Braille Monitor, 10/93

The Braille Monitor

Vol. 36, No. 10 September/October 1993

Barbara Pierce, Editor

Published in inkprint, in Braille, on cassette and
the World Wide Web and FTP on the Internet

The National Federation of the Blind
Marc Maurer, President

National Office
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
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Web Page Address: http//www.nfb.org

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National Federation of the Blind and sent to:

National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES

ISSN 0006-8829

Contents

Vol. 36, No. 10 September/October 1993

CONVENTION ROUNDUP
by Barbara Pierce

PRESIDENTIAL REPORT
by Marc Maurer

THE NATURE OF INDEPENDENCE
by Kenneth Jernigan

THE CONTINUITY OF LEADERSHIP: TWIN REQUIREMENTS
by Marc Maurer

THE SCHOLARSHIP CLASS OF 1993

BRAILLE: A RENAISSANCE
by Ramona Walhof

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND AWARDS FOR 1993

THE BLIND SAILOR TRAVELING ALONE ON THE BLUE WATERS
by Hank Dekker

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
JULY, 1993
by Ramona Walhof

[LEAD PHOTO: Enterprise Ballroom of Hyatt Regency during NFB convention session--shows head table and four of the state delegate flags. CAPTION: Federationists from every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (as well as from 8 other countries) gathered at the Hyatt Regency hotel on the grounds of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport the first week of July for the 53rd annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Workshops, seminars, meetings of committees and divisions, exhibits, plays, tours, games, dances, good food, and of course opportunities to meet old friends and make new ones: all these drew people to this year's convention. But above all they came to take part in the deliberations of the most dynamic and influential organization of blind people in this country. This is the way the convention hall looked on Tuesday morning, July 6, when convention delegates took their seats for the first general session of the 1993 convention of the National Federation of the Blind. The state banners marked delegation seating and assisted people to find their friends and colleagues in the huge and crowded hall.]

CONVENTION ROUNDUP

by Barbara Pierce

Three years ago, when the National Federation of the Blind descended on the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for our golden anniversary convention, not many of us knew anything about the facility or the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. But when we began arriving in the early days of July for the opening of the 1993 convention, we were returning to a facility we knew would meet our needs admirably, a friendly and helpful staff, and a state affiliate bent on a Texas-size welcome and warm hospitality. Glenn Crosby, President of the NFB of Texas and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind; his wife Norma; and the more than 200 other Texans at the convention turned themselves inside out to answer questions, provide information, and in general see that this convention was unforgettable.

[PHOTO: Four children play with large building blocks. CAPTION: This year the child care facility received a change of name. It was NFB Camp, and it was fun for everybody who spent time there.]

[PHOTO: Children and teens sit under the trees at a dude ranch listening to day's agenda. CAPTION: During the Parents Seminar lots of kids went to an area dude ranch for horseback riding, a hayride, and other outdoor fun.]

By Saturday morning, July 3, a full day before the opening of convention registration, more than a thousand Federationists had already arrived and were on hand for the dozen or more seminars, workshops, and committee meetings that day, beginning at 7:00 a.m. These included stress management for business people, Braille 'n Speak instruction for both beginners and more advanced users, self-defense training, a workshop for authors, and many more. This year's day-long seminar for parents and educators of blind children was titled "Meeting the Needs of the Blind Youngster." The older children using child care visited a dude ranch, and the little ones were cared for in the facilities at the hotel. As usual Saturday afternoon was the time of the annual Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) seminar. JOB is a job reference and referral program jointly conducted by the National Federation of the Blind and the United States Department of Labor. This seminar is always packed with helpful and informative presentations and opportunities for networking. Presentations from both the parent and JOB seminars will appear in Federation publications in the coming months.

By Saturday evening everyone was ready for some Texas fun, and the NFB of Texas was set to provide it. Fiddlin' and dancin' were available in the hospitality area while families with blind children gathered for conversation and play in the child care area. The teenagers got to know one another by taking part in a glorified scavenger hunt, and everyone ate pizza. It was the small hours of the morning before everyone was ready to leave the fun and food.

Sunday morning brought convention registration with its fast-moving lines and first look at the convention agenda. The exhibit hall opened, and the crowds of newly-registered Federationists poured through the doors to look at what's new in appliances and technology for blind people. NFB chapters, affiliates, and divisions took the opportunity to sell things and provide literature and other information. As always, one of the most popular areas in the exhibit hall was the NFB store, where shoppers could examine all the aids and appliances sold year- round through the NFB's Materials Center. In addition delegates could stock up on Federation literature in Braille or print or on cassette. This year there were display booths staffed by forty- eight vendors (up four from last year) and twenty-four Federation groups.

Sunday afternoon and evening twelve Federation committees and divisions conducted seminars or meetings, including the Resolutions Committee, which traditionally meets for several hours on the afternoon of convention registration day. Because of the importance of the work of this committee, no other meetings are scheduled during that time, and hundreds of interested Federationists gather to listen to the committee discuss the issues raised and make recommendations. Twenty-five resolutions were brought to the committee this year, twenty of which eventually came before the convention for debate and action. The texts of these resolutions are printed elsewhere in this issue.

Monday, July 5, was filled with committee and division meetings, seventeen in all. Monday evening also saw a production of Jerry Whittle's new play, By The Wind Grieved, presented by the Louisiana Center for the Blind Players. The Yah Sure Can-Do Carnival (sponsored by the NFB of Minnesota and by BLIND, Inc., the Minnesota affiliate's adult rehabilitation center) also took place that evening. Those who stopped in found food, games, and information about BLIND's exciting rehabilitation program. They also got the opportunity to practice talking Minnesotan-- Heckofadeal!

The meeting of the Board of Directors, which took place at 9:00 Monday morning, was as always the first actual convention session. More than a thousand Federationists were present for the meeting, and the only Board member missing was Gary Wunder, whose employer had chosen the Fourth of July weekend to bring a new computer system on line. Gary was in charge of working out the bugs that inevitably develop during such an exercise, so he could not leave town until late in the week when, to everyone's delight, he joined us in Dallas. After announcing that Gary had regretfully decided not to stand for re-election this year, President Maurer read aloud the following letter from him:

Columbia, Missouri
June 20, 1993

Dear President Maurer:

It is with a tremendous sense of gratitude that I thank the members of the National Federation of the Blind for having given me the privilege of serving as a member of the National Board of Directors since 1985. The activities I have been asked to carry out have been some of the most meaningful of my life. I wish that circumstances had allowed me to say this personally to you so that you could hear in my own voice what is so inadequately communicated in this letter. I ask that the Nominating Committee not consider me for another term on the Board and that it recommend to the convention the name of another in our Federation family who knows the pride and honor which come from serving this wonderful organization. I look forward to continuing actively in this magnificent movement we share, and again I thank all of you for the privilege you have extended to me.

Cordially,
Gary Wunder

The first order of business of the meeting was President Maurer's invitation to everyone to remember those who had died in the past year. Then Dr. Jernigan described the two newest additions to our Kernel Book series, small paperback collections of essays about blindness and the actual experience of blind people. The first of these two new Kernel Books was As the Twig Is Bent, a book largely about the experiences of blind children and teens. The second was Making Hay, written by blind adults about making their way in the world of work like everybody else. Dr. Jernigan announced that all of the Kernel Books (as well as Walking Alone and Marching Together and What You Should Know About Blindness, Services for the Blind, and the Organized Blind Movement) would be on sale at the convention hall book table all week. Also available at the table was Dr. C. Edwin Vaughan's new book, The Struggle of Blind People for Self-Determination. All of these titles can be ordered from the Materials Center at the National Center for the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

Dr. Jernigan then explained to the Board that it has become obvious that changes should be made in the NFB's Deferred Insurance Giving (DIG) Program. It makes sense to shift our emphasis from the purchase of great numbers of insurance policies and the size of their face value to concentration on the actual contributions being made to an investment program for the future. It has become clear that it will be increasingly difficult to maintain contact with the many children on whose lives policies have been taken so that, when they die at seventy or eighty, we can notify the insurance company and receive the amount due on the policy. Also, with the recent fall in interest rates, the projections of when a given policy will be paid up are now wrong. It is, therefore, necessary to make substantial changes in the program. For those people who make automatically deducted payments on insurance policies, there will mostly be no changes; they will continue to participate in the program as they have done in the past. Those, however, who make annual payments will notice that in future their bills will come from the NFB. In situations in which it seems advisable to do so, the organization may cash in the policy or begin making the payments if necessary. For purposes of calculating state rankings in what will now be known as the Deferred Investment Giving Program, state rank will now depend on the amount of annual contribution to the investment program originating in that state, rather than solely on the face amount of the insurance policies that have been purchased. The result will be that, as contributions to the Deferred Investment Giving Program rise, the NFB will have a pool of funds with which to invest in ways that will earn substantial returns for the organized blind movement.

When Dr. Jernigan had completed this explanation, President Maurer announced that the Baltimore Chapter had made contributions of $7,000 each to both the NFB of Maryland and the National Federation of the Blind, and David Ticchi, President of the Cambridge Chapter of the NFB of Massachusetts, then came forward to present $2,000 each to the Massachusetts affiliate and the national organization.

[PHOTO: Young girl jumps in Oyngo Boyngo. CAPTION: Kids of all ages enjoyed bouncing in the Oyngo Boyngos at this year's convention.]

Next President Maurer called Mary Willows of California to the platform. Before turning the mike over to her for announcements about child care arrangements for the week, he explained that Mary, in agreeing to supervise this important effort, had stipulated that the name be changed to NFB Camp. Mary announced that during NFB Camp this year the children would see a marionette show, have a visit from a magician, and take a trip to the Science Place in Dallas. She also explained that this year at the convention there were two mesh-enclosed trampolines for the use of the children. Invented and now produced by a parent, they are called Oyngo Boyngos, and they turned out to be the hit of the convention for the under-125-pound crowd. Mary also said with pride that it had become necessary to solve the cane-storage problem in the child care room because there are now so many youngsters using the facility who need to have a safe place to store a cane while playing. Mary turned to Fred Schroeder, Director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, who had asked Jim Estis, the industrial arts teacher at the orientation center, to solve the problem. Jim came to the microphone to describe the oak cabinet with twenty-four storage compartments that the students at the New Mexico orientation center had made. It is a beautifully finished piece of woodwork, and every bit of it was done under sleepshades. Jim concluded his report by saying that, whether the students who helped build the cabinet were at the convention in person or not, each one of them sent thanks to the members of the Federation for what he or she was receiving from the New Mexico program because of the work of the NFB.

