream.  
     For more information, please call either Jack Pigott at 360-
372-2735 or Rob Cook at 541-741-4367.  Or write to us at Camp
Harobed, P.O. Box 2178, Belfair, WA 98528.

*****          *****           *****          *****
     From Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, February, 2002:
Computer Programming.  Lift is a nonprofit company that recruits,
qualifies, trains and hires information technology  professionals
who have physical disabilities and places them with 80 major
corporations such as Johnson and Johnson and Verizon Wireless. 
Call 908-707-9840, 800-552-5438, or visit www.lift-inc.org.  
     Distance Learning:  The Hadley School for the Blind offers
accredited distance-education programs to blind and visually
impaired people free of charge.  The school also serves the 
amilies of blind people and professionals in the field.  Call
800-526-9909, 847-446-8111, or visit www.hadley-school.org.  
     Religious Tapes:   World Wide Ministry offers tapes of
sermons, Bible studies, music, poems, and more.  These 90-minute
cassettes are free to blind or visually impaired people anywhere. 
Contact World Wide Ministry, 1810 32nd Place N.E. #20, Salem, OR
97303.  
     Mailers:  Martha Maroney sells dark-green heavyweight canvas
mailers with a small flap that secures the address card during
transit.  The mailers cost $3 and $5, made in British wallet or
envelope styles, and have a Velcro closure and padded foam
inserts.  Send purchase requests in print, along with checks or
money orders to  Maartha Maroney, 3745 Birch Run Road, Allegany,
NY 14706-9501; 716-373-2307.  

*****          *****          8*****          *****
     From Dialogue Magazine, Winter 2001: Tapes of the 1994-2001
American Council of the Blind Diabetes Seminar are available for
$5 by contacting ACB, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 1004, Washington,
DC 2005; 800-424-8666.  
     Veterans should know about an important prescription drug
benefit available from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).  A
30-day supply of prescription medicine costs only $2 through the
VA.  Disabled or low-income veterans can receive medication at no
cost.  For information about this and other VA health benefits,
call toll-free 877-222-8387.  Veterans who have visual
impairments should also contact the Blinded Veterans Association
(BVA) at 800-669-7079; 202-371-8880; or www.BVA.org.  Vision loss
does not have to be service related for an individual to receive
free services from the BVA.  
     The American Printing House for the Blind offers several new
products.  Feel-'N-Peel Stickers are multi-use tactile/visual
stickers that are useful for students and adults.  The bright,
translucent colored stickers are made of plastic.  A new 4 by 6
inch Interpoint Slate with 9 lines and 21 braille cells is made
of plastic.  Pins on the corners prevent paper from shifting. 
With Quick-Draw Paper, users can create instant tactile graphics. 
Simply draw on the paper surface with a water-based marker, and
the lines will swell instantly and become tactile.  The kit
includes 10 sheets of 8-1/2 by 11-inch Quick-Draw Paper, a manual
in large print and braille, and two water-based markers.  For
more information or to order, conatact the American Printing
House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, P.O. Box 6085,
Louisville, KY 40206-0085; 800-223-1839; www.aph.org.  
     Radio Shack has a new 20-second Digital Recording Pen.  This
device assists when you're trying to record and recall phone
numbers, addresses, names, places, or just something you need to
pick up at the store.  The recording time is divided into two 10-
second channels so you can organize your messages into two
categories for easier browsing.  To hear messages on the Pen's
built-in speaker, just press the play button.  Includes batteries
and extra pen refill and costs $19.99.  For more information call
Radio Shack at 800-843-7422 or visit www.radioshack.com or your
local Radio Shack store.  
     WeMedia has developed a talking browser to make surfing the
Internet easier for people with disabilities.  It is available as
a free download from www.wemedia.com.  Unlike screen readers, the
WeMedia browser actually replaces traditional browser technology
used for surfing the Internet.  Oversized buttons and keystroke
commands enable easy navigation, with the browser speaking the
text.  Users can control the appearance of the web site by
stripping the graphics for easier access.  The speed and volume
at which the browser reads can also be controlled by the user. 
Users  can define the color contrast of the page.  The WeMedia
Browser features a tutorial that explains the keystroke commands
needed to operate it.  Visit the web site for complete details.  
 

