



                         THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN



                      Quarterly Magazine of the 

                    CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND



Spring, 2003, Volume 47, No. 2



      Published in Braille, Cassette, Diskette, online, and Large
Print 




                     Jeff Thom, President 
                          7414 Mooncrest Way 
                           Sacramento, CA 95831
                           916-429-8201510-357-1986 Res.
                           jsthom@attbi.com 

                           Executive Office:
                             578 B Street
                           Hayward, CA 94541
                             800-221-6359
                             510-537-7877
                            ccotb@earthlink.net
                           Fax: 510-537-7830
                           www.ccbnet.org



                 Los Angeles Area Office, Mitch Pomerantz 
             1115 Cordova Street 
             Pasadena, CA 91106
             626-844-4388                             
             mpomerantz@mailbox.lacity.org

                   Sacramento Area Office, Dan Kysor
                       225 15th St. 
                         West Sacramento, CA 95691
                                                     916-371-1514
                                                 Fax 916-371-7630
                       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
                     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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

PRESIDENT'S CORNER, by Jeff Thom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

CAREER CONNECTIONS: FACILITATING MEETINGS, 
     by Catherine Schmitt-Whitaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

TECHTALK: BACKING UP YOUR DATA, by Louis Herrera . . . . . . . 11

FROM THE CAPITOL, by Dan Kysor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

"OVER THERE," by Cathy Anne Murtha
     submitted by Mitch and Donna Pomerantz. . . . . . . . . . 15

BULLETIN BOARD, compiled by Keith Black  . . . . . . . . . . . 16

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE, by Sheila Styron  . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

RECOGNIZING OUR LEGISLATORS, by Dan Kysor  . . . . . . . . . . 20

PATTY'S PAGE, by Patty Nash  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

ACB JOINS CELLPHONE COMPLAINT  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

LIBRARY USERS BOOK LIST, by Winifred Downing . . . . . . . . . 25

NEW ASSAULT ON THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT . . . . . . 25

PHYSICIANS' PHRASEOLOGY  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

LETTER FROM DAVID C. EKIN, submitted by 
     Christopher Gray  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

FOLLOWUP LETTER FROM CHARLES CRAWFORD  . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

"IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: AND A LOT OF 
     HARD WORK, by Bill Tipton, submitted by Roger Petersen  . 34

CCB OFFICERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CCB BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CCB PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 



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

     The CCB Publications Committee, under its new chair Bernice
Kandarian, has some of our tried-and-true stalwarts and some new
faces that we hope will help us add variety and interest to THE
BLIND CALIFORNIAN.  What we need most now are contributions from
our readers.  Many of the articles you see each quarter are
associated with the concerns and functioning of our state
organization, and a number of others come from items of interest
from the Internet submitted by alert members.  More difficult,
however, has it become to find our members writing about their
own experiences with sight loss, conquering obstacles to
employment, recounting travel and vacation efforts, and
expressing their thoughts on issues pertaining to increased
opportunities for blind persons.  The Publications Committee
wants to have lots of articles from which to choose the award
winners each year, so please cozy up to your computer, braille
writer, or old-fashioned typewriter to send us your offerings.
     The editor has the prerogative of writing some of her own
thoughts about the work in which we are all engaged, so here are
mine on a matter I hope will interest many of you.  
     The California Council has been extremely fortunate in
having continued financial support from our members, astute
management of our investments, and officers keenly a ware of the
importance of monetary stability.  The American Council of the
Blind, the national organization of which CCB is an affiliate,
has, like most national organizations in the last several years,
seen some of its fundraising efforts frustrated by circumstances
beyond its control as it also has experienced increased demands
for its services and expertise.   
     What, you may ask, do we get from our national organization?
It is that body which presses for cell phone manufacturers to
develop an instrument that is truly accessible--that lets us know
how much battery life is left and makes possible for us the many
features that cell phones now offer to sighted persons who can
read the screen.  It is that body that lets us know of judges
being considered for the courts of our land who have consistently
taken positions against the Americans with Disabilities 
Act, resulting in the kind of injustice you will read about in an
article in this BC issue so that we can  take appropriate action
to criticize such appointments.  It is that body that informs us
about decisions of the Rehabilitation Services  Administration
(RSA) that are governed by Joann Wilson, the RSA Commissioner who
formerly directed the orientation center in Louisiana, to the
exclusion of other points of view, to additional program choices,
and to disbursements of funds to organizations other than the
National Federation of the Blind.  Again, a letter in this issue
from David Ekin, president of the  Council of Private Agencies
for the  Blind, later in this issue will exemplify the  problem.  
   
     It is the American Council of the Blind that organizes our
efforts toward descriptive video, accessible voting
opportunities, and safety on streets, highways, and various modes
of transportation.  The ACB supplies us with THE BRAILLE FORUM,
an 800 number where we can contact ACB office staff, the ACB Web
site with all the information it contains, and ACB Radio, a
world-wide source of information and enjoyment for blind persons. 
Even non-members take advantage of these extremely valuable
services.  
     ACB is a little like the church preacher who doesn't want to
come across to the congregation as someone who harps about money,
and so it says little about its financial needs.  About a year
ago, though, it initiated an effort to have broad-based and
regular support from its members through the Monthly Monetary
Fund.  One can join the plan by allowing ACB  to take from his or
her bank account monthly whatever sum the individual can pledge. 
At present, only 5% of ACB's 20,000 members contribute to the
support of the organization, and our responsibility toward
financing it just has to change.  A monthly contribution of $20
from just 2,000 of our members brings in $480,000.  While many of
us couldn't afford that much, there are few of us who would not
be able to ascribe $10 each month; and relying on this kind of
consistent support would assist ACB greatly.
     How can you become a part of the plan?  Call Jim Olsen's
office at 800-866-3242 to request the necessary form to complete. 
I haven't ask Jim, but I'll bet that, if you don't have a reader
to help you in such a matter, someone in the office there would
do so.  You would need to furnish some identifying information
about your bank and send a voided check, but from that point on,
the process is amazingly simple.  Let's vigorously support our
national organization in the hope that it can achieve the kind of
financial security that CCB has been able to enjoy--security that
does not permit excesses but does provide the wherewithal that
makes possible our state chapter's close involvement with the
welfare and education of the blind of California!
     I'm climbing down from my soapbox to tell you that our next
deadline for THE BLIND CALIFORNIAN is June 1, 2003.


                       PRESIDENT'S CORNER

                          by Jeff Thom

     In future columns, I intend to discuss various issues of
concern to members of our organization; but in my first
contribution as president, I would like to take the opportunity
to make some personal reflections on my first two months in my
new position. 
     I suspect that it's not the most appropriate moment to
undertake this task since I have just returned from an extremely
frustrating and guilt-ridden weekend when I was supposed to
represent CCB at the mid-year meeting of the American Council of
the Blind in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the site of the national
convention this summer.  
     Because of weather conditions in St. Louis, I missed my
connecting flight and was stranded there Friday night.  However,
I still hoped to reach Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon by taking
a 7 a.m. flight to Chicago and then transferring.  As luck would
have it, though, my flight from Chicago was cancelled, meaning
that I wouldn't have made it to the meeting until at least 6 or 7
p.m. on Saturday.  Since I intended to return to Sacramento late
Sunday afternoon, I had the option of either hoping for the best
and spending at most a bit less than a day in Pittsburgh
(assuming no more cancellations) or coming home.  After agonizing
about it, both the guilt of not representing all of you and the
frustration of traveling, I opted to stay in Chicago where I
spent an evening with my sister and then flew home.  My chapter
members feel sure it was all a big excuse to see her.  The only
benefit is that I am home in time to work on this article. 
Judging by the delays caused by the blizzard which struck the
eastern part of the country Saturday and Sunday, I may have ended
up stranded in St. Louis again on my way back.  
     But that's more than enough about this weekend.  The last
two months have been many things to me, and none more than a
learning experience.  It's one thing to have been consulted as I
frequently was by President Skivers, but  quite another to make
those daily decisions that all of my predecessors have had to
make.  I have had a tendency to dither about decisions, the
meaning of this lovely word, for me at least,  being to hem and
haw about them.  Well, as one of my former law professors (who
just happens to be one of the great legal minds in this country)
would have said, "There ain't no way you can do that.  You need
to get the best advice you can, assuming there is time for it,
pray you make the right move, and then live with the
consequences."
     Another thing I have learned, if I didn't know it enough
already, was to admire others who have been in this office. 
There is little more that need be said of the truly outstanding
job that President Skivers did, the tremendous energy she put
into her work, and the healthy position in which she put this
organization.  When I come home from a long day's work for the
Legislature and begin the several hours of nightly work that must
be done for CCB, I also applaud her predecessors and especially
Mitch Pomerantz for doing what he could when financial resources
for CCB were few while at the same time holding down an extremely
responsible job with the city of Los Angeles.
     I have also come to appreciate fully what a fantastic staff
we have.  We all see the direct results of what Dan Kysor, our
excellent Governmental Affairs Director, does; but we get only a
glimmer of all the work done by our Hayward staff members, Ed
Branch and Marilyn Kohler.  I haven't quite figured out how they
manage to meet almost all the unrealistic demands that I place
upon them while handling calls from members and nonmembers alike. 
     I have also learned to expect the unexpected, and not just
with airplanes.  For example, I received a call from a radio
station about the possibility of doing a show on whether blind
people fall in love for different reasons than do sighted folks. 
This is actually a rather interesting topic; but I suspect that
my reaction, although I didn't show it, was like many of yours,
namely to laugh.
     My last lesson, and by far my most enjoyable, has been an
expanded knowledge of what a great group of individuals we have
in the California Council of the Blind.  Even though I interact
by e-mail more than I would like, thus sacrificing some personal
contact in the interest of efficiency, I consider myself
extremely lucky to hear directly or via e-mail from so many of
you.  I have only begun to fully appreciate the richness, the
diversity, the enthusiasm of our membership; and I encourage
those of you who do not know me to contact me.  Messages can
always be left on my cell phone, at 916-995-3967, or I can be
e-mailed at jsthom@attbi.com.  If I don't get back to you within
a few days or sooner for more urgent matters, make sure that
another CCB officer or your local president knows about it and
puts the pressure on me to do what you  have a right to expect.   
     By the time you read this, many of you will have already
made plans for attending the 2003 CCB Spring Convention at the
Arden West Hilton in Sacramento, April 10-13.  I am hoping this
will be the biggest and best convention ever and that as many of
you as possible will come to some or all of it.  Seeing old
friends, meeting new ones, and listening to exciting seminars and
speakers on issues of importance to all of us provides a recipe
for a truly good time. 
     Well, I wasn't really sure what I would write when I began
this column, and now I find that I could probably double it in
length if I wanted to.  However, a good guest knows never to
overstay his welcome; and I think I had better obey that edict. 