Peggy Pinder, Second Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind and Chairman of the Scholarship Committee, then introduced the twenty-six members of this year's group of scholarship winners. A full report of the scholarship program appears elsewhere in this issue.

Dorothy Cofone, President of the NFB of New Jersey, and Carla McQuillan, President of the NFB of Oregon, then came forward to make a presentation from the members of the Leadership Training Seminar known as the Defensive Seminar. Carla has thought for some time that the space over the large fireplace in the Harbor Room at the National Center for the Blind is the perfect location for a wall hanging, and for some years Dorothy imported and sold oriental rugs. So the Defensive Seminar presented the Federation with a beautiful silk rug from China measuring five feet by three. It has an ivory background and tassels along the ends. The design incorporates flowers, birds, and animals in shades of blue and brown. President Maurer thanked the members of the seminar and promised that a fitting place would be found for the rug at the Center.

Two award presentations took place during the Board meeting. Steve Benson, Chairman of the Blind Educator of the Year Award Committee, presented Dr. Emerson Foulke of Louisville, Kentucky, with that award, and Sharon Maneki, Chairwoman of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award Committee, presented that award to Gail Katona of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A full report of both ceremonies appears elsewhere in this issue.

When Tom Stevens, Chairman of the Associates Committee, came to the platform to make his report to the Board, he announced that two new records had been set this year in the recruitment of members-at-large as associates of the NFB. More than $90,000 was raised in the program, and 468 people took part as recruiters. President Maurer then announced the top ten recruiters by number of Associates and by dollar amount as follows:

Top 10 in Number of Associates Recruited

10. Norman Gardner (Arizona), 81
9. Arthur Schreiber (New Mexico), 89
8. Laura Biro (Michigan), 92
7. Karen Mayry (South Dakota), 103
6. Kenneth Jernigan (Maryland), 105
5. Matthew Brink (Michigan), 107
4. Bill Isaacs (Illinois), 154
3. Toni Eames (California), 179
2. Tom Stevens (Missouri), 229;
1. Fred Schroeder (New Mexico), 314

Top 10 in Dollar Amount Raised

10. Matthew Brink (Michigan), $2,411
9. Karen Mayry (South Dakota), $2,713
8. Tom Stevens (Missouri), $2,726
7. Bill Isaacs (Illinois), $2,758
6. Toni Eames (California), $2,781
5. Duane Gerstenberger (Maryland), $2,986
4. Mary Ellen Jernigan (Maryland), $3,013
3. David Andrews (Maryland), $4,142
2. Fred Schroeder (New Mexico), $4,224
1. Kenneth Jernigan (Maryland), $9,092

The Board of Directors then voted to conduct a contest to encourage Associate recruiters again in 1994.

Just before adjournment of the meeting, President Maurer introduced three young women who last year enrolled in a Braille transcription course being offered at their school, Marissa High School in Marissa, Illinois. The three (Amy Heil, Kyle Jouglard, and Christine Walker) all passed the National Library Service Braille transcription test before the end of the school year and are now certified Braille transcribers. The Federation gave them scholarships to attend the NFB convention in order to thank them in person for their dramatic undermining of the notion that learning Braille is difficult for busy people to find time to do.

[PHOTO: Two women examine the list of convention attendees from their state. CAPTION: All week Federationists kept track of the registration count by checking the state delegation lists hanging in the foyer of the Hyatt Regency ballroom.]

Tuesday morning President Maurer gaveled the first general convention session to order precisely at 10 a.m. The welcoming ceremonies were interspersed with announcements and reports on convention registration, banquet ticket exchange procedures, and other important details. During the roll call of states three presidents announced that Braille bills had recently or were about to become law. As of August 1, New Mexico, Oregon, and Rhode Island had joined the group of states that can boast protection of the right of parents and their blind children who wish to receive Braille instruction in the schools. There are now twenty-one states that have recognized that blind children truly do have a right to an appropriate education.

Tuesday afternoon the convention session began with President Maurer's annual report to the members, printed in full elsewhere in this issue. As always, it summarized and provided perspective on the work of the Federation during the past year, and it set the tone for the organization's activities in the months ahead. Here is the way the report began:

During the past twelve months the National Federation of the Blind has experienced substantial progress. Our extensive programs have expanded, and our activities have diversified. As we gather for this convention, our feelings are harmonious and enthusiastic. This by no means suggests that we are passive. There is a restless, throbbing energy throughout the Federation. The driving force is focused, and we are finding solutions to our problems.

Within our movement (the organized blind movement) there is a place for blind professionals, for blind students, for parents of blind children and the children themselves, for blind merchants, for blind workers in industry and the sheltered shops, for administrators and workers in the field of work with the blind, for sighted family members and friends, for blind people hunting work, and for blind retirees--for everybody. The only requirements are that we possess belief in the founding principles of our movement and that we be willing to put that belief into practice. We have forged an agreement. Our organization is for everybody--everybody, that is, who is prepared to work, to believe, and to dream. As we prepare for the year ahead, and as we review our progress during the past twelve months, that commitment remains the vital connective tissue of our organization.

Following the tumultuous audience response to this report, the convention heard from Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, who was a prisoner of war for seven years during the Vietnam War. His title was "Blindness: Meeting the Challenge Through Self- Organization and a Fighting Spirit--Lessons From One Who Knows."

"The Nature of Independence" was the title of a thought- provoking speech delivered by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, which is printed elsewhere in this issue. Then President Maurer read a letter to the convention from Assistant Secretary of Education Judy Heumann. Here it is:

I want to take this opportunity to offer my greetings to your membership as I begin my tenure as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. As you hear this, I am in the midst of sorting through the myriad boxes and suitcases which have followed me in my move to Washington. This is certainly a busy time for all of us, but an exciting time too. And although I cannot be with you this week, I wanted to express my wishes for a successful and productive convention. I am sure that in the near future I will be meeting with your leadership to discuss our mutual areas of concern. I greatly look forward to that meeting and to collaborating with your membership in advocating for blind people.

The many successes achieved by the Federation are well known to me, and I have always greatly respected your work in advancing independence and opportunity for blind people. Whether on the picket line, in the board room, or in the courtroom, your undaunted vigilance and commitment have brought about significant change. Because of your efforts blind individuals of all ages can take their rightful place as equal and independent members of society. You have a right to be proud, and we have much to learn from you.

I also want to take this opportunity to express my thanks for all of your support and hard work in bringing about many of the forward-thinking reforms we have witnessed in the passage of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992. For example, I know that the Federation has long been committed to bringing about reforms in the area of client choice. Because of your efforts and those of other committed and dedicated organizations, rehabilitation clients will now have increased input into decisions affecting the type and nature of the services they will receive. I firmly believe that this concept of choice is at the very heart of all of our efforts because independence begins with learning to make choices in order to determine one's destiny.

In addition, I plan to work collaboratively with the Federation and other interested organizations to implement the provision of the amendments which mandates streamlining client eligibility for rehabilitation services. While we are on the subject of rehabilitation, I want to commend you for the fine job you are doing in conjunction with the Rehabilitation Services Administration on the Work Incentive Training project. This pilot project, designed to teach blind recipients of SSI and SSDI how to take advantage of the work incentives for which they are eligible, will result in the production of a training manual that will be used nationally by vocational rehabilitation agencies for this purpose. It is my hope that similar types of projects will enable individuals with other disabilities to take advantage of the work incentive provisions for which they too are eligible.

Before I close, I want to make two specific requests of you today to help achieve the excellence that is the theme of this Administration. The first request is that you contact us to receive applications to serve as peer reviewers for our grant competitions carried out by each of the three OSERS components: the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the Office of Special Education Programs. As you know the Peer Review function is at the very core of some of our most important work, and it is critical that the interests and experience of blind people be fully tapped. Peer review applications are available from my office in Braille upon request.[and also from here, anyway, back to the letter]

The second request is that you help me learn about model programs serving blind children, youth, and adults across the nation. As my staff and I travel across the country, we want to know about the programs that are doing the best job of educating and rehabilitating blind individuals in a variety of settings, and we want to learn from them and replicate them to help others. So I am asking that you help us achieve the excellence we seek by sending us written or taped descriptions of model programs in a range of environments and telling us why they are models.

Let me say again that I look forward to working closely with you over the next few years in a spirit of mutual collaboration. May this convention week be full of rewarding and exciting experiences for each of you.

Sincerely, Judith Heumann

Hank Dekker, the man whose 1993 attempt to sail single- handed from Cape May, New Jersey, to Plymouth, England, was described in the August, 1993, issue of the Braille Monitor, next addressed the convention, describing how different his life after becoming blind would have been if he had found the National Federation of the Blind earlier than he did. His remarks are printed elsewhere in this issue.

The closing item on the afternoon agenda was an address by Dr. Tuck Tinsley, President of the American Printing House for the Blind. His title was "Tomorrow's News Today." He reviewed some of the most exciting plans for the future being made by the Printing House, laying particular stress on joint efforts with the Federation.

[PHOTO: Convention attendees socialize around the tables and near the pavilion at Hyatt Bear Creek. CAPTION: The barbecue at Bear Creek was Federation fun at its best: good friends, good food, good music, and Texas hospitality.]

The convention session recessed at 5:00 p.m., and everyone headed for the Texas Barbecue Under the Stars at Bear Creek, where good food and music could be shared with good friends at the close of a wonderful day.