               DOOR ENTRY SYSTEM FOR THE DISABLED

     Note: Catherine Skivers, President of the California Council
of the Blind, and Christopher Gray, President of the American
Council of the Blind, were invited to review this device.) 
     Hudson, Wisconsin: Viking Electronics, in conjunction with 
the San Francisco Mayor's Office and the Mayor's Office on
Disability announced the introduction of the Viking AES-2000
accessible door entry system for multi-family residential and
commercial buildings.  The AES-2000 includes unique features to
allow operation by tenants and visitors who have visual, hearing,
speech, and mobility disabilities.  No other security door entry
system accommodates these special needs.   
     The AES-2000 incorporates the widely recognized EZ(tm)
Access system1.  Activating the green diamond EZ(TM) Access
button starts an audible and visual explanation of the door entry
system operation, identifying the purpose of each button as it is
pressed.  The user can operate the system to locate and call the
tenant.  
     The AES-2000 not only scrolls through the tenant directory
visually, but simultaneously announces each tenant's name
audibly.  The tenant's name announcement is recorded locally to
allow for correct pronunciation and accent.  Users can adjust the
volume level to suit their needs.  The audible instructions and
tenant name announcement features ensure that persons with visual
disabilities can use the system without intervention.   
     Visitors and tenants with speech and hearing disabilities
can also communicate via the AES-2000 system.  The visitor simply
plugs a standard portable TTY/TDD text telephone into the
AES-2000 and generates a call to the tenant.  Then the visitor
and tenant converse using standard TTY/TDD technologies.  This is
a major advancement in the ability of tenants with speech and 
hearing impairments to receive visitors, and visitors with those
same impairments to call upon their friends and relatives.   
     Visitors with mobility disabilities can operate the AES-2000
by hand or via a mouth stick.  The AES-2000 eliminates the need
to enter tenant code numbers, thereby cutting down the number of
physical operations required by the user.  The unit includes
provisions for the new wireless infrared transmitters.
     To facilitate tenant entry, the AES-2000 includes keyless
entry via keypad operation or proximity card.  Keyless entry
codes and proximity card authorization can be programmed either
remotely or on-site using a PC compatible computer and a phone
line.  The unit stores time and date information from each door
opening operation for hard copy documentation.
     The EZ(tm) Access system incorporates a green diamond shaped
button that activates an audible and visual explanation of a
product's operation.  The goal is to gain such widespread
recognition of the EZ(tm) Access system, that users will
instinctively seek out the green diamond as their source for
operating instructions.  The Trace Center was also involved in
helping Viking Electronics to design the interface used on the
AES-2000.  
     In addition to its use in the AES-2000 product from Viking
Electronics, the EZ(tm) Access system is also being used by ATM
manufacturers to assist banking customers with disabilities.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM: Residential and commercial
building owners are scrambling to increase security by
restricting access to key entrances.  Unfortunately, the most
common entry systems impose significant burdens on persons with
disabilities.  Visitors with low vision or blindness have great
difficulty reading tenant directories and system operating
instructions.  Persons with hearing loss, deafness, or speech
disabilities have similar difficulties communicating via these
audible-only systems.  Additionally, persons with physical and
mobility disabilities often find it difficult to negotiate
keypads, locks, handsets, and push-button operated entry systems. 
Tenants with these impairments face equally daunting challenges
when someone buzzes their apartment.  In addition to the obvious
communications issues, they must get to their apartment intercom
system in a timely manner, a significant challenge to persons who
may also have mobility impairments.
     Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that
the number of persons with these types of disabilities is
substantial.  They also show a direct correlation to the age of
the population.  In fact, 41.5% of persons age 75 or older are
classified as having severe disabilities.  With baby boomers
approaching retirement age, the problem will only worsen.  The
following statistics are equally as compelling:
     * 54 million Americans have some type of disability.
     * Over 8 million Americans have visual impairments.
     * 1.7 million Americans use wheelchairs or scooters and have
difficulty reading at heights above 48 inches.  
     * 22 million Americans have varying levels of hearing
impairments.
     * 2.7 million Americans have speech impairments.
     THE TURNING POINT: Recognizing the severity of the problem,
the San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disability, on December 11,
1998, invited representatives from all the major manufacturers of
door entry systems to a conference in San Francisco.  Executive
Director Walter Park and Deputy Director Richard Skaff explained
the nature of the challenges faced by citizens with disabilities. 
They invited each manufacturer to work with the city in
developing more accessible door entry systems.  
     At the conclusion of the conference, the majority of the
manufacturers opted to turn to their industry association, the
Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association, International
(DASMA) for assistance.  DASMA instituted a procedure to poll its
members to obtain feedback on the development of a standard for
accessible door entry systems.  In the three years since the
December 11th meeting, DASMA has completed thirteen revisions of
the proposed standard and has now submitted it to the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) for approval.  
     Only one manufacturer, Viking Electronics, Hudson,
Wisconsin, proceeded to work with the Mayor's Office on
Disability to design an accessible door entry system.  Viking
also sought advice from the Trace Center, University of
Wisconsin, Madison, and the Smith Kettlewell Eye Research
Institute, San Francisco.
     Each organization played a major role in offering design
suggestions for the AES-2000.  However, no public funds were used
in the development of this product.  All engineering,
prototyping, and design costs were underwritten by Viking
Electronics.  
     The first production model of the AES-2000 was installed at
345 Arguello Street, San Francisco in December, 2001.  The
building is owned and operated by the San Francisco Housing
Authority.  The AES-2000 installed at this location replaced an
antiquated intercom system that was prone to multiple failures in
recent years.  
     San Francisco Housing Authority staff have been trained on
the programming and operation of the new system and its service
was inaugurated on February 27, 2002 at a press conference
sponsored by the San Francisco Mayor's Office and the Mayor's
Office on Disability.  
     Carol Lieb, Viking Electronics, 1531 Industrial Street,
Hudson, Wisconsin 54016; 715.386.8861;.
     Executive Director Walter Park or Deputy Director Richard
Skaff, San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disablility, 401 Van Ness
Avenue, Room 300, San Francisco, CA 94102; Voice: (415) 554-6789;
TTY/TDD: (415) 554-6799;
E-mail: mod@ci.sf.ca.us. 