           CAREER CONNECTIONS: FACILITATING MEETINGS 

                  by Catherine Schmitt Whitaker

     Have you thought, "Oh no, what am I going to do" when asked
to facilitate a meeting?  Or have you shied away from the
opportunity to conduct a meeting because you are not sure how to
run an effective one?  Mastering the art of conducting meetings
which bring pleasure and information to those who attend is a
strong, positive and important skill to possess.  Many blind, and
sighted, people are uncomfortable as meeting facilitators.  This
article will share a few strategies and resources to help you
feel more comfortable and improve your skills.
     The leader of the meeting sets the tone, establishes meeting
guidelines and ensures that all attendees participate. 
Therefore, the facilitator should not have any other role during
the meeting.  Often one is tempted to record the meeting minutes
as well as lead.  Big mistake!  An individual should be
identified prior to (or at the beginning of) the meeting to take
meeting notes.  
     Be specific concerning the duties for each person assisting
with the meeting.  For example, a recorder should record the key
points of each agreed upon decision, not all the discussion that
may take p lace.  If you are in a group with a sighted person, it
is a good idea to have a second person record information on a
large sheet of easel paper or a large scale post-it pad.  This
information can be added into the meeting notes later.  
     Preparation, preparation, and more preparation is key to
your success as a meeting facilitator.  Develop a meeting agenda
and share the topics with the group in advance (or at least at
the beginning of the meeting) to encourage them to stay on topic. 
A person with an idea will be able to share the thought at the
appropriate time during the session.  If the topic is brought up
out of order, you can, as facilitator, remind the person that the
group has not yet reached that part of the agenda.  
     Think about the individuals who will be participating in the
meeting.  Do you anticipate differing points of view, one
"talker" who has an opinion on just about any subject, or an
individual who has great ideas but finds it difficult to speak up
in a group?  Strategies termed "structuring devices" will enable
you to maintain focus and encourage participation from all group
members.  
     I have been in too many meetings where a topic is opened for
discussion and goes nowhere.  Decide ahead of time whether you
are introducing an idea or whether an action needs to be taken on
the topic at that meeting.  Structuring devices will be helpful
in either situation.  These are strategies used to identify
problems, generate criteria for solving problems, create
alternative solutions and/or ways to select the most appropriate
solution for implementation.  An example of a structuring device
and how it can be modified to accommodate the needs of the blind
will be described.  
     The Nominal Group Technique structuring device (Harvey,
Bearley, Corkrum, 1997) is similar to brainstorming with a
structured and formalized approach.  It is a good choice when the
trust level of the group is low, or you know that there will be
differing points of view on a topic.  Each participant receives 3
index cards and is allowed a few minutes to silently think about
and braille or handwrite one idea per card.  Members then go
around the group and share one idea per person.  A second round
is conducted asking individuals to share either an idea that has
not been introduced previously or an idea that has already been
shared about which the individual feels strongly.  As the group
members read the ideas, two recorders write the ideas on flip
chart paper or a computer.  Each idea is discussed until it is
understood, and duplicate ideas are deleted as agreed upon by the
group.  Members then find natural groupings of concepts based
upon common ideas.  A group of no more than three individuals can
wordsmith the concepts to create a final product to be reviewed
and approved at the next meeting.  
     Do not be afraid to be creative in identifying strategies to
accommodate your needs given a traditional structuring device. 
As a facilitator for a group with sighted individuals, I ask for
a volunteer "thumb monitor".  This person has two duties.  One
role is to let me know when someone has a question and needs to
be recognized.  The second role is to identify thumbs during the
consensus building or voting process.  As a facilitator in a
group with blind and visually impaired individuals, I use a
subtle non-descriptive word such as "apple" to indicate when a
person has a question or comment to make.  
     Another verbal technique to use when a group tends to get
off topic easily is the word "cabbage".  At any time, anyone can
say the word "cabbage"; and the group members must stop, reflect,
and refocus on the topic.  It is important to state strategies
such as "cabbage" at the beginning of the meeting when
establishing group guidelines.  As meeting facilitator, you wil
discover that individuals appreciate the structure and
productivity you bring to the meeting.  A person who does not
like the structure may want to reflect upon his/her level of
constructive participation in a meeting.  
     I hope that I have given you some approaches to consider.
Two powerful resources to learn more about the role and function
of facilitators (as well as other meeting roles) and about
structuring devices are How to Make Meetings Work (Doyle,
Michael, 1993) and The Practical Decisioin-Making (Harvey,
Bearley, Corkrum, 1997).  Both books are available from Recording
for the Blind and Dyslexic.  
     One of the most important leadership skills is the ability
to effectively conduct a meeting.  These strategies are just the
beginning of a whole array of possibilities.  Be creative with
your ideas and strategies for facilitating meetings; members will
enjoy the results.


                 TECHTALK: BACKING UP YOUR DATA

          by Louis Herrera, Technology Committee Chair 

     This article deals with a topic that is rather important but
widely neglected.  Backing up the computer system should be a
high priority for any of us who depend on a healthy computer to
perform day-to-day tasks.  It is important to back up the hard
drive once it has been configured with the necessary applications
and the hardware peripherals are working properly.  This article
should help you to install the backup utility that Microsoft
gives you for free but does not install automatically when
windows is installed.
     First of all, Microsoft doesn't really push its Backup
utility.  Once again, on most versions of Windows, it is not
installed automatically.  It is, however, on the installation
disc.  Here's how to install it:
     If you are running Windows XP Home: On the installation CD,
select and open the VALUEADD folder, then, the MSFT folder and
the NTBACKUP folder.  Select NTBACKUP.MSI and run the wizard.  
     If your computer is running Windows ME: On the installation
CD, select and open the ADD-ONS folder and then the MSBACKUP
folder.  Run MSBEXP.EXE.
     If you have Windows 98: From the Start Menu, select
Settings, then, Control Panel.  Select and execute Add/Remove
Programs.  Select the Windows Setup tab.  From here choose System
Tools and Details.  Click Backup, then OK and again OK.
     Once installed, Backup is accessed through the Start Menu. 
Click Start, All Programs (in Windows 98 and ME, "Programs")
Accessories System Tools, Backup.
     Wizards step you through the backup process.  Backup gives
you the choice of backing up everything or selected files.  I use
the latter, backing up my personal files under My Documents.  You
can schedule regular backups.
     I back up to a tape backup unit in the office.  At home, I
use a second hard drive which I installed in my computer.  You
also can back up to a CD-RW, DVD-RW, a tape drive, ZIP drive or
another computer, if you're on a network.  There isn't much point
in backing up to the hard drive you use all the time.  The
biggest danger to your data is hard drive failure.  If your
everyday hard drive fails, it will take your backups with it.
     Tape is the traditional medium.  But tape drives and tapes
are expensive.  A second hard drive is cheaper.  I paid $90 for
an 80-gigabyte Western Digital drive, which I installed myself. 
You can also get an external drive.  Maxtor has a 120-gigabyte
external drive for less than $300.  Now, if you want to be
creative, you can purchase a external hard drive cartridge that
connects to the computer via the Universal Serial Bus (USB)
interface.  This USB device is well supported by Windows XP,
2000, ME and both Windows 98 and 98 SE  require a driver which is
easy to install.  One key advantage is that the drive cartridge
can be moved from PC to PC; and once the drive has been used to
backup a workstation, it can be removed from the USB cartridge
and put away, and another drive can be added to the cartridge. 
With the low price of drives today, spending an average of 100
dollars is a form of cheap insurance against drive failure. 
     lherrera@gte.net