The barbecue was hardly the only activity taking place that night. Buses shuttled back and forth to Bear Creek all evening so that Federationists could attend events at the hotel as well as enjoying the festivities at the resort. Again this year the Parents of Blind Children Division sponsored a workshop for parents and teachers interested in learning to use the slate and stylus. Claudell Stocker (Braille expert and recently retired head of the Braille Development Section at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) instructed almost two dozen eager students, who came away enthusiastic about Braille and excited and confident about their new skill in writing it.

The Music Division's Showcase of Talent also took place Tuesday night. The winners in the children's division were first prize: Kevin Hatton, age six, from Maryland, piano; second prize: Ellen Nichols, age ten, from Maryland, piano; and honorable mention: Katie Munck, age ten, from Michigan, voice. In the composition competition the first place winner was Julie Melton of California, who sang her own song, "I Will Shelter You." The second place winner was Nancy Herb of Arizona, who sang her composition, "Inspiration." In the talent competition Dolores Smith of Alabama won the first place prize for her singing of "I'm Glad God Made Me," and Jan Kaftan of California took second place with a piano rendition of "Climb Every Mountain."

The Wednesday morning general session began with a welcome from Texas Congressman Greg Laughlin, who had been prevented from leaving Washington the day before. The Convention next turned to the annual election. Six positions on the Board of Directors were open this year. The holdover positions were those currently held by the organization's officers: Marc Maurer, Maryland, President; Joyce Scanlan, Minnesota, First Vice President; Peggy Pinder, Iowa, Second Vice President; Ramona Walhof, Idaho, Secretary; and Allen Harris, Michigan, Treasurer. Those currently serving in the holdover board positions are Steve Benson, Illinois; Charlie Brown, Virginia; Glenn Crosby, Texas; Sam Gleese, Mississippi; Frank Lee, Alabama; and Diane McGeorge, Colorado.

The six board seats open for election in 1993 were held by Don Capps, South Carolina; Priscilla Ferris, Massachusetts; Betty Niceley, Kentucky; Fred Schroeder, New Mexico; Joanne Wilson, Louisiana; and Gary Wunder, Missouri.

Dr. Jernigan chaired the Nominating Committee this year and made the Committee's report to the convention. The names of Don Capps, Priscilla Ferris, Betty Niceley, Fred Schroeder, Joanne Wilson, and Sharon Gold, California, were placed in nomination; and all were elected by acclamation. Each of those so honored by the Convention spoke a few words to the delegates. Sharon Gold's remarks captured the commitment and dedication of those elected to serve as members of the Board of Directors for the coming two years. The newest member of the Board said:

When I was born, there was no National Federation of the Blind. It was born eleven days later, so you'll always know how old I am. But, if it weren't for the National Federation of the Blind... It has led the way for me throughout my life--it has changed my life. But most of the time I didn't know that, not until I was thirty-five years old. That's very sad.

When I did learn about the National Federation of the Blind, I had been teaching school for almost fifteen years, a job that I would never have gotten but for this organization, because it was this organization that got the laws changed so that blind people could get a teaching credential. So I wouldn't have been a tax-paying citizen had it not been for the National Federation of the Blind and for all of you people in this room. It is our collective work and our collective strength that bring the changes that make it possible to change the lives of all blind people, whether they are part of this organization or not, whether or not they even know about the organization. I'm a prime example, and I will never ever be able to repay the debt that I feel to my fellow Federationists.

It is a privilege to belong to this organization. It is an honor to be asked to serve on our National Board. I appreciate the honor, and I accept the responsibility, and I thank you very much.

Following the election, Ritchie Geisel, President of Recording for the Blind, delivered a report from RFB, which, according to Mr. Geisel, is continuing to grow and to work with the American Printing House, textbook publishers, and the National Federation of the Blind to make machine-readable textbooks available for Brailling in the near future.

The remainder of the morning was devoted to a panel discussion entitled "Fair Labor Standards: Fact or Fiction for Blind Workers in the Sheltered Shop." Panel participants included Joe Cordova, Assistant Director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and Administrator of the Industries Division; Richard Edlund, Member of the Kansas House of Representatives; Fred Puente, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland; Donald Ellisburg, labor lawyer and consultant; William Gross, Assistant Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor; and Austin Murphy, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor Standards, Occupational Health, and Safety of the Committee on Education and Labor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Taken together these presentations provided a strong argument for doing away with certificates of exemption for shops employing blind workers.

On Wednesday afternoon and evening Federationists went their separate ways, taking part in a number of possible activities. The Texas affiliate had outdone itself with an array of tours to fit every interest. But there were also wonderful possibilities to choose at the hotel. Of course there were workshops and committee meetings for those with work to do. One of the most popular of these was the annual workshop for applicants, advocates, and recipients of Social Security Administration programs.

But there was also fun to be had. The exhibit hall was open all afternoon, and for the first time at an NFB convention there was a show and sale of art by blind artists. The Louisiana Center for the Blind also hosted the Federation Follies, where participants could sing Federation songs and play all kinds of NFB games like Federation Trivial Pursuit. In addition, the Louisiana Center Players presented Federation Heritage, a play depicting the history of the National Federation of the Blind. That evening hundreds of people flocked to the annual Monte Carlo Night, sponsored by the National Association of Blind Students.

At 9:00 a.m. Thursday, however, delegates were in their seats, ready to enjoy and take part in the day's crowded agenda. President Maurer invited Art Schreiber, one of the leaders of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico and currently a candidate for election as the Mayor of Albuquerque, to address the convention for a moment. Art thanked the organization for giving him the confidence to know that he is capable of holding this important job.

Carl Augusto, Executive Director and President of the American Foundation for the Blind, then delivered his "Report from the American Foundation for the Blind." In this address Mr. Augusto outlined the plans and changes for the future that the Foundation has decided to undertake.

Frank Kurt Cylke, who the following day would celebrate his twentieth anniversary as Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress, then delivered his annual report to the convention, entitled "Twenty Years of Service and Twenty Years to Come." He reviewed the changes that have come about in the National Library Service since 1973 and looked ahead to the future.

Next Ramona Walhof, Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind, delivered a stirring address, "Braille: A Renaissance." This speech, which combined personal experience, exemplary anecdotes, and sound advice about reading and writing Braille, is printed elsewhere in this issue.

"Mainstreaming, Schools for the Blind, and Full Inclusion: What Shall the Future of Education for Blind Children Be?" was the title of a panel discussion which included presentations by Fred Schroeder, Executive Director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and formerly Director of Low Incidence Programs in the Albuquerque Schools; Dr. Phil Hatlen, Superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Dr. Michael Bina, Superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind and President of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER); and Dr. Ralph Bartley, Superintendent of the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind. All of the panelists raised serious questions about the concept of full inclusion as it is currently being practiced in many schools, opting instead for the principle that each blind child should be provided with the instruction he or she needs in the setting that is most appropriate at the time.

The final speaker of the morning was Patricia Stenger, Senior Vice President of the American Diabetes Association. Her title was "Diabetes: A Leading Cause of Blindness in the United States." In recent months the American Diabetes Association has shown increased willingness to work with the National Federation of the Blind, and certainly Ms. Stenger's appearance at the convention was an indication of the growing spirit of cooperation between the two organizations.

The opening agenda item of the afternoon session was an address by Louis Enoff, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. His title was "Social Security and SSI: Meeting the Challenge for Modernization for the Decade of the 90's and Beyond." Mr. Enoff reported on a number of efforts to improve service and reiterated SSA's eagerness to work closely with the organized blind movement to improve service to program recipients. As always there were many questions from the audience and much concern about problems, but as both President Maurer and Mr. Gashel commented, the honesty, good faith, and willingness to correct injustices demonstrated by senior staff members of the Social Security Administration give hope and encouragement to all those who strive to improve the lives of blind people.

The next item was a panel presentation titled "Diversified Tasks: The Blind in the Workplace." Panel participants were Richard Realmuto, a high school technology teacher; Kathy Kannenberg, a middle and high school mathematics teacher; Dr. Michael Gosse, an electrical engineer; and Alan Downing, a high- performance engine builder. All four explained something of how they do their jobs and discussed the role of the Federation in helping them accomplish their goals.

The final speaker of the afternoon was Congressman Jim Ramstad of Minnesota, sponsor of the pending legislation that would include people with severe disabilities in the Small Business Act. His title was "The Americans with Disabilities Business Development Act: What Is It, What Does It Mean for the Blind?" Mr. Ramstad urged delegates to encourage their Members of Congress to co-sponsor his bill, H.R. 794, and insist that hearings on it be held soon.

"The banquet of the 1993 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind is now in order." With these words Dr. Jernigan signaled the opening of the banquet festivities on Thursday evening, July 8. A serious effort was made this year to shorten the banquet agenda, and despite the exuberance of the audience, it was successful. Cheering, singing, Division- sponsored drawings, and wonderful prizes were all present in abundance. But the program moved along, fueled by excitement and enthusiasm. The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) presented its first ever Golden Keys Award to honor an individual who has made a notable contribution to promote the use of Braille. This award was presented to Mr. Deane Blazie for his production of the Braille 'n Speak. A full description of this award ceremony appears elsewhere in this issue.

Peggy Pinder, Chairman of the NFB Scholarship Committee, presented the twenty-six scholarships to this year's winners. Jennifer Lehman, a junior at the University of Minnesota, was the winner of the American Action Fund Scholarship in the amount of $10,000. A full report of the scholarship award ceremony appears elsewhere in this issue.

As always, however, the high point of the banquet and of the entire convention was President Maurer's banquet address, the title of which was "The Continuity of Leadership: Twin Requirements." The response of the crowd demonstrated again that the organized blind are prepared to do whatever is necessary to define our own destiny and win freedom for ourselves and one another. Here are the final words of that address:

"It is of utmost significance to respond with decision and determination in times of crisis. We, the organized blind, must be prepared to take concerted action whenever our collective effort can solve the immediate problems we face. However, of even greater importance is the need to stimulate an atmosphere of understanding--of acceptance of the blind on terms of equality. This must occur all over the nation--in our homes, our immediate neighborhoods, and our broader communities. The leadership that inspires this attitude must be a part of our thoughts and actions every day.