                     LIBRARY USERS BOOK LIST

                       by Winifred Downing

     At the CCB fall convention,the library users enjoyed their
usual luncheon and exchange of notes about books they had
enjoyed.  A partial list is given here, though authors are
lacking for some titles, and there is sketchy information about
who suggested what books.  For some titles, the information was
incorrect so that it was not possible to find the catalog
numbers.  We are indebted to Martin Magid of the subregional
library in San Francisco for looking up what numbers we have. 

Fern Michael: Seasons of Her Life RC44286 (suggested by Debby
     Rogers 
Lavyrle Spenser: Then Came Heaven RC45146 (Suggested by Gloria
     Broderick)
Dan Gilroy, Sight Unseen RD31219
How to Read Maps BR6910
Tom Brokaw: The Greatest Generation RC47490 (suggested by Sharon
     Benefiel
Noah Gordon: Shaman RC36314 (suggested by Alice Parkinson)
Karen Smith and Jonathan and Faye Kellerman: Day of Atonement
     RC36304 (suggested by Connie Shoeman
Deborah Layton: Seductive Poisoning RC488739 (suggested by
     Evelyn Drury) 
Voice in the Wind  RC42380
Echo in the Darkness RC42396
As Sure As the Dawn RC42413
Betty Smith: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn RC44769 (Suggested by 
Patty     Avano)
Lena Kennedy: Maggie RCac976 (suggested by Debby Rogers)

     Martin Magid and a young man who is training patrons to use
the library equipment will be part of the joint program presented
on May 2 at the spring convention by the Braille Revival League
and the Library Users of America.  Come to lunch and bring titles
and notes about your favorite books.  