                        FROM THE CAPITOL

                   by Dan Kysor, Director of 
                      Governmental Affairs 

Greetings from Sacramento:
     This is a very busy time for CCB advocates as we tackle
several issues ranging from threats to the Americans with
Disabilities Act, banning of the Segway Human Transporter from
our sidewalks, implementing the Division for the Blind
legislation and, of course, monitoring the state's budget crisis.
     We are pleased to report that CCB has two bills before the
legislature this session:  SB 302, by Sheila Kuehl, Accessible
Unformational Technologies, California State University System
and AB 662 by John Dutra which would implement some of the
recommendations made last year by the Blind Advisory Task Force
to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  There are also many
other pieces of legislation I will cover later in this article.
     Various threats to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
have been keeping many of us quite busy.  Several years ago, the
Medical Board of California suspended a physician, Dr. Hason,
from practice because of depression.  He sued the Medical Board
under the ADA for reinstatement of his license and the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that he could sue the state
concerning the need for reasonable accommodation.  The Attorney
General, on behalf of the Medical Board,  filed an appeal with
the U.S. Supreme Court.  The issue, as taken by the court was
not, however, whether the board had the right to suspend Dr.
Hason or any obligation to reinstate him, but rather whether the
state could be sued under the ADA without its consent.  In short,
civil rights experts believe that this argument by the Medical
Board will jeopardize Title II of the ADA's access provisions
with respect to suits against a state in the same way the Garret
court decision eviscerated the right to sue a state for
employment discrimination under Title I of the ADA.
     Commencing with the January inauguration of both the
Attorney General and the Governor, the disability community,
including the CCB, has been exerting constant pressure for the
withdrawal of the Supreme Court appeal.  Our position is that the
case should be won or lost on the facts and not decided on the
basis of California's attempting to have the Supreme Court rule
that the state cannot be sued unless it consents to being sued. 
I, along with other disability rights advocates, attended
meetings with the Governor's staff and with Attorney General
Lockyer, at which we forcefully urged that the Governor and the
Attorney General support the ADA and seek withdrawal of the
appeal.  
     Our efforts have had quite an effect.  The Attorney General,
along with the Governor and various members of his
administration, including Director of the Department of
Rehabilitation, Catherine Campisi, have urged the Medical Board
to withdraw the appeal.  This very evening, the board took
testimony from around the state by persons with disabilities and
is voting in executive session on whether or not to withdraw.  By
the time you read this, the Hason case will, we hope, no longer
be a threat to the ADA.  
     In a second ADA case, Barden v. City of Sacramento, the city
has asked the United States Supreme Court to consider overturning
a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals providing that
sidewalks are covered by the ADA.  Again, the disability
community, with the involvement of many CCB members, has pressed
the city to drop its appeal and negotiate a settlement.  At this
writing, there is still hope that a settlement can be achieved
without need for the court to determine whether to hear the case.
     I would now like to report to you on some of the bills which
the CCB is tracking during the 2003-04 session of the state
Legislature.  As I stated earlier, we are pleased to tell you
that CCB has two bills before the Legislature.
     State law, enacted pursuant to our SB 105 requires state
agencies to make technology accessible under the same standards
provided for under Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act
of 1973.  However, SB 105 did not make this provision applicable
to the California State University System.  SB 302 would close
this loophole in the law.
     AB 662, by John Dutra, is the Blind and Visually Impaired
Pupil Education Improvement Act of 2003. The bill would establish
a consumer task force to advise the Department of Special
Education on concerns related to visually impaired students and
programs.  It would establish a database for individual districts
reporting on visually impaired programs and would require the
California School for the Blind to provide technical assistance
to school districts throughout the state.  Finally, the bill
would require that all contracts with publishers of technology-
based learning tools and testing instruments be provided in
accessible formats.  Many of these issues were formulated in the
report made by the Blind Advisory Task Force in 2002 entitled "A
Future View Quality Education for All Students Who Are Blind and
Visually Impaired".  With your help, the outstanding efforts of
that task force will not have been in vain.
     Several other education bills are of interest to us.  SB
842, by Betty Karnette, would require publishers to apply
universal design strategies when creating instructional materials
in preparing digital multimedia programs for students with
disabilities when those programs are intended for the general
pupil population.  The California Department of Education is the
sponsor and CCB is the official co-sponsor.  Our thanks to Rod
Brawley for his steadfast belief in access.
     AB 640, by John Dutra, Would make the California schools for
the blind and deaf eligible for categorical service funding
programs available to the school districts.  An identical bill,
AB 1017, by Jackie Goldberg, is also before the legislature.  AB
1010, by Leland Yee, and sponsored by the NFBC, would establish a
loan forgiveness program for students in the Special Education
teaching program who are seeking a credential to teach the
visually impaired.  In the first year of implementation, 20 loans
of $5,000 would be issued, and in subsequent years,  40 loans
would be made annually.  After a loan recipient teaches in the
field for 4 years, the loan would be forgiven.  CCB supports this
bill.
     Another bill sponsored by the NFBC, AB 467, by John Dutra,
would require all transit districts to have one accessible ticket
machine per station or depot.  CCB is also in support of this
bill.
     50% of all products sold in vending machines on state
property would be required to be "nutritious" by SB 74 by Tom
Torlakson.  There is, as of this writing, no definition of
"nutritious" in the bill.  The blind vendors are strongly
opposing this legislation along with CCB primarily because if
passsed, it would have a potentially severe impact on the already
low income of many blind vendors.
     SB 69, by Ricco Oller, would establish a 90-day waiting
period for filing claims against violators of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and California access regulations.  A similar
bill, AB 209 by Tim Leslie, would impose a 60-day waiting period. 
CCB will strenuously oppose these bills since they are attempts
to weaken ADA enforcement.
     SB 262, by Sheila Kuehl, puts teeth into state law regarding
disability access to buildings by allowing county councils to
bring actions against violators.  CCB supports this bill.
     AB 1400, by Lois Wolk, would provide a framework for
establishing universal design accessibility features in housing
and extend incentives to builders and home owners.  The bill
would expand the universal design provisions contained in AB 2787
through the efforts of Assemblywoman Aroner which was enacted in
2002.
     I have saved the depressing budget developments for last! 
Although there is a dispute over budget deficit amounts, it is
clear that programs that we depend on are going to be hit and, in
many cases, hard.  For example, it has been proposed that the
state budget for funding community college disabled student
services programs be cut 45% and a bill by Senator Denham would
allow the use of even these funds to be left to the discretion of
individual college presidents.
     Deep cuts have also been proposed in the Medi-Cal program,
transit funding,  and state library services, among others. 
Already a bill has been enacted eliminating increases in the
state's share of Supplemental Security Income benefits.
     Please monitor the California Connection for late-breaking 
news.  The Connection is also available on all our listservs as
well as on the CCB website at www.ccbnet.org.  We need your
continued support now more than ever in protecting our hard won
programs and services from the budget ax and your input to the
Legislature on our bills.  Our Governmental Affairs "liaisson"
program established several years ago will assist all CCB
chapters in getting vital information from Sacramento.  Feel free
to contact me any time by phone, 916-371-1514 or by e-mail,
dan@kysor.net if you have any questions.  


                          "OVER tHERE"

                      by Cathy Anne Murtha

             submitted by Mitch and Donna Pomerantz

     As my guide dog and I stood in line at the checkout of the
River City Market at CSUS, I asked the cashier what I considered
a simple question: "Where are the napkins please?" her response
was hurried but sincere, "over there."
     Emerging from the light rail for the first time, I managed
to catch the attention of a passer-by, "Please sir, can you tell
me where I might catch bus 63?"  A kind voice offered a pleasant
response before disappearing into the cacophony of the early
afternoon, "You can catch it over there."
     So many things reside "over there"--napkins, bus stops,
pencils, pens, clothing racks, department stores and even my
shoes!  A never-ending supply of important and indispensable
items and locales all reside in this place which is shrouded in
mystery and intrigue.
      I stand in perplexed silence after learning that something
is "over there.  It is a place I have never been and have no hope
of finding on my own.  My guide dog is quite skilled in finding
chairs, stairs, elevators, escalators, helping me cross streets,
and can even find me the Diet Pepsi display at Food Town;
however, when I tell her to find "over there," her little bottom
hits the floor and a small whimper tells me that she is as
confused as I.  We will not be going "over there" today.  "Over
there" has caused me a bit of vexation a lot of confusion, and
has, on occasion, made my heart race.
      I have discovered that "over there" can be a dangerous
place.  One day while crossing a street, I heard a driver's
irritated voice shout out a warning of a truck bearing down on me
from over there.  Shadow artfully dodged the oncoming vehicle and
pulled me to the safety of the curb.  Our hearts were both racing
as we took a few moments to compose ourselves.  Close encounters
with "over there" can be frightening experiences.
     Although many blind people have wondered as to the exact
location of "over there," few have dared to venture forth in an
actual exploration of the mysterious place.
     One day, while standing in line at the supermarket, I asked
the clerk where I might find the aspirin.  With a cheery smile in
her voice, she informed me that the aspirin was located "over
there."  With a weary sigh, I decided that I would take the extra
step that would unravel the mystery which had vexed my
compatriots since the beginning of time.  Taking a deep breath,
and attempting to look nonchalant, I smiled at the clerk,
"Where," I asked, "is 'over there'?"  I imagined the girl's
shocked expression.  I felt her sharing condescending and
concerned looks with her fellows in the store.  The silence grew
palpable as they mulled the possibility of allowing a blind
person access to the forbidden land.  She had no choice; she
would have to tell me how to find "over there!"  I had won! 
Exhilaration swept through me as I waited in breathless
anticipation.  A victorious smile crept to my lips; my hand
tightened on the handle of Shadow's harness; we would soon be
going "over there!"
  The clerk's voice reeked with resignation as the decision was
made.  "That way." She said.


                         BULLETIN BOARD 

                    Compiled by Keith Black 

     Each section of "Bulletin Board: will be terminated by a
line of asterisks .  After the first item is listed from a
magazine, subsequent items will be marked with a single asterisks
at the beginning of the paragraph.
     Across a Live Wire, by Richard Rueda: The CCB Publlications
Committee is proud to announce the availability of receiving The
Blind Californian by way of e-mail.  Beginning right now,
individuals are able to subscribe to receive the quarterly BC
publication in E-mail.  This new subscription option will be in
addition to whatever form of the magazine you presently receive;
and you are, of course, welcome to contact the office at any time
to make new arrangements for your preferred medium.  Currently,
the e-mail version will not supercede any other medium; but in
the interest of helping  CCB keep publication costs to a minimum,
you may request that you receive this publication in E-mail only. 
To avail yourself of this option, send a blank e-mail message to
blindcalifornian-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 
This is a one-way list subscription service.  For additional
details, call the CCB office.  As we enter the new millennium,
more and more blind people will try different media.  CCB and its
diverse membership is here to provide you with the techniques,
tools ans support for learning the electronic mail system.

*****          *****          *****          *****          
     As a visually impaired or blind person, do you have
questions about how to do those handyman projects around your
home or yard? Have you discovered ways of doing these kinds of
projects in spitie of your vision loss?  If this description fits
you, then join us on the Blind Handyman list.  Our list is
designed to share ideas on how to perform these ordinary tasks
without sight.  To subscribe to the list, send a blank message
to: blindhandyman-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Also you can listen to the Blind Handyman show on ACB Radio.  To
hear a sample of past shows, go to our show archive page at
http://www.acbradio.org/handyman.html
We look forward to having you share your questions and ideas on
the Blind Handyman list.  Doug Rose, Humboldt Council of the
Blind. 