"If we collectively and individually do not meet the challenge of leadership which is now before us, the odd-ball notions and crazy ideas about us will continue to impede our progress and stifle our growth. Furthermore, there is nobody that can do it for us--we must meet the challenge ourselves. Let the sighted march with us, and increasingly they do. Let the governmental and private agencies join the effort, and ever growing numbers are doing so. But in the final analysis others cannot shape the future for us. We must make our own tomorrow. We know what our problems are, and we know how to deal with them. We know how to find the means and how to focus the effort. We cannot fail or turn back. The stakes are too high and the prize too great. In the spirit of Dr. Perry, who was the precursor; of Dr. tenBroek, who was the founder and pioneer; and Dr. Jernigan, who has been the organizer and builder--yes, and also in the spirit of those who will look back to test our actions and judgment, we of this generation must and will do what is needed to bring the blind closer to full membership in society. We will respond to crisis as we must, but we will also be creative and plan ahead. In the certainty of our strength to do what must be done and our belief in each other and ourselves, we face the future with confidence and joy. We are the organized blind. We are the National Federation of the Blind. My brothers and my sisters, we will make it come true!"

The 1993 banquet address is reprinted elsewhere in this issue.

[PHOTO: Friends dance at the Hoe-Down. CAPTION: The Colorado Hoe-Down didn't begin until the banquet ended Thursday evening, but Federationists were still going strong.]

Following the excitement of the banquet most people streamed into the Colorado Hoe-Down, jointly sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado and the Colorado Center for the Blind. The warmth of Western hospitality and the exuberance of Western dance music were the order of the day, or should one say the late evening and early morning hours?

Yet at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning the crowd was back in the ballroom again, this time for the final day's program. Dr. Jernigan, who chairs the Finance Committee, presented the financial report, and James Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs, gave the Washington report. In addition, Euclid Herie, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and Treasurer of the World Blind Union; Geraldine Braak, President of the Canadian Council of the Blind; and Mr. Pecharat Techavachara, President of both the Thai Blind Union and the Foundation for the Employment Promotion of the Blind in Thailand and Chairman of the Lighthouse for the Blind in Thailand, addressed the convention briefly. Dr. Herie reported on the actions of the World Blind Union and the role of the North America/Caribbean Region. Mrs. Braak drew parallels between the Canadian Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind.

[PHOTO: Mrs. Jernigan holds a bouquet of 4 roses made from 5 $5 bills. CAPTION: One of the more unusual door prizes this year was a rose constructed of $5 bills. In fact, several of these horticultural wonders were given away to lucky Federationists. Mrs. Jernigan is pictured here holding a bouquet of very valuable flowers.]

Mr. Techavachara, who was the first blind student in Thailand to be educated alongside sighted students and has earned a degree in economics from the Wharton School in Philadelphia, told delegates of the struggle of the blind of his country to win the right for blind people to participate in deciding the direction of the programs that control their lives. Because of his success in business--he manages two family-owned enterprises- -Mr. Techavachara has been able to achieve some victories for blind people, and he and his blind colleagues are determined to continue their fight for self-determination. Dr. Jernigan concluded this discussion of the blind in the world by saying: "You can see from these reports that a lot is going on concerning the blind around the world, and we as an organization have been active, doing what we can to try to promote the well-being and best interests of blind people in other countries."

The final agenda item of the morning was a brief report from Aundrea Moore, who works for the Attorney General of Texas to see that materials concerning child support issues are available in alternative media for those who need them. In describing how she got her job, Ms. Moore pointed out that people who are entitled to child support and who are also receiving SSDI should remember that child support payments are not to be counted as income in determining SSDI eligibility. Such payments may count against SSI recipients, but even so, medical assistance may be available. People who believe that they are not getting the child support or SSA benefits they are entitled to would be well-advised to contact the Federation for assistance.

The afternoon session was devoted primarily to the consideration of resolutions. Final reports of several week-long campaigns were also made. Perhaps the funniest moment of the session occurred shortly after Shelley Alongi of California, who was attending her first national convention, won a door prize which consisted in part of a box of Armadillo Droppings. Boxes of this Texas confection had figured prominently in the door prize activity all week long, and there had been a good bit of playful discussion from the platform about the propriety of opening one of the boxes to see what on earth Armadillo Droppings actually were. Shelley Alongi came to a mike to tell President Maurer that she would be pleased to offer him an Armadillo Dropping since it would be one way for her to meet him. Much to the delight of the convention, she brought the box to the platform, and President Maurer then described with great precision what the candy looked and tasted like.

The entire encounter livened up the proceedings and delighted everyone, except perhaps those who never did get a taste of Texas Armadillo Droppings.

The final report on Pre-authorized Check Plan contributions showed exciting increases during this convention. When the convention began, 1,322 Federationists were members of the PAC Plan. The PAC Committee set a goal of 1,400 members by adjournment Friday afternoon. The actual final figure was 1,432, with 110 new members, 23 of whom were from one state, California. The amount being contributed annually on PAC at the beginning of the week was $307,068, and by the close of the convention the Committee's goal of $325,000 had been left in the dust. The annualized contribution at adjournment Friday was $328,888. The week-long campaign to raise at least $40,000 in new contributions to the Deferred Investment Giving Program resulted in gifts and pledges of $43,661 by Friday afternoon.

A few moments before the final gavel of the 1993 convention sounded, Dr. Jernigan sought the floor to remark how pleased he was about the convention and what it had accomplished. To judge from the applause that followed his farewell as he left the hall to conduct last-minute business, the audience clearly agreed with him.

At the very close of the convention an event occurred that demonstrated with high good humor both the fundamental democracy of the NFB and its deep affection for its leaders. It happened like this: Diane McGeorge, door prize chairwoman, drew Dr. Jernigan's name for a prize several minutes after he had left the room. The audience was noisily and delightedly divided on the question of whether he was ineligible to receive it because he was out of the room or should be given it because he has given so much to the organized blind movement and, after all, he was conducting Federation business. Finally, a mock-serious vote was taken and, as a result, Diane drew again.

[PHOTO: Baby in stroller with hands on print/Braille book. CAPTION: Miranja Silvert attended her first convention this year. Though she was only eight months old when this picture was taken, she had already begun to learn the value of Braille. Here she is enjoying a Twin Vision-- book.]

[PHOTO: Hazel tenBroek and Joe DeBeer seated in convention audience. CAPTION: Joe DeBeer of Minnesota, at 91, was the oldest Federationist at this year's convention. He and Mrs. tenBroek visit together here as they have at conventions since the 1940's.]

With high spirits and higher hopes for the future, laughter and determination to change present hopes into future reality, members of the National Federation of the Blind said good-by to Dallas and set forth on the year-long journey to Detroit, Michigan, and the 1994 National Convention. With enthusiastic invitations from the Michigan affiliate to come to the Motor City and "Bring a friend" ringing in their ears, Federationists packed up and returned home. The challenges facing us in the coming year will be significant and the obstacles formidable as always, but the movement of blind Americans toward first-class status and full participation in society is unstoppable. Now we shift our sights to July 2 to 9, 1994, the dates of next year's Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Meantime it's business as usual for the organized blind movement, changing what it means to be blind.

[PHOTO: Mr. Maurer standing at podium microphone. CAPTION: President Marc Maurer delivers his annual report to the 1993 convention of the National Federation of the Blind.]

PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
DALLAS, TEXAS
JULY 6, 1993

During the past twelve months the National Federation of the Blind has experienced substantial progress. Our extensive programs have expanded, and our activities have diversified. As we gather for this convention, our feelings are harmonious and enthusiastic. This by no means suggests that we are passive. There is a restless, throbbing energy throughout the Federation. That driving force is focused, and we are finding solutions to our problems.

Increasingly the National Federation of the Blind is recognized by governmental agencies, nonprofit institutions, and commercial companies as the most knowledgeable organization in the nation regarding blindness. The Golden Corral Restaurant chain provides activity books to the children who come to dine. One of these books contains a story about a blind child named April, who travels in time. April is depicted using a cane and reading Braille. We were asked to review the story and offer comments. Included in this Golden Corral Restaurant publication is a message from the Federation, which says: --For more information about blindness, contact the National Federation of the Blind.-- This booklet is scheduled to appear in September. Our message will be included in each copy distributed--all two million of them.

Our interaction with Golden Corral Restaurants is indicative of a growing phenomenon. Ever more frequently the National Federation of the Blind is consulted when the subject of blindness is being considered. When one of the readers of --Dear Abby-- wrote to inquire about blindness and newspapers for the blind, --Dear Abby-- called us. When the Washington Post needed background information about the capabilities of blind people, it called the National Federation of the Blind. When editors at the Simon and Schuster publishing company were seeking information about Braille literacy, they called us. When planners at the Senate Printing Office wanted to know the best way to produce Braille, they visited the National Center for the Blind.

The National Federation of the Blind was instrumental in making the 1993 presidential inauguration accessible to the blind. Several of the documents prepared by the inaugural committee were Brailled by the National Federation of the Blind for distribution to blind participants in the inauguration ceremonies. The inauguration was carried on television nationwide. The visual portions of the broadcast were described for blind people in the television audience through the Descriptive Video Service. One of the major sponsors of this descriptive video broadcast, prepared by WGBH television of Boston, was the National Federation of the Blind.

On November 16, 1990, on the fiftieth birthday of our movement, we established the National Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. Because of the scope of activity in this Center, it has been renamed the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. This facility houses the most extensive collection of technological devices for the blind anywhere in the United States--or, for that matter, the world. We are committed to including among the devices in the Center at least one of every piece of useful hardware that can be obtained (along with all of the useful software packages) capable of producing information in speech, in refreshable Braille, or in hard copy Braille. Although this Center is less than three years old, it has already outgrown its original quarters, a spacious demonstration hall twenty-six feet wide and one hundred twenty feet long with accompanying offices and classrooms. Nothing like it exists (or has ever existed) anywhere in the world.