           REHABILITATION TEACHING IN THE SUBARCTIC

                       by Susan Ponchillia

     (From Re:View, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp102-16, Fall, 2001. 
Reprinted with permission of the Helen Dwight Reid Educational
Foundation.  Published by Heldref Publications, 1319 18th Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802.  Copyright 2001. .  
     Love of the Arctic, coupled with an opportunity to do
blindness-related research and rehabilitation teaching, prompted
me to spend an extended stay in Canada's Northwest Territories
(NWT).  The sparseness of the population rather than the size of
the landmass results in the Canadian National Institute for the
Blind (CNIB) employing one lone worker to serve the needs of
everyone in the area-from north to south and east to west.  The
CNIB worker had a degree in orientation and mobility but also
was, among other roles, director of the NWT office, consultant,
fundraiser, and case manager.  She tried to provide some
rehabilitation services but did not have the skills to teach
adaptive communications, cooking, sewing, crafts, insulin
measurement, or other daily living skills.  She welcomed my
assistance as a volunteer rehabilitation teacher.
     GEOGRAPHY: Before April, 1999, the entire northern area of
Canada, some 3.3 million square miles stretching from the 60th
parallel to the North Pole and from the Yukon border in the west
to Baffin Island in the east, was known as the Northwest
Territories (NWT).  In 1999, the area was split into two parts:
the western section retains the name Northwest Territories; the
eastern and northern portion is now called Nunavut.  The two
territories are even more sparsely populated than some of
Canada's remotest provincial areas.
     The capital and the largest city in the NWT is Yellowknife,
a community of some 20,000 residents, about 1,000 miles north of
Edmonton, Alberta, at the end of a partly gravel, partly paved
highway.  It is a city of paved streets, skyscrapers, and
government officials and has the largest population density in
the territory; but it does not have the greatest number of
residents with visual impairments.  The largest number of
residents with vision loss, primarily from retinitis pigmentosa
(RP), are in one of the nearest native hamlets to Yellowknife, a
bumpy 100 kilometers (approximately 65 miles) away.  Other small
communities farther away on the gravel highway also have
extraordinary numbers of people affected by vision loss.  All of
these communities are located on lakes such as the Great Slave
Lake or on the banks of the mighty Mackenzie River, which flows
northward out of Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean.
     Each scattered community consists of a group of small,
wooden, one-story homes built close to each other, wherever the
land is not likely to flood.  In the rockier communities, houses 
are usually built on top of massive and relatively flat rocks .
     New home construction is occurring, mostly two-story "kit"
(prefabricated) houses trucked in from the south, which are easy
to construct during the short summer.  Each community I visited
to provide services and collect data typically had at least one
small inn or motel for visitors and temporary workers, a Catholic
parish, a fuel station, JPD a trading post.  The farthest hamlet
that I worked in that was accessible by automobile was
approximately nine hours from Yellowknife and required four
ferryboats and an overnight stay.
     MY EXPERIENCES: From conversations with the CNIB worker, I
learned much about visual impairment in the north.  Most
intriguing was the information that there was a high incidence of
visual impairment from RP in several remote communities west of
Yellowknife.  Why were so many people, especially from the Dogrib
band (tribe), affected by RP?  How is blindness viewed in the
native cultures of the north?  Are their needs different from
those of folks with visual impairments down south?  What impact
does RP and its related night blindness have on people who live
in a land that offers little or no sunshine for 6 months of the
year?
     My northern adventure lasted just over 3 months in the fall
when the sun was still shining and 4 weeks during February and
March when there was near total darkness all day.  My plan was to
provide rehabilitation teaching services to consumers while I was
conducting research activities.  Helping people solve their
problems caused by vision loss was a good way to build rapport
and "give back" to them in return for the information that I
wished to gather.
     Initially, in late summer and early autumn when the weather
was "nice" (relative term), I lived with friends in Yellowknife
and daily commuted the 100 kilometers to the nearby hamlet.  The
challenging round-trip took at least 3 1/2 hours but rewarded me
with stunning views of unmatched northern landscape under clear
blue skies.  As the days grew shorter, and it was dark before my
return to Yellowknife, my visual reward changed to spectacular
displays of the aurora borealis (northern lights).  Few vehicles
are on the gravel highway that late in the day, so I was free to
pull aside to watch the glowing green- and rose-colored lights
dancing and tumbling across the sky.  This was truly one of the
benefits of being an itinerant rehabilitation teacher. The sun
rises only part way during February and March.
     REHABILITATION TEACHING SUBJECTS: As a northern
rehabilitation teacher (RT), my role was not very different from
what it Would be "down south."  For example, I assisted people to
learn to thread needles non-visually.  However, for the first
time a pupil was regaining the ability to make handcrafted beaded
moccasins and moosehide mitts.  I also taught new crafts some
handwriting, keyboarding and organizational skills, money
identification, and adaptive kitchen skills.  One woman who had
previously received some services in a Canadian rehabilitation
center had a new need-to learn to operate a 4-track cassette
recorder for notetaking.  She planned to enter an educational
program that would lead to college.  I also spent much time
interpreting information about eye conditions, explaining genetic
concepts, and doing functional vision tests and training.
     Although in the remote sub-Arctic north my role and the
skills I taught were not much different from what they would be
farther south, the following are some of the cultural concepts I
learned and began adjusting to:
     Opening doors unannounced.  In urban areas "down south,"
rehabilitation teachers typically phone ahead to make an
appointment for a specific day and time.  They may even reconfirm
the appointment by calling from the office or a cell phone en
route.  Upon arrival, "southern" RTs would typically alert the
respective student of their presence by knocking, ringing the
doorbell, or using a building intercom.  However, in the native
communities of the north, I found quite different customs about
home visits.  First, few people have telephones, so calling ahead
cannot be done.  Second, time is viewed differently.  Many
northern native people do not operate within tight time frames; I
found it better to indicate that I would return "next week,
Tuesday, sometime after the noon meal.  Finally, visitors do not
knock on doors before entering a home.  They simply walk in at
any time.  No knock; just turn the knob, push the door open, and
walk in unannounced.  That was difficult for me.  The most
relaxed I could get about that custom was to knock while walking
in the door.  The native folks never seemed fazed if a total
stranger walked into their homes without warning.
     It is possible to walk in unannounced because doors are
usually not locked.  By custom, residents of the northern native
hamlets do not lock doors when they are at home or have gone
somewhere in the hamlet.  On the other hand, many elders use an
interesting alternate system to secure their doors.  Not trusting
conventional door locks that are installed in their homes, some
follow this custom: (a) if they are away for only a quick trip to
a neighbor's or to the trading post, a length of twine or yarn is
tied to a nail on the door and strung across to a nail in the
doorframe; (b) if they are "out on the land"  hunting, fishing,
or camping, or if they have gone to Yellowknife, a metal hasp and
large padlock are used to secure the door; and of course (c) if
they are home, the door is not locked at all.  I thought of the
first two methods as a "soft lock" or a "hard lock,"
respectively, and learned to interpret these signs, making
changes in my schedule accordingly.  The death of a native elder
in a neighboring community, an unexpected opportunity to get a