*****          *****          *****         *****
     Frequently "Bulletin Board: includes information taken from
Dialogue Magazine so that readers of The Blind Californian are
familiar with this fine publication to which you can subscribe
for $25 in any of the usual media by writing to BlindSkills, Inc.
P. O. Box 5181, Salem, OR 97304-0181.  
     Here are some of the other services provided by Blindskills,
Inc.  For people who are just beginning to lose their sight,
there is a free 2-track cassette titled "Where Do I Go from
Here?" which will be mailed to any legally blind individual who
requests it. The cassette is accompanied by a  print brochure
which is designed to assist family and friends of the person who
is losing sight.  These packets can be obtained by rehabilitation
agencies for $5 per unit. If you enjoy Web surfing, you will find
a great quantity of information and links to other sites which
will supply descriptions of dozens of resources for low vision
and blind persons www.blindskills.com.  One of the especially
useful items on that site is an article designed to be of
assistance to a hospital and medical care-givers when a blind
person becomes a patient.  The explanations and suggestions given
help all involved to deal more comfortably with a unique and
stressful situation.
     The newest product which you can obtain from Blindskills
(cost of $20) is a copy of "Connie's Kitchen," a compilation of
Connie Weadon's columns which appeared in Dialogue.  Along with
the recipes are many helpful cooking hints.  

*****          *****          *****          *****
     From the Health Library at the Peninsula Center for the
Blind and Visually Impaired: We do free searches for health
topics and send the information to you in your medium of choice. 
Telephone: 650 858-0202; e-mail thl@pcbvi.org

 *****          *****           *****         *****
     From The Matilda Ziegler Magazine, Jan., 2003: Government
Benefits.  Two new Web sites provide government information for
people with disabilities, their families, employers and service
providers.  Find out if you are eligible for government benefits
by completing a confidential form online.  Visit
www.disabilityinfo.gov and www.govbenefits.gov.  
     * Voice Round Table.  John Craig, a voice communications
expert, has created a way of conducting a group discussion by
telephone that avoids the high cost of telephone conference
calls.  This new approach has members of a group participate in
what he calls a "Voice Round Table."  Besides telephones, it
requires only an ordinary voicemail box, which can be rented from
any voicemail company in the local Yellow Pages for a few cents a
day.  For information, contact John Craig at 571-432-0305, or
john.craig@aya.yale.edu. 
     * Drama Classes.  Changing Perceptions is a California
theater company that gives blind and physically disabled people
the opportunity to participate in dramatic arts and transform
their lives through joy, humor and creative self-expression.  Its
free weekly drama classes in Los Angeles teach acting technique,
improvisation, movement, voice and other skills.  The company
performs in schools, senior-citizen residences, and other public
places.  Contact the director, Christina Kokubo, at 323-660-4607
or metaltiger@earthlink.net.  

*****          *****          *****          *****          
     From Dialogue Magazine, Winter, 2002: Many people are not
aware of changes that may ease the transition from Social
Security Disability to work.  It is important for people who get
disability benefits, as well as those who help them, to
understand their options.  The 2002 "Red Book" goes into detail
about working while disabled, how work affects benefit payments
and eligibility, the "Ticket To Work" program and other
employment supports that can help.  It's available online at
www.ssa.gov/work/resourcestoolkit/redbook.html or by calling 800-
772-1213.  
     * Voice Access Communications introduces the Audio Yellow
Pages, a free voice-activated service for blind and visually
impaired callers.  By dialing 888-654-1236 and entering pass code
4544, people have access to more than 10 million businesses in
the United States, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  For more
information, contact Carleen or David at 888-571-5857.  
     * Computers to Help People, Inc., is now providing braille
music transcriptions.  It currently charges $3 per page of
combined braille music and text.  For more information, contact
CHPI at 608-257-5917; E-mail:  techbrl@chpi.org; Web site: 
www.chpi.org or the direct URL to www.chpi.org/brlmusic.html.  
     * The Hadley School for the Blind's new online course,
Internet Basics, can help you be a part of the worldwide
community of Internet users.  This tuition-free course explains
several aspects of the Internet.  It begins with its history and
then describes how it operates.  E-mail features are explained,
as are mailing lists and newsgroups.  Directions for using the
World Wide Web are provided.  User tips about browsers, mail, and
news readers are included as well as search tools and mailing-
list search sites.  The Internet Skills Diagnostic is the
prerequisite to the course.  For more information or to enroll,
800-526-9909 or visit www.hadley-school.org.  


                OTHER DOGS THAT PULL FOR A LIVING

                        by Sheila Styron 

     During the last week of February,  I attended my second
annual Ski For Light cross country ski trip.  The event is
scheduled in a different place each year, and this time it was
Anchorage, Alaska.  In case you haven't heard, there wasn't much
snow this year though there was lots of slippery ice.  In true
SFL spirit, attendees managed to have a great time anyway.  
     A highlight for me was witnessing the ceremonial start of
the 2003 Iditarod, for which snow had to be trucked in.  The
teams completed a ceremonial eleven mile course Saturday, March
1, before traveling north on Monday to where there was some real
snow to complete the thousand miles plus serious course.  The
entry fee for the Iditarod is $1,049.00 which symbolicly
represents the number of miles covered by participating teams. 
     The dogs wear little snow booties; and 8 to 10 of the
Huskies, each weighing 45 to 50 pounds, pull a sled loaded with
supplies, equipment and a musher.  Apparently, Huskies are being
bred smaller and smaller for speed so I guess my sister's 120
pound pet Malamute couldn't get a job on an Iditarod team. 
     As the musher trucks were parked near the race start line,
which was only a couple of blocks from the Captain Cooke Hotel
where we were staying, we heard much anticipatory yipping the
night before until each team took off and the area became utterly
silent.  The musher trucks were lined and stacked with small box
type kennels on either side with little holes through which the
dogs could poke out their heads.  Iditarod observers were not
discouraged from petting eager Huskies beforehand, and many of us
took advantage of that opportunity.  We were asked not to take
our guide dogs out alongside the Iditarod route; but if I ever
have another chance to cheer on those Huskies, I see no problem
in working a guide in that environment since many local dogs
watched the race without incident.  
     I managed to find a place along the course where I was only
about five feet or so from the teams as they came flying by, and
I heard some Huskies panting with excitement as well as the
wooshing and shooshing of the sleds rushing past.  However, there
was no sound at all from the bootied paws of the rapidly running
little sled dogs, and not a single yip to be heard as they tore
down the trucked-in snow-covered road.  The 65 teams set out at
two minute intervals; and the second they took off running, not a
single other vocalization escaped their snouts except for those
occasional pants in stark contrast to all the canine chorussing
preceding the race.  The mushers' hats were apparently something
to see, drawing much comment from the public announcer.     
     SFL bid on and received the honor of participating in the
Iditarider program, meaning that ACB's Pat Beatie got to ride on
a dog sled for eleven exciting miles.  Pat held on for her life
for the ride of her life and loved every thrilling moment of it. 
She had to wear a face mask because, unlike our guides, Iditarod
Huskies relieve in harness while running at top speed.  The
consequences of that practice I will leave to your imaginations. 
     Like our guides, Huskies know left and right, though it
sounds more like gee and hah.  They seem to be voice activated,
wearing no leashes while performing their jobs. 

     I hope my words have conveyed some measure of the excitement
I felt while attending the ceremonial start of the 2003 Iditarod
in Anchorage.  The next time a guide dog pulls hard on a harness
I am holding, I will be tempted to yell out gee-hah and dream of
far-away places covered in snow.


                   RECOGNIZING OUR LEGISLATORS

                          by Dan Kysor

     As an organization, rarely do we really stop to recognize
the hard-working legislators who carry our bills.  It is,
therefore, an honor to present to you the legislators who will be
presenting our two CCB bills before both houses in the state
capitol: Senator Sheila Kuehl and Assemblyman John Dutra.  For
further information on the two bills, refer to the "From the
Capitol" column elswhere in this issue.
     Sheila James Kuehl: Senator Sheila James Kuehl is now in her
first legislative term in the California State Senate after
serving for six years in the State Assembly.  During the 1997-98
legislative session, she was the first woman in California
history to be named Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly.  She is
also the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the
California Legislature.  A former pioneering civil rights
attorney and law professor, Ms. Kuehl represents the 23rd Senate
District in Los Angeles County.  In her six years in the
Assembly, she authored seventy-three bills that have been signed
into law, including legislation to overhaul California's child
support services system; establish nurse-to-patient ratios in
every hospital; make HMO's legally accountable for denying
treatment; further protect victims of domestic violence and their
children; prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender in the
workplace and sexual orientation in education; increase the
rights of crime victims; safeguard the environment; and fund
after-school programs for at-risk youth.  She was selected to
address the 1996 Democratic National Convention on the issue of
family violence and the 2000 Democratic National Convention on
the issue of diversity.  In 1996, George magazine selected her as
one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics and the
California Journal named her "Rookie of the Year." In 1998 and
again in 2000, the California Journal ballot taken among
legislators, the press, legislative staff and lobbyists chose her
as the Assembly member with the greatest intelligence and the
most integrity.
     Prior to her election to the Legislature, Senator Kuehl
drafted and fought to get into California law more than 40 pieces
of legislation relating to children, families, women, and
domestic violence.  She was a law professor at Loyola, UCLA and
USC Law Schools and co-founder and managing  attorney of the
California Women's Law Center.  She graduated from Harvard Law
School in 1978 where she was the second woman in the school's
history to win the Moot Court competition.
She is currently a member of the Harvard University Board of
Overseers.
     In her youth, Ms. Kuehl was known for her portrayal of the
irrepressible Zelda Gilroy in the television series, "The Many
Loves of Dobie Gillis."
     John A. Dutra:  Freemont Assemblymember John Dutra likes to
call himself a "fiscal conservative with a social conscience." 
His politics can be traced through an amazing life journey.  Once
a child in a welfare-dependent family, John went on to become a
successful businessman, leader, and two-term member of the State
Assembly.  A pragmatist when it comes to business issues, he has
also never forgotten that government programs helped him excel. 
     John was born in the East Bay to immigrant parents from the
mid-Atlantic islands of the Azores.  Tragedy stuck when he was
five years old and his father died, forcing his mother to turn to
public assistance to support her five children.  Hard times led
John to drop out of Oakland's Fremont High School to care for his
mother and siblings.  He eventually enlisted in the Navy where he
served for four years using his spare time to study for his GED. 
Thanks to the G.I. Bill, he later went on to earn Bachelor's and
Master's degrees from San Jose State University.
     For 12 years, John worked for Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
in the hazards control division, But an interest in real estate
led him down another path.  In 1972, he founded Dutra Realty
Enterprises, Inc. in the rapidly-growing city of Fremont.  Until
it was sold in 1999, Dutra Enterprises averaged $900 million in
annual sales and employed more than 250 real estate agents in the
East Bay.
     In 1980, John's career took a turn toward public service. 
That year, he was appointed to the Fremont Planning Commission;
and in 1986, he was elected to the Fremont City Council where he
served for 10 and a half years becoming well-known as a
straight-talking guardian of the public finances.  He routinely
contributed his council salary to charity and never accepted
reimbursements for his expenses.  
     In 1998, he was elected to the State Assembly, and in his
first 2-year term, saw more of his bills signed into law than did
any other rookie assembly member that session.  In November,
2000, John was elected to his second term in the Assembly where
he was appointed to serve as chair of the transportation
committee.
     He and Bernadine, his wife of 43 years, have five children,
14 grandchildren and one great grandson.