Available to be examined in the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind today are twenty-five kinds of speech synthesizers; five kinds of stand-alone reading machines; nine kinds of computer-based reading systems; eight kinds of refreshable Braille displays; two kinds of Braille laptop computers; seven kinds of portable electronic note takers; twenty kinds of Braille embossers; nine kinds of Braille translation software; twenty kinds of screen review programs; five kinds of printers for creating Braille and print on the same page; numerous pieces of miscellaneous software, such as scientific calculators, banking programs, speech-based reference materials, database managing systems, and other computer programs; miscellaneous hardware, such as graphics devices; a talking cash register; and the computers needed to make all of this work.

The second floor of the Johnson Street wing in the main building at the National Center for the Blind is presently being remodeled to house the ever-expanding International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. In addition to extensive demonstration space there will be eleven new offices, meeting facilities, a museum, and a kitchen. The International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind will, in these new quarters, be more than two and a half times as large as it is today.

One aspect of the Technology Center is our computer bulletin board, NFB NET. This service makes available by telephone, to people with a computer and computer modem, information about blindness, services for the blind, the organized blind movement, computer technology of interest to the blind, computer programs, and suggestions that will improve information availability to the blind. In addition, this service provides a communications system where topics of interest to the blind can be researched and discussed. There have been 9,215 calls to the bulletin board within the past twelve months. There have been 1,924 files sent to the board by phone, and over 6,000 transmissions of information from our service.

The International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind is valuable because it brings opportunities to blind people who would not otherwise have them. But this is only part of the reason for its existence. The cooperation among agencies doing work with the blind, organizations involved in the blindness system, and blind consumers is stimulated and enhanced through meetings that are planned to discuss technological applications and related matters. In 1991 the National Federation of the Blind sponsored and hosted the first U.S./Canada Conference on Technology for the Blind. This conference brought together for the first time the decision-makers of all of the major manufacturers and distributors of technology, organizations working with the blind, and organizations of the blind in the United States and Canada. We are now planning to sponsor and host the second U.S./Canada Conference on Technology for the Blind. Again, it will be convened at the National Center for the Blind. The specific results coming from these conferences are far more than the improvement and dissemination of technology. They also encompass a new spirit of harmony and cooperation among all of those involved in blindness and work with the blind on the North American continent.

Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, President Emeritus of the National Federation of the Blind, serves as President of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. His leadership has created greater unity of purpose and a clearer focus regarding the common problems of those involved in work with the blind than there has ever been in the past. Last fall Dr. Jernigan led the North America/Caribbean delegation to the third quadrennial convention of the World Blind Union, held in Cairo, Egypt. In addition to Dr. and Mrs. Jernigan, Federationists who attended included Don and Betty Capps; Patricia Miller; my wife, Patricia Maurer; and me.

Before reaching Cairo, Dr. and Mrs. Jernigan visited programs for the blind in Athens, Greece; Amman, Jordan; and Istanbul, Turkey. While in Istanbul, Dr. Jernigan was invited to an audience with the then Turkish President Turgut Ozal. For almost an hour, Dr. Jernigan and the members of the Turkish Federation of the Blind discussed with President Ozal matters dealing with blindness in Turkey and throughout the world.

The participation of the National Federation of the Blind in the World Blind Union has not only given those of us in the United States perspective about what we are doing in this country, but it has also produced a spirit of cooperation in the blindness field throughout this region of the world which would have been unimaginable even as recently as a decade ago. The Committee on Joint Organizational Effort (JOE) has grown out of the international meetings which were initiated through the World Blind Union. In the spring of 1993, the members of the JOE committee met at the National Center for the Blind, in Baltimore. For the first time in affairs dealing with blindness there was general agreement among the agencies and organizations present to cooperate to seek major changes in programs for the blind. These changes are expanded availability of Social Security Disability Insurance for the blind and a much broader scope of education for blind children in the reading and writing of Braille.

To the extent that we can, we are providing encouragement and assistance to the blind not only of this country but also throughout the world. Literature and materials about blindness are being distributed to: Angola, Antigua, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Guinea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Tobago, Trinidad, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.

Early last fall two members of the Turkish Federation of the Blind, Lokman Ayva and Selahattin Aydin, visited the National Center for the Blind for several weeks of intensive training in the techniques of blindness and the use of computer technology. When blind people from other nations are seeking to expand opportunities for the blind and to encourage independence by blind people within their borders, we feel a natural kinship with them. When working together, the friendships we form are lasting and deep. Dr. Jernigan's visit with the President of Turkey, accompanied by members of the Turkish Federation of the Blind, is one instance of our continuing relationship, but this is not all. Mr. Lokman Ayva graduated with a bachelor's degree in management this spring. He applied immediately to take the Turkish national scholarship examination for study in other nations and paid the required fee. Scholarships are awarded based upon performance in this examination. One of the questions on the application asked if he was disabled. Lokman Ayva replied that he is blind. Eight days before the examination was to occur, the Turkish department of education denied him the opportunity to take it on the grounds of blindness. But Mr. Ayva did not give up. He protested to the department of education and the newspapers. He also contacted his friends in the National Federation of the Blind of the United States. At Mr. Ayva's request, we sent letters of protest about the denial to the department of education in Turkey and to the principal newspaper. Three days before the examination was to be given, the Turkish department of education changed its mind. The administrator of the department complained to the press that the denial of opportunity for Mr. Ayva to take the examination had received more attention in the papers than the news about the presidency of Turkey. Lokman Ayva competed with the others who are seeking scholarships to study management outside the borders of Turkey. Blindness has not prevented him from further education even though the attitudes of administrators in the department of education might have. Such is the measure of international cooperation between the National Federation of the Blind and like-minded individuals throughout the world.

We have also been involved during the past year with a number of legal cases. Jillian Brooks is a blind X-ray technician living in California. She was hired by Redding Radiology late in 1990. Although she had discussed the alternative techniques she would use to perform the daily functions of a radiologist, officials at Redding Radiology had not regarded her as a blind person until they saw her adaptive aids being used on the job. One week after she was employed, Jillian Brooks was fired on the grounds that she is blind and that no blind person can do the work of a radiologist.

Jillian Brooks was not only fired; she was told that if she complained, Redding Radiology would have her blacklisted--banned from the profession altogether. It is not a coincidence that Jillian Brooks turned for assistance to the National Federation of the Blind. She is president of her local chapter, and she is one of our leaders in California. A lawsuit was filed charging discrimination on the grounds of blindness. That case has now been settled. There is a price to be paid by those who discriminate against the blind. The payment to Jillian Brooks came to one hundred eighty thousand dollars. And there are those who wonder what value there is in becoming a member of the National Federation of the Blind.

In Alabama, we are facing a situation which is complex, unconscionable, and ugly. There is extensive systematic discrimination in the Alabama vending program. An investigation conducted by the Office for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education discovered that the average income in the vending program for white vendors is $6,000 greater than the income for black vendors. During the past three years, ninety-five percent of the new locations in the state have been awarded to white vendors. The locations received by black vendors produce the smallest amounts of money, and they are in high-risk areas. It was noted in the report that two of the vendors had been killed while they were operating their vending facilities. Both were black.

Although these findings are, to say the least, shocking, the agency for the blind in Alabama has shown virtually no interest in taking action to correct this pattern of discrimination. We have proposed to officials of the state agency that affirmative action programs be implemented to accelerate the advancement of the black vendors who have been systematically deprived of promotions in the program, that facilities in high-risk areas be closed and the operators transferred to safer and more lucrative locations, and that additional training be offered to black blind vendors to compensate for the past refusal to teach the basic skills required for business. When the Randolph-Sheppard Act was adopted, it created a vending program for blind vendors--all blind vendors, not just those of a particular class. Those who believe that it is all right to discriminate against one or another segment of the blind must learn that they will have to face the united force of the National Federation of the Blind. We are the blind, and we stand together. That is why we have the National Federation of the Blind.

Two years ago I reported to you that we were helping with a lawsuit on behalf of Larry Reynolds. The case involved his right as a blind father to have his daughter visit him without sighted supervision. Now, the case has come to an end. The blatantly discriminatory requirement that a sighted supervisor be with him twenty-four hours a day is no more. A father and his daughter have been reunited without artificial barriers and discriminatory conditions. It happened because of the National Federation of the Blind.

Maureen Symes is a student who has earned an --A-- average at Linfield College in Oregon. Last year she applied to travel to Mexico for an extended period to study art. Students were accepted for the trip based upon academic standing and their responses to questions in a personal interview. Although Maureen Symes received high scores in the interview (and she does have that --A-- average), she was denied the opportunity to take the trip because of her blindness. Then, she learned of the National Federation of the Blind, and she asked for help. When we informed the president of the college that there had been violations of both state and federal law, the college changed its ruling. It is worthwhile to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Maureen Symes can tell you the reason why.

Henrietta Brewer is a child-care provider in Michigan. Last fall she applied to be director of an after-school day care program operated by the public school. However, the state of Michigan denied her the necessary license. The reason is the same old tired piece of make-believe that is almost always trotted out--safety. Knowing that Henrietta Brewer was thoroughly capable, the local school offered to hire her anyway without state approval, but officials from the certifying agency threatened to close the child-care program. Henrietta Brewer called upon the National Federation of the Blind. With our help a complaint has been filed under the Americans With Disabilities Act. There is no reason why Henrietta Brewer cannot perform child-care duties. She knows it; those in the school district know it; the blind know it; and state certifying officials are about to learn it.

Janet Roberts had been an exemplary employee at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene, Oregon, for seven years when she became blind. Although the hospital employs 2,500 people in dozens of different work assignments, Janet Roberts was informed that she would be terminated because of her blindness. There was no talk of reasonable accommodation, no discussion of retraining, no consideration of the alternative techniques that Janet Roberts could use to perform the essential functions of the job that she had managed with an outstanding record for seven years. Janet Roberts was blind; that, according to the hospital, was enough.