ride into Yellowknife, the sighting of caribou migration, or
other events that took people away from their homes affected my
intended schedule.  However, even without telephones or other
means of communication, I was able to determine whether I should
wait around after seeing the "soft lock" (yarn) on my student's
door, or come back another day ("hard" padlock).
     IDENTIFYING THOSE IN NEED OF SERVICE: The CNIB
representative was aware of a number of individuals who needed
services because of vision loss, and the local priest and
community health workers had additional referrals of people
affected by RP.  However, I knew that others, who had not yet
been identified, must be experiencing loss of vision.  For
example, diabetes and diabetic retinopathy have begun to affect
more residents as diet, traditional lifestyle, and medical
treatment have changed.  I began making inquiries around the
Dogrib community of about 1500 native residents.  Interestingly,
the people least likely to have unmet needs-those who wore
eyeglasses for ordinary acuity problems 2-were those most often
identified as having a vision problem.  Conversely, it seemed
that those who were having the most difficulties because of
serious vision loss tried to hide their problems.  Night
blindness and tunnel vision from peripheral field loss affected
many people who were extended family members of those already
known to have inherited RP, but the stigma of the condition,
related to long-held cultural beliefs, made it unlikely that
native hamlet residents would readily reveal their vision
problems.
     I was told of one young man in training to be a law officer
who had committed suicide after his night blindness became a
hurdle.  Another young man, knowing who I was when I approached
his family's home, screamed at me to go away, all the while
hurling epithets.  The prevailing tale of RP's origins in the
Dogrib people told of an ancestor who, while hunting, had
accidentally mistreated his kill (a lynx) by scratching its eyes. 
According to that account, his wife, pregnant at the time, is
said to have been the first person to bear a child who eventually
went blind, apparently in punishment for the deed.  Because the
punishment for his act was said to continue being exacted on his
family members, people regarded the condition as shameful and
were understandably reluctant to admit being affected.
     Instead of depending solely on referrals from others, I
observed how people moved when they walked around the hamlet. 
The unpaved irregular terrain made it difficult for anyone with
cataracts or RP to get around without hesitating at real or
imagined rocks, stray dogs, puddles, drop-offs, or buildings. 
People with RP had difficulty adjusting to the change in light
when they entered the community building from the almost
24-hour-a-day bright summer daylight.  Frequently, I would see
them step aside and stand still when they first entered the
doorway, lingering longer than their friends who had come in with
them, to allow their eyes to adjust before continuing through the
building.  Through that type of observation and by studying the
massive Dogrib "family tree" I was constructing to develop a
pedigree of those affected, I learned who might have inherited
RP.  I could then attempt to determine who was experiencing
enough vision loss to need RT services.
     EFFECTS OF EXTENDED FAMILY ON PERCEIVED NEEDS: In addition
to the reluctance of some to reveal their sight loss, cultural
values also seemed to mask their needs.  In the north, extended
families commonly live together in small quarters, and other
family members frequently take on the responsibilities of the
mother, father, or other family member who no longer can see well
enough to perform his or her usual "job" in the home.  Whereas in
Chicago or Toronto, the mother in a small nuclear family who has
lost her sight may request blind rehabilitation services,
thinking she no longer can shop, work, or cook, her counterpart
in an extended native family may find herself having no need for
services because the other family members have taken over her
responsibilities.  
     Therefore, when I asked individuals with vision loss in the
Dogrib community whether they were having any difficulties doing
their daily activities, they inevitably answered, "No."  Their
family members would offer the same answer, "No, Mother has no
difficulty doing things around the home because of her vision
loss."  I soon learned that people answered exactly the question
I asked, and no additional information would be offered unless I
hit upon the right question.  In the south, people are more
likely to answer such a question by offering that they were not
now having problems doing certain tasks because they had had to
give them up because of the vision loss.  Because it is not
Dogrib practice to tell people things that have not been asked,
the real story might be that mother previously had difficulty
performing her chores because of worsening vision.  Other family
members then took on the additional tasks because they assumed
that blindness made it impossible to do anything but sit.    
     Therefore, the wife and mother sat idle all day.  Naturally,
people answered that they were not having problems cooking,
sewing, hunting, or getting to the hamlet store, because everyone
else now did those things for them.  The challenge for me as an
RT was to sort out whether individuals with vision loss wanted to
be able to do certain activities again or if they were
comfortable in their "retired" roles.  I learned a dozen ways to
ask if there were things they had to give up doing because their
vision was so bad.  Often when I asked if they wished again to
cook their family's meals, sew, or gather wood, they indicated
that they would.  Then I had a place to start.
     INSTRUCTIONAL CHALLENGES: On a couple of occasions, I was
faced with teaching in unusual circumstances.  Once, the CNIB
worker and I visited an elderly, totally blind woman in her
one-room cabin, which was heated by an oil drum made into a
woodstove and furnished with only a cot and
a table.  The cot was her bed, her couch, and her chair.  She had
no running water and no bathroom.  A "honey bucket," the
euphemism for an indoor can toilet lined with a sturdy plastic
bag to hold and dispose of human waste, sat in the corner of the
room.  The area was curtained off by a tattered wool blanket that
looked old enough for a nomadic ancestor to have traded furs for
it a hundred years ago at a Hudson Bay trading post.  Annie (not
her real name) explained through an interpreter that her problem
was that she could not carry the bag safely out to the side of a
dirt road where it would be picked up weekly by truck.  She got
lost or fell.  Her cabin, like many old cabins in that part of
the hamlet, was situated on a relatively flat part of the rocky
terrain but was almost surrounded by steep drop-offs into icy
water collected in the glacier-carved depressions.  There was no
discernable path for Annie to follow on the bare rocks to the
road.  One misstep could send her on a dangerous
tumble into the natural ditches.  She chose not to ask for help
from her son, who lived elsewhere in the hamlet.  We devised a
simple solution for the elderly lady's short independent trip to
the road and back.  The CNIB worker showed Annie how to use a
cane to avoid stepping off the rocky causeway, and at her cabin
door, we tied a length of rope, exactly long enough to reach the
roadside.  Through her interpreter, Annie learned to use the
front of the cabin to determine in which direction to travel
safely to reach the road.  She carried the honey bag and the end
of the rope in one hand and her cane in the other.  When she "got
to the end of her rope,' she deposited the honey bag, then used
the rope to find her way back to her cabin.  The unorthodox rope
trick ensured that Annie had a safe and efficient trek to the
road and back to her door in all kinds of weather, thereby
reducing the possibility of getting lost or falling into a ditch
when temperatures were below zero.  
     Another challenge that I faced was not a great one, but 
nonetheless required me to modify my teaching.  After a gathering
of some of the consumers affected by RP, at which I supplied
homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, one young woman asked me if I
could teach her how to "make those biscuits."  No problem.  We
made plans for me to visit at her home the following day.  On
arrival after the bumpy ride down the gravel highway, I was happy
to see that the eggs I brought along for the recipe had survived
the trip.  Groceries at the small hamlet store were expensive and
sometimes scarce.  I was quite sure Madeleine (not her real name)