                          PATTY'S PAGE 

                          by Patty Nash

     "Hello! My  name is Marty Rimpau, and I am the Webmaster for
mrimpau.com, and I have a question for you?  If you were a blind
person, and you had just purchased a computer, and all you knew
about was your screen reader manufacturer but no other
information, and the store that you had purchased your computer
from was totally unfamiliar with access technology, where would
you go, and what would you do?"
     This is how Marty Rimpau, who makes his home in Oakland,
begins his Web page of entertainment and information for blind
computer users.  
     This soft-spoken gentleman grew up in southern California
and attended the California School for the Blind and then public
school.  He has a varied collection of music which he shares with
his listenters with an oldie each day which can be downloaded or
sent e-mail to you as an attachment.  Many of Marty's selections
are familiar, and he welcomes requests; but he prefers those
which one does not hear often anymore on today's radio.  
     On his site, he also directs you to useful resources for
blind and visually impaired folks,  including catalogs and, of
course, ACB and links which direct you right to them.  There are
links which connect you to streaming media as well as programs of
soul music, radio drama and more.  What a godsend when you're
brand-new at the computer!  You can even find resources to learn
more; and if you have questions, Marty, in his unassuming,
straightforward and positive way, will do his level best to
direct you step-by-step through a process if you have a problem.  
    I met Marty when I was a new computer user; and though I've
had training and have learned much more than I knew then about
how to navigate, I still enjoy taking this pleasant avenue to go
where I need to go to get to the right stuff.  Try it!
     Each person living here on this beautiful planet has a
unique perspective and something he or she would love to
communicate and to share.  It doesn't go without saying that we
are all people helping people, each day adding our own little bit
more to make the world a better place in which to live.  Each of
us has something to offer and something new to teach.  With that
in mind, I had some thought that we might want to discuss in a
sort of forum parenting issues or issues in education.  I also
thought we might have a recipe once in a while.  If someone has
one he can't get enough of or has a request for one, I would love
to hear about it.  You may contact me by going to the end of the
magazine to find where to reach me or any of the other members of
the Publications Committee.    


                  ACB JOINS CELLPHONE COMPLAINT

     For Immediate Release, February 21, 2003.
American Council of the Blind Supports Complaint Filing with FCC
against Audiovox Communications Corp. and Verizon Wireless. 
     Today, the American Council of the Blind (ACB), an
organization representing tens of thousands of blind and visually
impaired people from across the United States, supports a blind
citizen, Dr. Bonnie O'Day of Alexandria, Va., in filing a formal
complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against
Audiovox Communications Corporation and Verizon Wireless, Inc.,
stating that both have failed to make their wireless telephones
and services accessible to people who are blind and visually
impaired.
     Dr. O'Day's filing is the first formal complaint to be
submitted to the FCC to enforce the rights provided under Section
255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  This provision
requires that telecommunications equipment and services be
accessible to and usable by people with disabilities, if readily
achievable.
     "My complaint started out as an informal complaint which I
filed with the FCC in June of 2001," explains O'Day. "When I
began shopping for a cellular phone in December of 2000, I went
from store to store looking for a phone that would meet my needs. 
I finally settled on the Audiovox CDM9000 as the best of the
worst.  But I found that many features of the phone were very
difficult to use because most of the information I needed even
for minimal access to the phone's features, such as caller ID and
one-touch dialing, was delivered via a visual display which is
totally inaccessible to me as a person who cannot read the
phone's screen."
     O'Day explains that she contacted both Audiovox and Verizon
Wireless by letter and that neither company could offer her the
hope of any remedy for these difficulties.  In fact, each
participated in a "blaming game," implying that what O'Day
requested couldn't be done.  "And," O'Day says, "each one said,
even if it could be done, it was the responsibility of the other
party."
     O'Day contacted the American Council of the Blind, and ACB
is supporting her in pursuing a remedy for this situation on her
behalf as well as for the millions of blind and visually
impairedpeople in the USA who contend with similar difficulties
every day.
     According to Christopher Gray of San Francisco, President of
the Council, "Both Audiovox and Verizon Wireless are clearly
violating Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act.  The
implementing regulations for that legislation were released in
February, 1998.
     The service providers and the product manufacturers have had
more than five years now to take our needs into account and to
design systems and products which we can use; and they're still
dragging their feet, telling us things like, it's not possible to
build a text-to-speech capability into their phones, or it's too
expensive, or it's "just over the horizon."
     Gray continues, "It is, in fact, quite possible to do all
the things Dr. O'Day is asking, and we expect the Federal
Communications Commission to move this complaint onto their
accelerated docket."
     Charlie Crawford of Silver Spring, MD., Executive Director
of the ACB, says, "It is ludicrous for Audiovox and Verizon
Wireless even to imply that it is not readily achievable for them
to make their menus accessible to us with voice output.  We know
that blind people living in Japan are already enjoying a
text-to-speech capability on their cell phones. Verizon Wireless
advertises that games and other programs can be downloaded onto
the Audiovox CDM9000, and similar features are being advertised
by several other wireless providers.  The same technology used to
download games can be used to download text-to-speech software
into a cell phone.  Dr. O'Day's cell phone has 460 kilobytes of
usable space where consumers can download games or ring tones. 
The software required to run text to speech would use 250
kilobytes of space.  That's equivalent to two games, or one-sixth
of a floppy disk!"
     The complainant states that the defendants have failed to
identify barriers to accessibility and usability as part of their
product design and development processes.  Defendants have failed
and refused to provide access to product and service information
and related documentation in a way that equivalent information is
provided to sighted customers.
     The complainant is asking Audiovox and Verizon Wireless to
make at least one accessible wireless telephone device in all
price categories available for consumer purchase by June 30,
2003. 
     "Voice output will allow blind and visually impaired
consumers to access all the features on their phones that sighted
people take for granted," explains O'Day, "including call
forwarding and conference call setup, caller ID data as calls are
received, verbal echo of all user input, distinct audio alerts at
key thresholds such as telephone power off, link quality change,
roaming status change, and key battery discharge thresholds."
     Currently, blind customers are warned of a low battery just
prior to the battery's expiration and the phone's shut off,
whereas sighted users are able to monitor the status of the
battery continually through the visual display screen.
     "We are optimistic that the FCC will act on the complaint
expeditiously," says ACB President Gray, "and that the complaint
filed today will mean that blind and visually impaired people
will soon be one step closer to full inclusion in one more
activity that the rest of society takes for granted."
 The American Council of the Blind is a national organization of
blind, visually impaired and sighted individuals whose purpose is
to work toward independence, security, equality of opportunity,
and improved quality of life for all blind and visually impaired
people.  ACB programs and services include a nationally
distributed monthly magazine, an Internet radio station, numerous
scholarship awards, and active participation in the national
legislative and advocacy scene.  Founded in 1961, ACB works
through more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates to
advocate for the needs of people who are blind and visually
impaired at all stages of life.
     ACB web site:  http://www.acb.org 
     ACB Radio: http://www.acbradio.org
             

                     LIBRARY USERS BOOK LIST

                      by Winifred Downing 

     These books were suggested by those who attended the Library
Users luncheon at the November convention of CCB.  Though Jill
O'Connell and Leslie Thom helped me take notes, we still missed
some suggestions and have had to rely on guesses at the spellings
of the names of those who made the recommendations.  Martin
Magid, director of the subregional library that serves the blind
in San Francisco, made corrections, furnished authors in places
where we had none, and added RC numbers to aid those who want to 
borrow the books.  Thank  you to all who helped make the list a
reality. 
Sandra Brown: The Witness RC40616 (Debbie Rogers) 
Barbara Kingsolver: The Poisonwood Bible RC46882            
Walter Payton: Never Die Easy, an autobiography   RC51949
     (Bradley)
Elizabeth Van Arnim: Enchanted April RC46007
Louis L'Amour: Monument Rock RC46597 (Freeman)
P.D. James: Death in Holy Orders RC51889 (Thom)
Danielle Steele: Bright Light RC47039  
Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man RC09600 (Sally Maguire)
David McCullough: John  Adams RC52275 (Connie Shoeman)
John Grisham: Skipping Christmas RC52929 (Pardini)
Jim Stovall: You Don't Have to Be Blind to See RC46869 (Dickens) 
Eric Weinmeyer: Touch the Top of the World RC51505
John Grisham: A Painted House RC51331 (O"Connell)
Jim Boughton: Ball Four RC17098
Christopher Anderson: The Day John Died RC50930 (Fort) 
Tim Lahaye: The Left Behind Series of 10 titles; RC47462 is the
     first one (Thom) 
Dean Koontz: The Corner of His Eyes: RC51274 (Parkinson) 
Kevin Anderson: Dark Saber RC42038 (Styron) 
Octavia Butler: A Sci-Fi Writer with 5 titles; first 2 listed:
     RC16072, RC22653 (Jean McGaughey)
Herman Melville: Moby Dick RC34184
Charles Dickens: Bleak House RC10464 (
WDowning) 