With the help of the National Federation of the Blind, Janet Roberts commenced legal action. Just before Christmas of 1992, the hospital offered Janet Roberts a new job, and she was paid a sizable cash settlement. Although the settlement agreement prohibits disclosure of the dollar amount, I strongly suspect that Janet Roberts is now able to consider the purchase of a new home. A job, a home, and no more discrimination--this is what comes of being a member of the National Federation of the Blind.

Connie Leblond serves as President of the National Federation of the Blind of Maine. Several years ago she applied for a job as a telephone answering machine operator at Sentinel Service of Portland, Maine. Sentinel had advertised that the job paid $5 an hour, that no experience was necessary, and that on-the-job training would be provided. Nevertheless, when Connie Leblond appeared for an interview, she was summarily dismissed without being given the chance to demonstrate her ability to do the work. Sentinel personnel said that the operator of the telephone answering machine must be able to read and that blind people are not able to do that. Despite her protests, Connie Leblond was peremptorily rejected. Using the combined know-how of the Federation at the national and state levels, we brought legal action against Sentinel. A trial occurred, and the decision has now been reached. Although the order of the court has been appealed to the Supreme Court of Maine, the decision is clear and unequivocal, and I suspect that it will not be overturned. Sentinel has been ordered to cease and desist its discriminatory policy, to pay $1,000 in civil damages to Connie Leblond, to reimburse us for the attorney fees expended in the case, and to issue a check for back wages to Connie Leblond amounting to $20,700. This is one more reason for the National Federation of the Blind.

The National Federation of the Blind has been active in protecting the rights of blind vendors. In 1987, the Maryland state licensing agency was taking seventeen percent of vendors' net income in set-aside payments. These charges had not been approved by the federal government even though the Randolph-Sheppard Act requires it. Furthermore, the agency had proposed set-aside charges of over twenty percent. These practices are clearly contrary to the federal requirement that such charges be approved by the Department of Education, so with the support and encouragement of the National Federation of the Blind seventeen Maryland vendors decided that they would make no further payments until the Maryland agency came into compliance with federal rules. The state agency responded with an ultimatum to the protesting vendors, saying that they must pay up or be expelled from the program in thirty days. The termination notices served as the basis for a complaint in the federal court.

The Maryland vendors' case lasted five years. In 1992, settlement papers were signed. No vendor was terminated for failing to pay set-aside, and the state agency may not retaliate against blind vendors for participating in the lawsuit. The extraordinary set-aside rates have been dropped to eight and a half percent and will be dropped to three percent by 1995. Every vendor's personal income will increase as a direct result of our efforts, and each vendor will also receive $2,000 per year for fringe benefits. The set-aside rate may not be increased by the state licensing agency before 2009. Vendors in Maryland would still be paying an exorbitant amount to the state agency if it had not been for the work of the National Federation of the Blind.

One of the ongoing activities of the Federation this year has been assistance to individuals with Social Security problems. Because the specialized rules regarding disability claims for the blind are different from those for other disability groups, mistakes sometimes occur. The Richard Realmuto case is a striking example. He became blind in December of 1989. He took a leave of absence from his industrial arts teaching job with the New York public school system and applied for Social Security Disability Insurance. After the five-month waiting period, he was awarded benefits, but three months later (in September of 1990) with assistance from the National Federation of the Blind, Richard Realmuto returned to his position as an industrial arts teacher. Indeed, the experiences of Richard Realmuto as a blind teacher of the sighted are illustrative. He will be making a presentation later during the convention.

Not long after his return to work, the Social Security Administration notified Richard Realmuto that he would be required to refund the entire amount paid to him from June of 1990. However, our examination of the case indicated that Richard Realmuto was entitled to every penny of the Social Security benefits that he had received--and then some. We proved it in a hearing. Rather than being required to repay almost $10,000 to the Social Security Administration, Richard Realmuto and his dependents received more than $12,000 of additional money. The outcome would undoubtedly have been the reverse if it had not been for our knowledge, our ability to do the research, our determined effort, and our capacity to apply the law to the facts. Richard Realmuto is bright, but he is not accustomed to the intricacies of federal regulation. When it comes to blindness and fighting for his rights, he is a relative newcomer. He needs the National Federation of the Blind, and of course, we need him, too. Working together we can solve the problems we face. This is why we have the National Federation of the Blind.

The National Federation of the Blind is among the most outspoken proponents of Braille. We produce and distribute more Braille each year than any other organization in the United States except the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Through our Parents of Blind Children Division, we conduct the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest to promote the learning of Braille for blind children. We have this year promoted the study of Braille by sighted students in the high school grades, and we have granted scholarships to attend this convention to three who have completed the National Library Service transcribing course. We have established and continue to expand the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. We have been working jointly with the American Printing House for the Blind to create teaching materials for courses of study in Braille. We have joined with the Creative Director of the nationally-syndicated cartoon --Pluggers-- to employ the blind character Zackaroo to promote Braille literacy. In this effort we have adopted the slogan --Braille is finger food for the mind.-- And we promote Braille literacy programs in schools and in libraries throughout the United States. As an example, early in August, I will be reading Braille to five-year-olds who are participating in the story hour program of the Baltimore County Public Library. Within the past year the Blind Person's Literacy Rights and Education Act (more commonly known as the Braille Bill), which we drafted, has been adopted in one form or another by the legislatures of five states. So far, eighteen states have Braille literacy laws on the books. Although there is a great deal of work yet to be done, literacy for the blind is today more of a reality than it has ever been. Reading is essential. We of the National Federation of the Blind know this in our minds and our hearts. We will never quit until every blind child has the chance to learn to read.

At our convention last year, we discussed at length a plan which had been proposed by a small group within the rehabilitation establishment to create a national commission on blindness. The purpose of this commission was ostensibly to conduct research and provide advice on the subject of blindness to Congressional leaders, to officials in the executive branch of government, and to all other interested persons. The real purpose behind the proposal was to take control of the rehabilitation establishment for the blind and to prevent blind consumers from having significant input into the decision-making process. This proposal was included as a part of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992. Although the bill to reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act was signed by the President last October, the national commission on blindness was no longer a part of it. We, the organized blind of this country, had voiced strong opposition to a commission that would interpret for us our needs and wants. Our voice was heard in the halls of Congress. We opposed the commission on blindness, and it was defeated.

I am pleased to report that included in the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 are provisions that those who are blind are presumed to be eligible for rehabilitation services and that blind clients have a right to choose among those who will provide those services.

During the past year we have initiated (in conjunction with others) three new programs. The Information Access Training Program, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, is devoted to training blind people in the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act regarding accessible information. The Work Incentive Training Program, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, is designed to provide information about the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income work incentive provisions to rehabilitation professionals and consumers. The Braille Literacy Training Program is a cooperative venture with the American Printing House for the Blind to develop improved Braille training systems and materials for blind adults. The in-depth experience of blind people throughout the nation is essential to all of these programs. There is no other organization that can provide the kind of experience and background that we can bring to the performance of these endeavors.

Hank Dekker is a blind sailor. We will be hearing from him later during the convention. Ten years ago he sailed alone from San Francisco to Hawaii. A second solo trans-Pacific voyage was completed three years later. This summer, on July 26, Hank Dekker plans to pilot a sailing sloop, the --NFB,-- from Baltimore harbor into the Atlantic. His destination is Plymouth, England. This event, named --To Sea with a Blind Sailor,-- will demonstrate the capacity of the blind and will focus attention on the fundamental reality that we who are blind have the same hopes, desires, abilities, and dreams possessed by everybody else--including the dream to sail alone on the high seas. As we have so often said, blindness cannot stop us, but misunderstanding may. This summer, we the National Federation of the Blind will be supporting the blind blue water sailor, Hank Dekker, in his voyage. We believe in the blind; we believe in our member Hank Dekker; we believe he will successfully complete the voyage; we believe in the National Federation of the Blind.

With the adoption of the Americans With Disabilities Act, many who hoped to make a bundle by restructuring the world for what they perceive to be the unfortunate blind began to create proposals to install raised warning surfaces for us all over the country. Bumpy handrails; knurled doorknobs; sandpapery strips at the tops and bottoms of staircases; specialized tiles with large rounded bumps on them called Braille tiles, pathfinder tiles, or the like; and even homes with rounded corners and easy-to-follow floor plans specifically designed for the blind. All of these have been promoted as essential architectural alterations mandated by the Americans With Disabilities Act. Such modifications are not required by the Act, and they do more harm than good. Changes to the environment should be welcomed when they help but rejected when they don't. Our focus in the Federation is not on modifying the world but on having the opportunity to live in it as it is.

Last fall Peggy Pinder, Second Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind, was appointed by the President of the United States to serve as a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the federal agency responsible for deciding what modifications are required to ensure that handicapped people have full access to newly-constructed or remodeled public buildings and facilities. Her service as a member of this board has already been effective. The Architectural Barriers Board has for the first time reviewed the standard for Braille which should be used in creating signs for the blind. Prior to this review (even as recently as six months ago) much of the Braille produced on signs was completely unreadable. In addition, the Architectural Barriers Board has rejected some of the harmful proposals which have been made such as the one to require the installation of tiles with raised surfaces. We believe that this board should adopt the policy that those architectural changes which clearly do some good will be considered for inclusion in federal regulations--and that those which do not won't. This spirit seems evident in recent decisions of the board.

Fred Schroeder is Executive Director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. He is one of the most knowledgeable individuals about Braille in this country. For several years he has served as the representative of the National Federation of the Blind on the board of the Braille Authority of North America. He has been an active proponent of a unified Braille code in the United States, and his influence in promoting Braille has been felt in other nations as well. In 1992, the International Council on English Braille was established to serve as a catalyst to bring uniformity in the printing of Braille to all English-speaking countries. Fred Schroeder was elected as its first President. In June, a few weeks prior to our convention here, Fred Schroeder presided at the conference of the International Council on English Braille in Sydney, Australia. While in that country, he appeared on the program of the National Federation of Blind Citizens of Australia. He also traveled to New Zealand to present the keynote speech at the Braille Conference of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind in Auckland. Although it is essential that we address problems in our own country, it is also beneficial to have interaction with those abroad.