did not have the necessary supplies and equipment to mix up the
cookies because I knew how most people prepared food in the
village.  It is not common to bake things.  Boiled whole chicken
or "dry meat," made by hanging thinly sliced caribou meat over
poles suspended above woodstoves, are the mainstays of many
families' meals.  The challenge I faced, though, was the fact
that Madeleine not only did not know how to make cookies and bake
them in the oven, she had no concept of cooking measures and had
no standard measuring cups or spoons.  I modified my plans and
the recipe.  This would ultimately take two visits and two
batches of cookies--not a problem for Madeleine and her eager
family.  On the first visit, we established some common language
for measures.  Her coffee mugs were only a little larger than a
1-cup measure, and she knew the concepts of "half-full"  and
"full"; her flatware spoons could substitute as proper teaspoon
and tablespoon measures.  We started with those.  My recipe
called for one-third cup of one ingredient.  We called that "a
little less than half full" in the coffee mug and made similar
adjustments.  We substituted lard, the cooking fat of choice in
the community, for butter.  I modified the recipe by rounding
amounts up or down so that they approximated the amounts we had
labeled with verbal descriptions.  We
established a common language for the actions involved in the
preparation and for the cookie size.  Finally, we determined a
good system for detecting doneness because Madeleine had neither
a timer nor a clock.  We had success with our simplified recipe
and the substitute measuring tools.  On my next visit, she made a
batch of cookies by herself and again received rave reviews from
her family.  Modifying the preparation to fit the resources and
skills she had made it more likely that Madeleine would tackle
the activity on her own in the future.
     DROP=IN VISITORS: Another challenge was the unexpected
arrival of visitors during lessons.  I never grew accustomed to
having someone I had never seen before walk into the home of
someone I was working with.  Once, I sat quietly while a neighbor
man walked unannounced into Madeleine's house and asked her, in
their native language, for dry meat.  He sat quietly munching
pieces of dry caribou meat, first dipping them into lard, and
watched our keyboarding lesson.  I believe that was the same day
Madeleine had a whole caribou head, with fur, thawing in her
kitchen sink, a sight I had never before seen "up close and
personal."     TEACHING DOGRIB STUDENTS IN ENGLISH: I was
surprised to learn that not speaking the native language
interfered little with lessons.  Interpreters assisted greatly
when I first interviewed individuals to introduce myself, learn
about their situation, and set up return visits.  However, during
later lessons when an interpreter did not accompany me, it
was quite easy to demonstrate adaptive devices or techniques, to
use hand-over-hand assistance if needed, and give positive
reinforcement to people as they learned to do the skill I was
teaching.  One woman with RP spoke both English and her native
language well; she was invaluable for the support meetings we
began. 
     MODIFICATIONS ON AN OLD THEME: Although electric stoves are
in common use in many northern homes, woodstoves are just as
common.  The people who complained of difficulty in using a
woodstove had no problems with the basics of starting and
maintaining a fire, but they needed to know how to avoid burns. 
We worked on orientation techniques just as one might with an 
electric range, and long fire-resistant oven mitts or leather
fireplace gloves provided the extra protection necessary to
prevent dangerous burns.  
     Tuberculosis is still a problem in many northern
communities.  Smoking cigarettes and chewing and spitting tobacco
indoors and out are common behaviors.  Signs prohibiting spitting
inside the native community center, the "old folks home," and the
store were posted outside each front door in an effort to curb
the spread of the disease.  Therefore, another challenge for me
was to help people in a couple of communities to dispose of their
discarded cigarette butts safely and to aim into a vessel when
they spat out tobacco juice.  We also had to work on safe ways to
maneuver out of the home to dispose of the contents of coffee-can
spittoons. 
     HOW CULTURAL BELIEFS CAN REDUCE TEACHING SUCCESS: I was
unsuccessful in teaching an elderly homebound man with
insulin-dependent diabetes and retinopathy how to measure his own
insulin.  He trusted only the community health worker to
administer the medication.  He had been brought up to believe in
medicine men, and it made no sense to him that he, as a
non-medicine man, could self-administer the medication.  He was,
however, disappointed in the health worker because he expected
that the medication or the blood glucose sampling or both would
"cure" him.  After all, he knew a real medicine man would cure
the diabetes after treating him.  He gave the health worker grief
every time she entered his home to give an injection. 
Furthermore, because it made no sense to him to self-administer
his "Cure," he saw no need for instruction on how to do it.  I
only had to observe his angry reaction to the health worker once
to be convinced that he was better off having daily visits from
her.  At least she could explain in his own language that the
treatment was not a permanent cure.
     NIGHT BLINDNESS IN THE NORTH: I found that the amount of
sunshine greatly influenced the activities of the people with
night blindness.  In fact, it is said that RP was first
"discovered" in the native community after one family, camping
out on the land, noticed two children (with RP) staying close to
the light of the campfire while their siblings ran and played in
the darkness.  Every person with whom I interviewed loved having
the sun shine all day and all night during the summer.  They then
had the freedom to come and go as they chose and could usually
see major landmarks if they lost their way.  The activity level
during 24-hour sunshine is noticeably higher for everyone. 
Children frequently play outside all night.  There are also great
sound cues from the lakeshore or riverbank in summertime: waves
slapping, outboard motors putt-putting on the water, children
playing, and loud gulls, bald eagles, or ravens overhead.  In
contrast, the wintertime cold and darkness sends everyone inside
during much of the day and the solid ice surface silences the
sounds of the lake.  Winter comes early in the north.  Days are
very short by October; the sun visits dimly only around noon in
the early and late winter and disappears totally in mid-winter. 
The days are not noticeably bright for long periods until April. 
One woman with RP told me, "I like that the ground is frozen in
winter so it's not so muddy, but I'm too afraid to walk around
town.  I get lost and there might be nobody else outside to help
me.  I do not like winter because of the dark."  Many complained
of the 6 to 8 months Of "imprisonment" in their own homes.  I
could see few solutions to the problem of Walking safely around a
community with no sidewalks, paved roads, fences, or streetlights
on the edge of a vast and unforgiving wilderness.  
     REFLECTIONS: I gained valuable experience and insight as a
temporary northern rehabilitation teacher.  In some ways, the
problems of northern native people affected by RP and other eye
conditions are the same as those of people anywhere else. 
However, some of the solutions are strongly affected by customs,
the availability of resources, and the level of community support
and understanding.  I believe that I helped some people regain
skills and learn new skills.  I was able to share understanding
and information about visual impairment.  We discussed causes and
"cures" for RP.  Although now is perhaps, not the right time to
address genetic counseling, one community has an understanding of
the inherited aspects of the two causes of genetic visual
impairment.  Religious and community leaders have undertaken
their own family tree project with the intent of continuing my
work to determine those who might be at risk of vision loss.  A
slowly developing proactive philosophy is emerging as hamlet
residents learn more about the widespread incidence of retinitis
pigmentosa and other eye conditions, and interest in genetic
counseling is growing.  Northern people are also learning more
about the potentials of people with vision loss.  As more
educated residents become elders, they are more vocal about their
needs than the elders of yesterday, who simply accepted blindness
as a limiting companion of old age.
     