       NEW ASSAULT ON THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

     Federal court outlaws disability accommodataions under new
security measures. HHS says it no longer has obligation to comply
with Section 504;  Denver, CO (February 24, 2003)-.
     In a February 3, 2003, decision demonstrating appalling
disregard for the needs of persons with disabilities, U.S.
District Court Judge Benson Everett Legg held that persons who
physically are unable to comply with new security measures after
9-11 can no longer be allowed access to Federal buildings. This
decision sharply contradicts Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 which states that no person shall be excluded from
participation in any activity on Federal property solely because
of their disability.  
     The ruling stems from a shocking December, 2001, incident
previously reported in Inside CMS.  Anne Williams, a contract
security guard at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), refused to lift the hood of the car for a disabled
lobbyist with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
(ASHA).  Although the agency's vehicle inspection policy requires
guards to lift the hood for all visitors, Williams laughed and
insisted the lobbyist was "faking it" and could not be disabled
if he could walk . After she refused to call a supervisor for 20
minutes, the lobbyist waved down another contract guard, named
Eric Chase, who did provide the accommodation (remarking that
Williams doesn't lift hoods for fear it will "break her nails".) 
However, Lt. Louis Mount with the Federal Protective Services
refused to allow the lobbyist entrance to the building,
ignorantly insisting that disability was no excuse not to comply
with the directive of Williams to lift the hood.  
     One week after the lobbyist filed a written complaint
documenting his disability and demanding sensitivity training for
all contract security personnel, CMS
attempted to cover-up their failure to provide accommodation by
insisting that the lobbyist was barred entrance not because of
his disability, but because he made terrorist threats!  CMS then
permanently banned the lobbyist from contacting CMS officials, an
outrageous act that even CMS counsel admits is unconstitutional.
     Not only had no person made any claim of terrorist threats
on the day in question, but Officer Chase came forward to testify
that indeed such never occurred!  He was no longer employed at
CMS within one month of his candor.  More disturbing is the fact
that CMS never charged the disabled lobbyist with making any such
threat, which would have required a jury.  Instead. they
retaliated against his continued civil rights complaints by
mailing absurd petty offense "violation notices" in an
unpostmarked envelope intended to hide the fact they were
spitefully issued one week after the lobbyist complained. In
addition, no actual charge was filed until the Plaintiff retained
a lawyer six weeks later for a civil lawsuit against CMS!  The
offenses were so low ($50 maximum fine) that no jury was allowed.
      "You can get a jury for a traffic ticket, but not if the
government falsely accuses you of being a terrorist?  Something's
wrong," noted the lobbyist.
      Magistrate Beth Gesner, a former Federal prosecutor for the
same court, later ruled that asking for disability accommodation
after one has been refused "unreasonably obstructs" security
guards by distracting them from the difficult task of preventing
terrorism.  By stating that "unreasonably", the Federal
regulation clearly allows for reasonable obstruction, such as a
disabled person asking for a Section 504 right guaranteed by law.
     However, the Magistrate incredibly insisted that the mystery
line between reasonable and unreasonable should be redrawn after
9-11, even if it barred the exercise of legal rights!  Even more
disturbing, Magistrate Gesner actually admitted "speculating"
that any person who can walk could not be so disabled that he
physically could not lift the hood of his car.  In doing so, the
Magistrate substituted her non-clinical opinion in place of four
physicians who documented that the lobbyist's spinal cord injury
prevented him from complying without risk of physical harm,
including permanent disc damage.
     This included a physician order prohibiting the lobbyist
from lifting more than five pounds.  Such an ignorant and
unsupported ruling incensed all courtroom observers, many of whom
reasonably expected the Court to sanction Lt. Mount after Officer
Chase's testimony demonstrated Mount had committed felony perjury
by fabricating belated allegations of terrorist threats.
      Walter Dent, a Federal employee present for a subsequent
case, stated that he was near retirement and this case was the
"biggest waste of taxpayer money" he had ever witnessed.  "I am
still waiting for the Magistrate to explain how 9-11 excuses
perjury," comments the lobbyist.  One of the observers, a
Lutheran minister of 38 years, wrote to Judge Legg urging him to
"stop crucifying innocent people and "have some good horse sense"
in reversing Magistrate Gesner's outrageous decision to punish
disabled people for their infirmities.  Others pleaded with Judge
Legg to end this "fuss over petty nonsense. " Another minister
wrote that the ruling "caused me grave concern."  Families of
hearing impaired persons to whom the lobbyist previously donated
his services asked the Judge why new security measures cannot be
implemented in a manner that still respected disability rights.
     Yet another observer generated over 230 signatures on
Internet petitions that persuaded four U.S. Senators to demand an
explanation from CMS.  To date, CMS' only response to Congress is
to cite Magistrate Gesner's decision, refusing to acknowledge the
unlawful ban.  However, the Office of Civil Rights for the
Department of Health and Human Services actually informed the CMS
Administrator in January that because of the demands for enhanced
security following 9-11 "we conclude that CMS is not obligated to
provide reasonable accommodation."  This stunning declaration
contradicts OCR's private concessions to a lawyer representing
the lobbyist that the conduct of CMS security personnel was both
"abusive and excessive."  "Exactly what is a disabled person who
physically can't lift a car hood now supposed to do?  Stay home?" 
asked the disabled lobbyist.  "Wasn't the point of Section 504 to
allow disabled persons to be independent, contributing members of
society, instead of treating them like miscreants and burdens? 
Judge Legg just set disability rights back 30 years!" The  Judge
further created new law in the lobbyist's civil lawsuit against
CMS, ruling that the events of 9-11 warrant extended Federal
government immunity from liability even to unlawful acts by
government officials that willfully violate a person's civil
rights.
     "It's incredible," lamented the lobbyist.  "He just ignored
the U.S. Supreme Court and gave them (the government) a license
to fabricate and abuse."  Such an "above the law" attitude is
nothing new for CMS, an agency infamous for ignoring legislative
and judicial directives.  In fact, as recent as last September,
Judge Henry Kennedy with the U.S. District Court for the District
of Columbia concluded in a Medicare case that it was "unlikely
that CMS would ever comply with the law without being ordered to
do so.  The court is troubled by CMS' failure to confess error
regarding its past conduct."  
     For years, CMS refuses to disclose the data upon which they
claim to base their payment and coverage decisions, denies due
process rights to Medicare providers when fraud is merely
suspected, and bankrupts "Mom and Pop" suppliers by stopping
payments just because an elderly beneficiary forgets to return a
questionnaire.  The Chairman of the House Small Business
Committee and other House members even demanded the resignation
of Thomas A. Scully, the CMS Administrator last spring when he
ignored Congressional subpoenas to testify regarding CMS' refusal
to assess the impact of agency regulations on small business, as
required by Federal law.  ORM urges Mr. Scully to heed the calls
from other members of Congress to resign.  
     When first notified of this case, Scully denied all
knowledge, only later to admit in an e-mail that he preferred to
not to be involved and simply trust that the matter was handled
"fairly." "You would think an agency administrator would be
concerned about criminal conduct by his own personnel, especially
fabricating things as serious as terrorist threats," noted the
lobbyist. "CMS truly is a place where the inmates run the asylum. 
Tom Scully clearly lacks the leadership to stand up to the "above
the law" attitude of lifetime CMS bureaucrats that so infects his
agency and harms the disadvantaged beneficiaries it claims to
protect."  The lobbyist further warned of dire consequences in
allowing CMS to declare martial law in response to 9-11. "Section
504 has not been repealed by Congress or Presidential Executive
Order," noted the lobbyist. "If we allow CMS to arbitrarily
suspend disability accommodation without legislative authority,
it won't end there. CMS has proven over the years that if you
give them any discretion, it will be abused." 
     As a few examples, he described how CMS could use public
health emergencies as an excuse to pick and choose which
providers can treat beneficiaries, or which beneficiaries can
receive a supplier's products. CMS could also drive any provider
or supplier out of business simply for suspicions of illegal
practices, or suspend payment to an entire class of provider
because of one "bad apple." They could even reduce payment for
any item or service, by any amount, without notice or comment. 
"Using crises like 9-11 as an excuse to overlook agency
indiscretions is a slippery slope that should scare the hell out
of any entity that relies on Medicare or Medicaid business." As
ORM has done with disability enemies such as D. Brooks Smith and
Jeffrey Sutton, we are urging members of the Senate Judiciary
Committee to vigorously oppose any future nomination of Judge
Legg or Magistrate Gesner. "It would be a very dark day for the
disability community if their activist hostility towards
disability were allowed to prevail in higher courts," remarked
the lobbyist.
    "Congress never intended to allow the lives of disabled
persons to be destroyed simply because they physically cannot
lift a car hood." ORM maintains a Hall of Shame identifying
entities that fail to respect the civil rights of persons with
disabilities. While most earn a place on this list due to
ignorance, the Federal agencies and judges involved in this case
have demonstrated a level of hostility and disregard for the 
welfare of the disabled that we have never witnessed in our
six-year existence." 

                     PHYSICIANS' PHRASEOLOGY

                 submittted by Winifred Downing

     Taken from From the Rooftop, a publication of the  Fromm
Institute for Lifelong Learning, San Francisco, February 17,
2003:
     It used to be that doctors got a bad rap only for their
handwriting, but now they are fair game for everything including
the way they write about us in their charts.  To prove it, a
newly formed organization, a professional action group called
LAGG (Lawyers Asking for Good Grammar), has published a list of
some of the more remarkable comments found in patients' files
that came across their desks during the filing of hundreds of
frivolous lawsuits (the latter statement being made so as to
balance the humorous criticism of these two noble professions). 
What follows are excerpts from their expose, which will soon be
made into a TV documentary entitled "Medical Malapropisms: What
They Write Can Be as Peculiar as How They Write It."  Are they
real?  Could the legal profession have it out for the medical
profession, or is the misuse of words rampant in our society
today?  You be the judge, or the medical chief of staff, or
better yet the poor patient so labeled or libeled!  Here goes.
     "The patient is tearful and crying constantly.  She also
appears to be depressed."  
     "Patient has chest pains if she lies on her left side for
over a year."
     "On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day
it disappeared."
     "Discharge status: Alive but without my permission."
     "Healthy appearing decrepit sixty-nine year old male,
mentally alert but forgetful."  
     "The patient refused the autopsy." 
     "The patient has no previous history of suicides."      
     "She is numb from her toes down."   
     "Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital."   
     "Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant
with only a forty pound weight gain in the past three days."
     "While in ER, he was examined, X-rated and sent home."
     "Patient was alert and unresponsive."
"Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid."
     "She stated that she had been constipated for most of her
life, until she got a divorce."
     "I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for
physical therapy."
     "Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized."
     "Skin: somewhat pale but present."
     "The patient was to have a bowel resection.  However, he
took a job as a stock broker instead."
     "The lab test indicated abnormal lover function."
     "Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Smith, who felt we
should sit on the abdomen and I agree."
     And finally one all parents can agree with . . . "Patient
has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities."