We continue to publish and distribute the most extensive array of information about blindness produced in the United States. Our magazine, the Braille Monitor, provided in Braille, in print, on cassette, and on talking book record, is the most widely-read general information magazine in the field of work with the blind, having a circulation of more than 30,000 a month. Our publication the Voice of the Diabetic, with a circulation of over 60,000, is the most widely-distributed magazine about blindness in the nation. The magazine for parents and educators of blind children, Future Reflections, is being sent to over 10,000 individuals and institutions. And there are also the publications of state affiliates, other national divisions, and local chapters. In our studios at the National Center for the Blind, in addition to recording the Braille Monitor, Future Reflections, and the Voice of the Diabetic, we produce a number of other publications, including Job Opportunities for the Blind Bulletins, the American Bar Association Journal, Presidential Releases, recorded issues of our books, and a number of specialized publications and materials.

We are releasing at this convention two new books in the Kernel Book series: As the Twig is Bent and Making Hay. These general-interest publications about blindness capture the essence and spirit of our movement. We who are blind yearn for the opportunity to be independent and successful. These volumes bring inspiration and education to the homes of the general public. The response from those who have received our books shows that our approach to the subject of blindness is new, impressive, exciting, and convincing. We have now distributed more than two million of the Kernel Books, and more are coming.

Our public education program continues through our public service announcements. The capabilities of blind people have been broadcast this year on all of the major television and radio networks, and our service message has reached the homes of an estimated two hundred million people.

And then, there is the balloon. The name of the National Federation of the Blind may appear almost anywhere. Our flag and our banner were flown from a hot air balloon that participated in the 1992 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

There are now more than 200 types of aids and appliances being distributed from our Materials Center. We also distribute literature--now over 800 different items. Our reference book, What You Should Know About Blindness, Services for the Blind, and the Organized Blind Movement, has been sent to over 40,000 people this year, and a newly-published critical examination of the social status of the blind, entitled The Struggle of Blind People for Self-Determination by Professor C. Edwin Vaughan, has recently become available. The items that have been distributed this year from our Materials Center number about two million. Among them were 16,806 cane tips. I asked certain members of the Federation how long a cane tip lasts. The information I collected indicates that tips are good for at least thirty miles. At thirty miles a tip this is over half a million miles of cane travel. One thing is certain, Federationists get around.

This has been a year of accelerated growth for the Federation, but not all of our encounters have been positive. In 1992 David Robinson, a Federationist of long standing, was appointed as Administrator of the Ohio Client Assistance Program--the agency funded under the Rehabilitation Act to assist rehabilitation clients in gaining their rights. The Client Assistance Program is supposed to be an independent agency; the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act make this clear. Soon after his appointment, David Robinson learned that the Client Assistance Program in Ohio was being directed by the same administrators who were expected to provide rehabilitation services. This watchdog agency was (in violation of federal law) under the thumb of the people it was intended to watch. David Robinson complained about this condition and tried to get it changed. Within a few months, he had been relieved of his duties. Shortly before he was discharged, David Robinson was ordered to stop talking with Federation members--all Federation members--at least while he was at work.

We in the Federation have a right to be a part of this movement, and working for the state of Ohio cannot strip us of that right. It is guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States. In May of this year David Robinson and the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio filed suit. The case is not over; indeed, it is only beginning. But the principle that we will speak and act freely and independently, and work with each other to bring opportunities which have not previously been available to the blind is fundamental to us. We must and we will protect our right to be a part of the movement and to speak our minds. Such action is essential to maintain and achieve our freedom, and freedom of action we will have. In other words we intend to win the David Robinson case. This, too, is the meaning of the National Federation of the Blind.

As President of the National Federation of the Blind this year, I have encountered blind people matriculating in the schools; participating in civic affairs; working in offices, factories, and workshops; engaging in politics; creating art; writing books; planning international travel; sailing the seas; raising families; and enjoying leisure activities--in short, participating in every aspect of daily life. Although I am pleased to work with those outside our organization (public officials, representatives of agencies for the blind, members of the business community, and individuals from the academic world), my inspiration and my faith in the future come from you, the members of the National Federation of the Blind.

As I come to this convention, I know that the problems in the weeks, the months, and the years ahead will be great, but I also know--I am absolutely certain--that we as a people will do what we need to do. We will muster the resources; we will find the strength; we will have the dedication to meet the challenge. We in the Federation have made a commitment and a solemn promise. We will believe in each other and in ourselves; we will care for our blind brothers and sisters; and we will support our organization. Our movement is a sacred trust. We cannot do less than give it the energy, the resilience, and the spirit that is ours. This is the promise of our movement--this is the reality of the National Federation of the Blind. And this is my report for 1993.

[PHOTO: Dr. Jernigan standing at podium microphone. CAPTION: Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, President Emeritus, discusses the nature of independence with convention delegates at the Tuesday afternoon general session.]

THE NATURE OF INDEPENDENCE

An Address Delivered By
Kenneth Jernigan
At the Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind
Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, July 6, 1993

Shortly after last year's convention, I received a number of letters from students at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. It was clear that the letters were written as the result of discussions held at the Center and that, although the apparent topic was independent mobility, the real issue was independence in general, and how blind persons should live and behave. I want to share those letters with you, then tell you how I answered them, and finally say a few things about what I think independence really is. The letters are all dated July 23, 1992. Here is a composite of them:

Dear Dr. Jernigan:

I am a sophomore in high school. Right now, I am in a teenage program that the Louisiana Center for the Blind is sponsoring. It is the STEP program. That means Summer Training and Employment Project. We are allowed to get jobs and make money as well as have classes.

A few weeks ago I attended the national convention. I really enjoyed all your speeches and everything. People noticed that you and Mr. Maurer walked sighted guide sometimes, [I interrupt to call your attention to the almost code-word use of the term "sighted guide." Not "walking with a sighted guide" or "walking with a sighted person" or "holding the arm of a sighted person," but "walking sighted guide." This makes it clear that the concept of "sighted guide" has been the topic of considerable conversation. But back to the letter.] and we thought you all would never walk sighted guide, because you all are so highly involved in the NFB. I never thought sighted guide was OK until then. So why did you all use sighted guide? I know there are many reasons why this might be. We discussed this in one of our talk times and came up with one reason this might be. We know that you all have to be at meetings all the time, and it would be faster if you would use sighted guide. [I interrupt again to call your attention to the use in the following sentences of the depersonalized "it." Now, back to the letter.] I am sure you don't use it so much that you lose your cane travel skills. I am not trying to say this is wrong. I was just wondering why you do this. Someone brought up that if we, as the people being trained at the moment, were caught using sighted guide, they would fuss at us. And I realize that you are not the one in training, so it is not wrong. We couldn't use sighted guide, because we might want to use it more than the cane if we use too much of it.

Yours truly,
____________________

Dear Dr. Jernigan:

During this past convention in North Carolina some of us noticed that you did not walk with a cane. I do not understand this at all. I can understand that you have to be in many places in a short amount of time at the conventions, and that might be the reason you went sighted guide. But I also know that when you came for a tour of the Center, you also went sighted guide. We do not understand this.

We all have our own theories as to why you went sighted guide, but we want to get the correct answer straight from the horse's mouth.

Your fellow Federationist,
____________________

That's a very clear-cut letter, and I am pleased to be called that end of the horse. Here is the last one:

Dear Dr. Jernigan:

This year I came to Charlotte to attend my third national convention of the NFB. I am currently a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in the STEP program for blind teenagers. This program stresses cane use, Braille literacy, employment readiness, and self-confidence based on achievement. While at the convention I heard from a friend that you were never actually seen using your cane. I discussed this with a group of friends, and it was decided that you most likely had many places to go and had to get to them quickly. This made sense, and the question seemed settled. Then one of the group remembered you using sighted guide during a tour you took of the Center while passing through Ruston on the way to the Dallas convention in 1990. This was such a hectic situation, and the question was no longer settled because the only alternative travel technique anyone noticed you using was sighted guide.

I do not mean this letter to imply any disrespect towards you, the Federation, or its many achievements. If the Federation had not pushed so hard for independence for the blind, I would have no grounds on which to write this letter. It is because of my own personal convictions about independence that I ask why the figurehead of the NFB is not himself using the alternative techniques that his student, Joanne Wilson, has been teaching for nearly ten years in Ruston.

I would prefer to end the letter on a positive note. I realize that you are responsible for the training I am currently receiving, and I am grateful for it. I am not implying that you have no cane skills, because I do not honestly know.

Sincerely,
____________________

These are straightforward letters, seriously written. They raise fundamental questions, questions that deserve a reasoned answer. Here is the expanded substance of what I wrote:

Baltimore, Maryland
July 29, 1992

Under date of July 23, 1992, the three of you wrote to ask me why I didn't travel alone with a cane during the national convention in Charlotte and why on a visit to the Louisiana Center in 1990 I took a sighted person's arm instead of walking alone with a cane. I appreciate your letters and will tell you why I do what I do.

In the first place let us assume that I didn't have any cane travel skills at all. This might be comparable to the situation of a parent who had no education but dreamed of an education for his or her child. That parent might preach the value of education and might work to send the child to high school and then to college. The parent might, though personally uneducated, feel tremendous satisfaction at the learning and accomplishment which his or her effort had made possible. In such circumstances what attitude should the child have toward the parent? The child might be critical of the parent for his or her poor grammar and lack of education and might even be ashamed to associate with the parent--or the child might feel gratitude for the sacrifice and the work that had made the education possible.

This is not an apt analogy since I have perfectly good cane skills, but it has elements of truth about it. When I was a child, there were no orientation centers or mobility training. The only canes available were the short heavy wooden type, and we youngsters associated carrying a cane with begging, shuffling along, and being helpless.