                      OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE: 
                Working Your Guide Dog on Campus

                        by Sheila Styron

     Guide dog handlers face many challenges when working their
dogs on college and university campuses.  Guide dogs also provide
students with many opportunities to enhance travel but often,
creative thinking and planning are required to ensure the
efficiency of using a guide dog for mobility in these complex
environments.
     Many guide dog schools now provide some campus work for
students before graduation, and these schools are also willing to
make themselves available for followup work on college campuses
after graduation.  This on campus work provides students with
just enough information to realize that no two colleges or
universities are alike and that these situations are all unique
o&m and guide work experiences.  Acknowledging that all students
and guide dog handlers have varying o&m skill sets as well as
different personalities, needs and communication styles, here are
some general suggestions and points to keep in mind when learning
your way around campus in the company of a guide dog.

     Colleges and universities are not famous for being organized
in recognizable grid patterns like regular city blocks.  There
are often wide open areas to be negotiated in order to reach
buildings which are laid out to be aesthetically pleasing rather
than easy to find for guide dogs and their handlers.  
     Do not despair, though, because college campuses are also
full of people walking to class just as you will be, and one of
the keys to successful travel is learning to communicate your
orientation needs to these fellow students and pedestrians. 
     Because of the irregular layout of campuses, it is extremely
useful to develop a mental map or somewhat accurate spacial image
of your campus, which will prepare you for the surprise of ending
up in the same place via more than one route.  
     If you retain professional o&m assistance in learning the
way from the dorm to the math building, for example, don't get
too hung up on the small details of one route, and take the time
to ascertain the big picture in terms of general orientation. 
Patterning or walking a route with a fellow student can be just
as effective in assisting you and your dog to learn the way from
point A to point B. 
     Make finding places fun for your dog rather than confidence
eroding experiences.  It is extremely helpful to develop the
skills of working your dog while carrying on conversations with
others in order to use their voices as a point of reference in
your travels with your dog.  
     Establish good guide dog etiquette with your campus mates
while also working with your dog on remaining calm in harness
while interacting with the public.  People can be very helpful
when traveling on campus, and your dog for better or worse is a
key factor in relating to the public.  It is much more efficient
to accustom your dog to politely and calmly dealing with some
attention from the public than it is to train dog lovers not to
make eye contact or not to want to pet your dog.  You have only
one dog to train compared to thousands of students, not to
mention the rest of the world out there.
     If you and your dog become lost or disoriented, take time
out for a little petting, or simply provide a little cheerful
encouragement to urge your dog to show you something--anything--
when nobody is around to assist.  It is easy to become frustrated
at these times, but it is vitally important not to do anything
which discourages initiative in your guide dog.  Sometimes
stopping and quietly talking to or playing with your dog will
bring someone to your assistance.  It is also effective when lost
to stand still and look around as a sighted person might when
seeking information or assistance.  If you find in the course of
your campus travels that your dog shows you places where you've
been before but you don't want to go just then, yet sometimes do,
make sure to praise quickly before urging your guide on to the
desired destination.
     Campuses can be challenging environments in which to work a
dog.  However, they also provide an invaluable opportunity for
honing your travel skills, creative problem solving and
perfecting techniques for interacting with and relating to the
general public.   