     THERE IS JUSTICE!!!
     Two doctors and an HMO manager died and lined up at the
pearly gates for admission to heaven.  St. Peter asked them to
identify themselves.
     One doctor stepped forward and said, "I was a pediatric
spine surgeon and helped kids overcome deformities."
     St. Peter said. "You may enter."
     The second doctor said, "I was a psychiatrist.  I helped
people rehabilitate themselves."
     St. Peter invited him into heaven, too.
     The third applicant stepped forward and said, "I was an HMO
manager.  I helped people get cost-effective health care."
     St. Peter said, "You can come in also."  But as the HMO
manager walked by, St. Peter added, "You may stay for three days. 
After that you can go to hell." 


                   LETTER FROM DAVID C. EKIN, 
 President, National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind 
                     and Visually Impaired 

            submitted by Christopher Gray, President,
                 American Council of the  Blind 

     "The National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind and
Visually Impaired has written a very strong and significant
letter to Dr. Robert Pasternack,who has direct oversight to the
Rehabilitation Services Administration.  Following careful
research and consultation throughout the field of and for the
blind, NCPAB raises key questions and concerns.  Please read and
become familiar with the following.  For many of you, these may
be unfamiliar issues but they cut at the very heart of services
being delivered and contemplated for the blind of America."
signed "Chris". 
March 6, 2003
Dr. Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
US Department of Education
Mary E. Switzer Building, Room 3006
330 C Street, SW
Washington DC.20202

Re: RSA Actions and Conflicts of Interest

Dear Dr. Pasternack:
     I write as President of the National Council of Private
Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCPABVI), a
membership organization of over 75 private agencies representing
38 different states and the District of Columbia.  This letter is
written after our bBusiness meeting held February 19 in Los
Angeles as part of the Vision Loss Symposium, our first meeting
since the November New Mexico conference on residential
rehabilitation facilities sponsored by RSA and the awarding of
the $150,000 grant for a study of two certification bodies. 
These two federally funded events have sparked serious questions
and concerns about RSA actions and activities among NCPABVI
members, and I write to convey those concerns.
     Since RSA Commissioner Wilson's office had contacted me in
the very early planning stages of the New Mexico Rehabilitation
Training conference asking for NCPABVI representatives to be on
the Olanning Committee, I pass along questions and concerns about
the conduct of that conference on behalf of our members. 
Feedback I received from our members of this Planning Committee
were to the effect that from the earliest stages, the conference
program would not be reflective of the entire blindness field and
that any planning input other than that of one consumer
organization was essentially ignored.  This national conference,
sponsored with public funds, promoted only one modality, ignoring
the wealth of positive experiences and expertise available from
the NCPABVI members, other national and consumer organizations,
and other attendees.  With the exception of the consumer
organization to which the commissioner belongs, the entire field
of services to people with a vision disability disagrees with the
use of that single modality as the only modality.   I urge you to
seek input from organizations of parents, professionals,
providers, and national organizations when conducting RSA
sponsored events.  If you do, the isolation of this one modality
will become evident.
     I also want to convey NCPABVI's agreement with the recent
position statement from the Academy for Certification of Vision
Education and Rehabilitation Professionals (ACVREP) raising
serious concerns related to the $150,000 publicly funded study of
two Orientation and Mobility Certification Programs.  We are
concerned about the process used by RSA in making this grant, an
apparent conflict of interest in this study by RSA, and a bias
against one of the certification bodies being studied.
     As you know, this publicly funded study was given through
discretionary funds to Dr. Ram Aditya, a former professor at
Louisiana Tech who is now at Florida International University,
with no announcement, peer review, or public Request for Proposal
(RFP).  If this study is to be accepted by the blindness field
and all involved in the provision of services, it would seem to
be more in the field's and RSA's best interest to publicly
attempt to find the best researcher available.  The direction of
the funds by RSA with no RFP to someone with a connection to one
of the bodies being studied through his professional position in
one university connected to one of the certification bodies will
lead to questions about the ethics of the study itself as well as
its purpose.  It should be noted that in addition to Dr. Aditya's
former professorship in the one university program affiliated
with one of the bodies, he is a psychologist with no previous
background or experience in the field he proposes to study.
     We are also concerned about a conflict of interest and bias
from RSA when one sees Commissioner Wilson as having played such
a prominent role in the formation of one of the certification
bodies being studied.  This apparent conflict of interest is only
exacerbated by her use of discretionary funds in the process of
granting the $150,000 and when she would appear to have vested
interest in one of the bodies being studied.
     Regarding the study itself, a bias is evident in the very
beginning of Dr. Aditya's proposal when he refers to the new NFB
affiliated certification body as being "inspired and guided"
while the other certification (ACVREP) was merely brought about
through "substantial efforts."  This statement reflects a more
positive view towards the NFB certification and is made despite
NFB's own statements from their publication and NFB formal
resolutions expressing the lack of need for either a university
degree or a certification program for Orientation & Mobility. 
(Braille Monitor, publication of NFB, November, 2000, and NFB
Resolution 95-04, July, 1995).
     Lastly, in relation to this funded research, the literature
put out by NBPCB indicates their certification body was
established as part of a grant by the Department of Education. 
Given this, one again questions the purpose and reason for such a
study as well as use of public funds to establish an outside
certification body when one already existed.  If RSA and the
Department of Education funded the establishment of one of the
certification programs, is there not a conflict of interest in
now conducting a comparative study of the two programs?
     This conflict of interest is also apparent when RSA funds
were used to publish a book, "Freedom for the Blind", by James
Omvig, current President of one of the bodies being studied and
also identified with Commissioner Wilson as being vital to the
establishment of the National Blindness Professional
Certification Board (NBPCB).  It is ironic that as far as we are
aware, the funding of this publication by RSA was also done
without any public notice of intent to publish such a book.
     Members of NCPABVI urge you to use your position to ensure
that public funds and RSA activities are not inappropriately used
to further the narrow agenda of only one consumer organization at
the exclusion of other mainstream parent and professional
organizations and consumer groups.  We believe RSA should
encourage practices which reflect all and broader approaches to
rehabilitation of people who are blind.  Recent action by RSA
has demonstrated the need for more thorough oversight and due
diligence in order to avoid conflicts of interest and questions
of ethics.
     Thank you for your attention and consideration to this
matter.  I look forward to hearing from you and your planned
response to these and other related RSA activities.

Sincerely,
David C.  Ekin
President, National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind and
Visually Impaired
8770 Manchester Rd.
St.  Louis, MO  63144
314-968-9000

cc.  Dr.  Rod Paige, Secretary, U.S.  Department of Education
      Mr.  Carl Augusto, President, American Foundation for the
Blind
      Mr.  Charles Crawford, Executive Director, American Council
of the Blind
      Mr.  Mark Richert, Executve Director, Association for
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind 
     Ms.  Marjorie Kaiser, President, Council of Schools for the
Blind
      Mr.  Jim Gibbons, President, National Industries for the
Blind
      Ms.  Lorraine Lidoff, Director, National Vision
Rehabilitation Cooperative 


              FOLLOWUP LETTER FROM CHARLES CRAWFORD

            by Charles Crawford, Executive Director,
                 American Council of the Blind  

March 10, 2003
Dr. Robert Pasternack 
Dear Dr. Pasternack:
     I am writing on behalf of the membership of the American
Council of the Blind (ACB) with respect to the attached letter
sent to you from the National Council of Private Agencies for the
Blind (NCPAB.)   We also, by this writing, convey our serious and
growing concern for the apparently biased administration of RSA
by Commissioner Wilson in favor of the interests of the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB) as set forth in the NCPAB
attachment.
     The American Council of the Blind is a national organization
of consumers who have a vital and immediate interest in the
programs operated by the Rehabilitation Services Administration
and its partners in the state agency rehabilitation system.  The
alleged activities outlined in the letter of protest against
Commissioner Wilson's Federation-biased administration of RSA
have had the effect of seriously diminishing any real, informed
choice for consumers seeking rehabilitation.  In fact, practices
such as denying guide dog users with the ability to use their
chosen means of mobility, forcing people to use sleep shades when
they want to use their remaining vision in conducting daily
tasks, and actively discouraging people with usable remaining
vision from enhancing the utility of that vision through the use
of low vision devices constructively denies informed consumer
choice guaranteed under the law, the very law which Ms. Wilson is
charged to uphold.
     ACB believes that the remedy to this egregious situation is
to require Commissioner Wilson to cease and desist from her
utilization of her office, her staff, and our tax dollars in
advancing the parochial interests of the National Federation of
the Blind and to take affirmative action to support a diverse
service delivery system in which it is the consumer who chooses
rehabilitation programming rather than the unwelcome imposition
of a single model.
     ACB therefore requests a meeting with you and Commissioner
Wilson to discuss our concerns to avoid any misunderstandings or
more direct action on our part.  Please have your office call my
assistant Patricia Moreira at (202) 467-5081, Extension 20 to
arrange for the meeting.  I thank you in advance for your
cooperation in resolving this issue in favor of consumers who
rely upon RSA for the valuable rehabilitation services we need.