It was not until I finished college and had taught for four years in Tennessee that I first carried a cane. It was made of wood and had a crook handle. I might also say that it was longer than most of those in vogue at the time, forty inches. I started using it in 1953, just before going to California to work at the newly established state orientation center for the blind. The Center had been in operation for only a few months and had enrolled only four or five students by the time of my arrival.

In those days the California Center was using 42- inch aluminum canes. They were a tremendous improvement over the 40-inch wooden cane I had been carrying, and I immediately adopted the new model. Even so, it seemed that something better was needed. I worked with the person who had been employed as the travel teacher, and we experimented with different techniques and canes.

In the mid-1950's the solid fiberglass cane was developed. It was first made by a blind man in Kansas, but we at the California center popularized it and brought it into general use. We also worked to improve the tip. Our students received intensive training, those with any sight using blindfolds (or, as we called them, sleep shades), and our students and graduates were identifiable in any group of blind persons because of their competence and ease in travel. Since they had enjoyed the benefit of our study and experimentation, as well as intensive instruction and the time to practice, many of them probably became better travelers than I--and I felt pride and satisfaction in the fact. We were advancing on the road to freedom and independence.

In 1958 I went to Iowa as director of the state commission for the blind, and I carried with me the experience and knowledge I had acquired in California plus a 48-inch fiberglass cane and a head full of new ideas and hopes for the future. I hired a young sighted man who had no experience at all with blindness and spent several days giving him preliminary instruction in mobility, using blind techniques. First I had him follow me all over Des Moines, watching me use the cane while crossing streets and going to various places. Then, he put on sleep shades, and I worked with him to learn basic skills. Next I sent him to California for three or four weeks to gain further experience and to compare what I had taught him with what the California Center was doing. Finally he came back to Des Moines, and I spent several more weeks working with him until (though sighted) he could (under blindfold) go anywhere he wanted safely and comfortably using a cane.

During all of that time I worked with him on attitudes, for unless one believes that he or she is capable of independence as a blind person, independence in travel (as in other areas) is not truly achievable. This travel instructor's name is Jim Witte, and he developed into one of the best I have ever known.

Iowa students rapidly became the envy of the nation. You could single them out in any group because of their bearing, their confidence, and their skill in travel. As had been the case in California, some of them undoubtedly traveled better than I, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment in the fact. Joanne Wilson (the director of your own Louisiana Center) was one of those students, and I am sure she has told you how it was at the Iowa Center--how students were treated, what was expected of them, the relationship between staff and students, our dreams for the future, and how we set about accomplishing those dreams. Arlene Hill (one of your teachers) was also an Iowa student. Both Joanne and Arlene are living examples of what we taught and how it worked. So are President Maurer, Mrs. Maurer, Peggy Pinder, Ramona Walhof, Jim Gashel, Jim Omvig, and at least fifty others in this audience.

It was in Iowa that we developed the hollow fiberglass cane. It was an improvement over the solid cane, lighter and more flexible. We also gradually began to use longer and longer canes. They enabled us to walk faster without diminishing either safety or grace. As I have already told you, I started with a 40- inch wooden cane. Then I went to 42-inch aluminum--and after that to solid fiberglass, then to hollow fiberglass, and (three or four years ago) to hollow carbon fiber. As to length, I went from 40 inches to 42, then to 45, 48, 49, 51, 53, 55, and 57. At present I use a 59-inch cane. It seems about right to me for my height and speed of travel. Will I ever use a still longer cane? I don't know--but at this stage I don't think so. Obviously there comes a time when a longer cane is a disadvantage instead of a help.

I've told you all of this so that you may understand something of my background and approach to independence in travel, and independence in general. The doctors who established the medical schools a hundred years ago were (with notable exceptions) not generally as competent and skilled as the doctors they trained, for they did not have the benefit of the kind of concentrated teaching they themselves were providing. Obviously they could not stand on their own shoulders. Through their students they extended their dreams into the future, building possibilities that they themselves had not known and could never hope to realize.

So it is with me in relation to you. You are the third generation of our mobility trainees, having the benefit of what I have learned and also of what Joanne and the other Iowa graduates have learned. Unless you make advances over what we have done, you will, in a very real sense, fail to keep faith with those who have gone before you and those who will follow. In this context I would expect and hope that some of you will become better travelers (and, perhaps, better philosophers and teachers) than I, and if you do, I will take joy in it.

Having said all of this, let me come back to my own travel skills. During the 1950's I traveled completely alone on a constant basis throughout this entire country, going to almost every state and dealing with almost every kind of environment--urban area, city bus, taxi, complicated street crossing, rural setting, hired private car, country road, and almost anything else you can imagine. During late December and early January of 1956 and 1957, for example, I traveled alone to fourteen states in eleven days, writing testimony for the NFB's Right to Organize bill. It was no big deal, and not something I thought about very much. It was simply a job that had to be done, and the travel was incidental and taken for granted. I have taught travel instructors and have developed new techniques and canes. I travel whenever and wherever I want to go in the most convenient way to get there--and sometimes that means alone, using a cane.

Once when I was in Iowa, students observed that I walked to a barber shop one day with another staff member, and they raised with me some of the same questions you have raised. That afternoon in our business class (you may call it by some other name-- philosophy or something else) I dealt with the matter. I told the students some of the things I have told you, and then I went on to say something like this:

"Although what I have told you should mean that even if I couldn't travel with much skill at all I might still not merit your criticism, we don't need to leave it at that. Follow me. We are going to take a walk through downtown traffic--and see that you keep up."

I took the lead, and we walked for eight or ten blocks at a fast clip. When we got back to the classroom, I didn't need to tell them what kind of travel skills I had. They knew.

Then, we talked about why I had walked to the barber shop with another staff member. In that particular instance I had matters to discuss, and I felt I couldn't afford the luxury of doing nothing while going for a hair cut. As a matter of fact, in those days I often made a practice of taking my secretary with me to the barber shop and dictating letters while getting my hair cut. Of course, I could have made a point of walking alone each time just to make a visible demonstration of my independence, but somehow I think that such insecurity might have made the opposite point and would certainly have been counterproductive.

In the Iowa days I was not only director of the state Commission for the Blind but also first vice president and then president of the National Federation of the Blind. Both were full-time jobs, requiring me to use to best advantage every waking minute.

I was up before 6:00 to go to the gym with the men students; I wrote over a hundred letters a week; I entertained legislators and other civic leaders an average of two or three nights a week to gain support for our program; I traveled throughout the state to make speeches; and I spent long hours working individually with students. Besides that, I handled the administrative details of the Commission and the NFB on a daily basis. At the same time I was doing organizing in other states and dealing with problems brought to me by Federationists throughout the country.

In that context it would have been a bad use of my time (and both Federationists and Iowa students and staff would have thought so) for me to spend much of my day walking down the street to make a visible show of my independent travel skills. I traveled alone when I needed to, and I gave demonstrations to students, legislators, and others when I needed to do that--but I never did either to convince myself or to establish in my own mind the fact of my capacity or independence. It didn't seem necessary.

So what about the NFB convention in Charlotte? I was in charge of convention organization and arrangements, and there were a thousand details to handle. There were four hotels and a convention center, each with its own staff and each requiring separate handling and a myriad of decisions. Sometimes I had not only one but two or three people with me as I went from place to place, talking about what had to be done and sending this person here and that person yonder.

Even so, I might (you may say) have refused to take the arm of one of the persons with me and used my cane to walk alone. But for what reason? When a blind person is walking through a crowd or down a street with somebody else and trying to carry on a meaningful conversation, it is easier to take the other person's arm. This is true even if you are the best traveler in the world and even if both of you are blind.

In fact, I contend that there are times when refusing to take an arm that is offered may constitute the very opposite of independence. If, for instance, you are a blind person accompanying a sighted person through a busy restaurant closely packed with tables and chairs, do you create a better image of independence by trying to get through the maze alone, with the sighted person going in front and constantly calling back, "This way! This way!" or by simply taking the sighted person's arm and going to the table? What is better about following a voice than following an arm? From what I have said, I presume it is clear which method I favor. Of course, if no arm is conveniently available, you should be prepared to use another method, regardless of how crowded the restaurant or how labyrinthine the path. In either case you should do it without losing your cool. But I'll tell you what alternative is not acceptable in such circumstance-- pretending that you don't want anything to eat and not going at all. That's not acceptable.

But back to the convention. When you are trying to get through crowds quickly to go from meeting to meeting, and possibly also trying to find different people in those crowds in a hurry, the efficiency of sighted assistance multiplies. Incidentally, even if I were sighted and doing the things I do at national conventions, I would want two or three persons with me--to look for people in crowds, to send for this and that, and to talk and advise with.

As an example, consider what happened at last year's convention with respect to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. He has normal eyesight and is in every other way, so far as I know, able-bodied and energetic. I am sure that he can drive a car and walk vigorously. Yet, he sent an assistant to Charlotte a day in advance of his arrival. The assistant scouted out the convention and then went to the airport to meet the Secretary. The assistant drove the car from the airport to the convention, accompanied the Secretary into the meeting hall, went with him to the platform, met him at the edge of the platform when he finished speaking, and drove him back to the airport. If the Secretary had been blind, I wonder if somebody would have said, "Just look! He's not independent. He has to have a sighted person with him at all times, accompanying him everywhere he goes and driving his car."

Since I am not a student trying to learn to travel independently or to establish within my own mind that I can compete on terms of equality with others, and since I can and do travel by myself when that is most convenient, I feel no particular obligation to make a demonstration when it is more efficient to do otherwise. If I were a student, I should and would behave differently. As an example, I think a student should always use a rigid (not a collapsible) cane. But I generally use one that is collapsible. Why? Students often are uncomfortable with canes, and if they are allowed to use those that fold or telescope, they may tend to hide or conceal them because they think (even if subconsciously) that it will make them look less conspicuous. I have carried a cane for so long that I would feel naked without it, and I always carry one whether I am with somebody or not. Because they were so rickety, I refused to carry a collapsible cane until we developed the telescoping carbon fiber model. I pull it to such