       
                        AROUND THE STATE
     Congratulations and best wishes to Mitch Pomerantz and Donna
De La Riva who married in Los Angeles on March 5, 2002.  They
will be moving to their new home in Pasadena, and we all wish
them good health and joy. 

*****          *****          *****          *****
Rhonda King was one of two students from American River College
in Sacramento to be nominated for the All USA Academic Team in
November, 2001.  This event is sponsored by "USA Today" and
recognizes community college students who achieve distinguished
academic success.    
     On Saturday, March 2, Rhonda received notice that she is one
of twenty-three students to be selected for the All USA Academic
Team of California.  These students will be honored and receive
their awards on Thursday, April 11, at the State Capitol from the
California State Legislature.  A luncheon will be held afterward. 
     Rhonda also received word this past week that she has been
selected as Outstanding Student of the Year at American River
College and will attend the awards presentation on Friday, May 3. 
*****          *****          *****          ***** 
     Governor Gray Davis announced a list of appointments as
members of the Statewide Independent Living Council including
Anita Aaron.  Ms. Aaron, 51, of San Francisco, represents a
Center for Independent Living.  She is Executive Director and CEO
of the Rose Resnick LightHouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired.  Prior to this, Ms. Aaron served as Executive Director
for the Independent Living Resource in Pleasant Hill.  She also
worked as an Employment Specialist for the Department of Social
Services.  Ms. Aaron is a member of the California Council of the
Blind, as well as the National Federation of the Blind of
California.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the
University of Tulsa.


                          CCB OFFICERs 

     (Editor's note: We are indebted to Bernice Kandarian who
updated and corrected the list of CCB officers and board members, 
cluding the number of the term each is presently serving and the
years covered by that term.  We shall publish the list this way
at least in issues just preceding and following elections and
routinely if members wish.  The presence of an asterisk means
that the individual served a partial term before the first full
term.)  

President, Catherine Skivers (00-02, 3rd term)
     836 Resota Street
     Hayward, CA 94545
     510-357-1986 H
     <ccotb@earthlink.net>
1st Vice President, Jeff Thom (00-02, 1st term)
     7414 Mooncrest Way
     Sacramento, CA 95831
     916-429-8201 H
     916-341-8320 W
     <jeff.thom@lc.ca.gov>
2nd Vice President, Ken Metz (01-03, 1st term)
     2024-B Andreo Avenue
     Torrance, CA 90501
     310-787-0021 H
     kmetz@socal.rr.com
Secretary, Ardis Bazyn (01-03 1st term)
     500 South 3rd Street, #H
     Burbank, CA 91502
     818-238-9321
     <abazyn@earthlink.net>
Treasurer, Peter Pardini (01-03 1st term)
     267 Cardinal Road
     Mill Valley, CA 94941-3618
     415-381-9211 H
     <peterpar@pacbell.net>
Immediate Past President, Mitch Pomerantz
     1344 North Martel Avenue
     Los Angeles, CA 90046
     323-851-5148 H
     213-847-9124 W
     <MPomerantz@mailbox.lacity.org>

                       BOARD OF DIRECTORS

aL bIEGLER (01-03, 2ND TERM) 
     819 Colusa Street
     Chico, CA 95928-4116
     530-893-8840 H
     <albiegler1@juno.com>
Martin Jones (01-03, 4th term)
     730 Victoria
     San Francisco, CA 94127
     415-469-8048 H
     415-266-3940 W
Jane Kardas (*01-03, 2nd term)
     810 Maple Avenue
     Ukiah, CA 95482
     707-468-5510 H
Rhonda Marshall King (00-02, 2nd term)
     6426 Greenback Lane
     Citrus Heights, CA 95621
     916-722-7337 H
     <jodeanking@earthlink.net>
Barbara Kron (00-02 1st term) 
     May-Nov. 8304 Blue Spruce Way
     Windsor, CA 95492
     707-838-9207 h/fax
      Nov.-Apr. Box 13010, #323
     Yuma, AZ 85366
     520-539-1323 h/fax
     badkron@aol.com
          
Eugene Lozano, Jr. (01-03, 3rd term)
     4537 Sycamore Avenue
     Sacramento, CA 95841
     916-485-8307 H
     916-278-6988 W
     <lozanoe@csus.edu>
Ahmad Rahman (00-02, 2nd term)
     19616 Leapwood Avenue
     Carson, CA 90746
     310-327-0463 H
Barbara Rhodes (00-02 1st term)
     6396 Tamalpais Avenue
     San Jose, CA 95120
     408-268-2110 H
     <brhodes@pacbell.net>
Richard Rueda (01-03 1st term)
     1501 Decoto Road, # 169
     Union City, CA 94587
     510-324-0418 H
     <richr@surfside.net>

                  CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Joan Black, Chair: 4925 Coke Ave., Lakewood, CA 90712; 
     562-630-2304
Keith Black, 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 
Patty Nash, 901 Central Ave. Apt. C, Alameda, CA 94501; 
     510-521-2042
Charles Nabarrete, 239 N. Walnut Dr., West Covina, CA 91790; 
     562-338-8106
Teddie-Joy Remhild: 1100 W. Olive, #220, Burbank, CA; 
     818-848-2475
Catherine Schmitt: 1356 B South, Diamond Bar Boulevard, Diamond
     Bar, CA 91765 909-861-2931