  "IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE -- AND A LOT OF HARD WORK"

                         by Bill Tipton 
                  submitted by Roger Petersen 

     This is an inside look at dealing with change and
uncertainty and has some inspiring thoughts and advice from which
we can all benefit.  It is taken from the newsletter of the
Silicon Valley Council of the Blind, where Tipton is a member,
reprinted by permission from the HP Global Inclusion and
Diversity News, December, 2002. 
     Once in a long while, someone shows up to change the way you
think about yourself and a lot of other things.  Bill Tipton, HP
Customer Support UNIX Network Engineer, is one of those special
people.  In a recent interview with HP's Global Inclusion and
Diversity News, they discovered that he had a courageous story to
tell of big-time change in his life, one about determination to
conquer an uncertain future with a pioneering spirit, a common
characteristic in the HP culture.  Although, he continues to
forge his new path at HP, his story, insights and messages are
ones that will help you realize that everything is possible.  
When it comes to dealing with change and uncertainties in life
and work, Bill helps all of us see that it is all a matter of
perspective, how we see it and the hard work we choose to do to
make our way through it.  Bill teaches us all that it takes
courage, patience and a pioneering spirit to forge a new future
for ourselves.  Miracles come after a lot of hard work.  
     About Bill in his own words:
     "Hi, I'm Bill Tipton and I have worked at HP for five years. 
I started my work in the response center as a Customer Support
UNIX Network Engineer in Mountain View, California.  Last June,
my job moved to Cupertino, California.  During my first couple
years at HP, I was learning my new job, becoming comfortable and
confident in the products I supported.  All this drastically
changed in May of 1999.
     One night after work, I went into the emergency room with
pains in my stomach.  It was seven months before I came home from
the hospital.  Three of those long months, I was in a coma on
life support.  My whole life changed in the process. 
Miraculously, I recovered.  When I came home from the hospital, I
could not walk; and I was completely blind.   Today, I am still
blind, but I can now walk with the help of two canes.  One
supports me and one is a long white cane that helps me find my
way.  I am in the process of returning to work; and I'm
approaching it with a pioneering spirit, knowing that I am
bringing a new set of differences and skills to the new HP.   I
have a strong belief that I have much to contribute.
     About me personally, I have a wonderful wife, Kathy.  She
has been very courageous through the drastic changes in our
lives.  She encourages me every day.
     I used to like to go backpacking and mountain bike riding. 
I still like the mountains, when I can get there.  Most of all, I
like talking and being around people.   I've realized that this
is truly a gift."

     Recently, HP's Global Inclusion and Diversity News had a
chance to ask Bill Tipton a few questions about what he has
learned about dealing with change and uncertainty in his own
life.  They were quite sure there were things to be learned that
would help everyone see their our own lives and work from a
different perspective.   At HP, many employees say they are
sometimes overwhelmed by the change and uncertainty in the
workplace today.  Through the past few years, what have you
learned about dealing with change and uncertainty that you might
pass along to others?
     Bill Tipton: Well, we are all living in a period of
uncertain times.  Each day we do not know what might happen in
our lives.  Things can change in a second.  Each day is a new
adventure.  During the adventure, it is best to keep the worrying
and anxiety to a minimum, enjoying what life brings as much as
possible.  In the past few years, I've found that many emotions
come and go, some good and some bad.  Sometimes my emotions seem
to get the best of me.  At least, it feels that way, every now
and then.  I am still working on finding the answers to many
questions and uncertainties, but I will share some of what helps
me through each day:
     Having fun is always one of my goals.  I've noticed that all
people have things to worry about, no matter how successful they
seem to be.  I can remember that when I could see and walk
normally, I was still under stress each day.  Today, I try to
remember that just because things are harder for me now, it is
really no different than in the past when things were hard.  I
think life is not supposed to be easy, but it doesn't mean that
life cannot be fun.
     Each day I try to do my best.  I've learned I can't change
other people.  This is very hard for me since I have a
personality that wants to accomplish everything yesterday, and
sometimes others get in the way.  I figure if I work 16 hours
each day, six days a week, that it will make the difference.  I
have done that over the past months, trying to come back to work
as soon as possible.  For many reasons, this has been a struggle
for me; and, at times, it has been discouraging.  Sometimes, hard
work alone doesn't make a difference.  At least, sometimes, you
can't always see it making a difference.  Things take time, and a
willingness to be patient.  I've learned that, if you give
yourself a break and try to relax a little, things usually work
out for the best. 
     Sometimes, they work out better than you ever imagined.  I
cannot tell you how many times this has happened to me over the 
last few years.  When I look back, I can see that there has been
a series of miracles.  Whenever I just let things take their
normal progression; something good usually happens.  It might be
like a roller coaster ride, but sometimes, you just have to
buckle up and hang on.
     You have to try to be the best you can be.  When I say "just
let things take there normal progression" that doesn't mean that
you don't have to do hard work on your own.  I have worked very,
very hard to get to the point where I am today, and I've
dedicated myself to building my skills and improving what I have
to contribute to HP.  I have taken lots of self-paced computer
courses and in-person computer classes; and I went through
physical therapy to help me to walk again, learned grade one and
grade two braille, learned how to use a computer without sight;
and I am continuing orientation and mobility training with my two
white canes, a long cane and a support cane.  I want to be the
best I can be.  We all have to work at being able to contribute
our best every day.
     Bill, we have just three more questions: What strengths have
you called upon to help you adapt to change?  What have you
learned about your own courage?  What suggestions would you make
to help others dealing with change?
     Bill Tipton: Change can be painful for all of us.  Since it
is inevitable in life, I work to minimize the pain of each change
that occurs.  This is a lot harder then it may seem.  I do this
in a variety of ways:
     Grin, bear it and tackle it head on.  Sometimes I get
stressed, upset, and angry when an unpleasant change occurs and
maybe even depressed.  Then I sit back and think, "You have
pulled through things in the past and you will pull through this
as well."  I may have to say this to myself a couple of times
before I actually believe it.  Once I have come to grips with the
new situation that has presented itself to me, I try to create a
plan to accomplish this new challenge.  If I can create a plan, I
follow the steps I will need to meet the new goal.
     However, every change doesn't lend itself to a planned
approach.  This is very frightening at times, but I know I have
to just do it.  I've noticed that I am very frightened a lot when
I try to accomplish the things I need to accomplish to get to the
point in my life where I want to be.  There is one thing I always
think about when I get scared about trying something new and
uncomfortable.  It is a whole lot scarier thinking of how you
would feel if you did not give the new challenge a try.  The
thought of it makes me realize that I would feel empty and always
be wondering, what if I had not had the courage to try?  
     Here is one simple example of one of my many challenges
where I used this approach.  I used to like to walk to a park
near my house.  It has a small pond with ducks in it.  To get
there, you need to cross two streets with two lanes of traffic
going in each direction.  I had a choice to make.  I could just
stay at home and never go back to this park again, taking the
safe approach, or I could choose to take the more courageous
path, learning to cross the street without being able to see.  I
decided it is a whole lot scarier thinking that I would never be
able to go the park again.  This is just one way I meet
challenges.  I think about what would happen if I did not go for
it.
     I also ask myself some questions: "Is this really the most
important thing in my life?  Does it affect friends, family or
other people's lives?"  That helps to put the new challenge in
perspective as well.
     I hope this helps you in overcoming any fears and anxiety
about the future changes and may give you some extra courage to
help you to deal with them.  Just remember to let the sunshine
in.  


     (Editor's note: We are indebted to Bernice Kandarian who
updates and corrects 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.)  

                       CCB OFFICERS, 2003

President, Jeff Thom (02-04, 1st term)
     7414 Mooncrest Way
     Sacramento, CA 95831
     916 429-8201 H
     916 341-8320 W
     <jsthom@attbi.com>

1st Vice President, Mitch Pomerantz (02-04, 1st term)
     1115 Cordova Street, #402
     Pasadena, CA 91106
     626 844-4388 H
     213 847-9124 W  <MPomerantz@mailbox.lacity.org>

2nd Vice Preesident, Ken Metz (01-03, 1st term)
     540 North Formosa Avenue
     Los Angeles, CA 90036
     323 931-3809 H
     323 295-4555 ext 255 W
     <kmetz@attbi.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 (*02-04, 2nd term)
     267 Cardinal Road
     Mill Valley, CA 94941-3618
     415 381-9211 H
     <peterpar@pacbell.net>

Immediate Past President, Catherine Skivers (2002-??)
     836 Resota Street
     Hayward, CA 94545
     510 357-1986 H
     <ccotb@earthlink.net>

                       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 Street
     San Francisco, CA 94127
     415 469-8048 H
     415 558-2489 W
Jane Kardas (*01-03, 2nd term)
     810 Maple Avenue
     Ukiah, CA 95482
     707 468-5510 H/Fax
     <janecalvert35@yahoo.com>
Rhonda King (02-04, 3rd term)
     4541 Cyclamen Way
     Sacramento, CA 95841
     916 349-9960 H
     <imjoking@earthlink.net>
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 (02-04, 3rd term) 19616 Leapwood Avenue, Carson, CA
     90746; 310 327-0463 H, 
Barbara Rhodes (02-04, 2nd 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>
Frank Welte (02-04, 1st term) 1432 San Carlos Avenue, #6, San
     Carlos, CA 94070; 650 508-8329 H; <fwelte@sbcglobal.net>
     * Served a partial term before first full term.

                     PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Bernice Kandarian, Chair
     2211 Latham Street #120
     Mountain View, CA 94040
     650 969-3155
     bernice@tsoft.nett

Winifred Downing, Editor
     1587 38th Avenue
     San Francisco, CA 94122
     415 564-5798
     wmdowning@mindspring.com

Joan Black
     4925 Coke Ave.
     Lakewood, CA 90712
     562 630-2304
     kvblack@ix.netcom.com

Brian Hall
     5722 Abraham Avenue
     Westminster, CA 92683
     714 894-3497
     brianlhall@earthlink.net

Charles Nabarrete
     239 North Walnuthaven Drive
     West Covina, CA 91790
     626 338-8106
     charlesn@cuiab.ca.gov

Patty Nash
     901 Central Avenue, #C
     Alameda, CA 94501
     510 521-2042
     p.a.nsah@att.net

Richard Rueda, CCB-L
     1501 Decoto Road, #169
     Union City, CA  94587-3548
     510 324-0418
     richr@surfside.net

Catherine Schmitt Whitaker
     604 Camaritas Drive
     Diamond Bar, CA 91765
     909 861-2931
     clschmitt@csupomona.edu

Dan Kysor, Webmaster
     225 15th Street
     West Sacramento, CA 95691
     916 372-9869
     dan@kysor.net




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