"^/fTU^^
THE
BRAILL
MONIT
Voice of the
National Federation of the Blind
JUNE - 1970
The National Federation of the BUnd is not an orgajiization speaking for the blind-it is the
blind speaking for themselves.
THE BRAILLE MONITOR
Published monthly in inkprint, braille, and on talking book discs
Distributed free to the blind by the National Federation of the Blind
President: Kenneth Jemigan, 524 Fourth Street, Dcs Moines, Iowa 50309
EDITOR: Perry Sundquist, 465 1 Mead Avenue Sacramento, California 95822
Associate Editor: Hazel tenBroek, 2652 Shasta Road, Berkeley, California 94708
News items should be sent to the Editor
Address changes should be sent to 2652 Shasta Road, Berkeley, California 94708
*****
If you or a friend wish to remember the National Federation of the Blind in your will, you
can do so by employing the following language:
"I give, devise, and bequeath unto NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND,
a District of Columbia non-profit corporation, the sum of $ ^(or,
" percent of my net estate", or "the following stocks and bonds: ") to
be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons and to be held and
administered by direction of its Executive Committee."
If your wishes are more complex, you may have your attorney communicate with the
Berkeley Office for other suggested forms
*****
Printed at 2652 Shasta Road, Berkeley, California 94708
MONITOR
JUNE 1970
TABLE OF CONTENTS
"BLIND POWER"--DIALOGUE AT A DISTANCE
by Kenneth Jemigan 650
NFB SPONSORED BILLS PENDING BEFORE THE 91st CONGRESS
AS OF MARCH 1, 1970
by John Nagle 657
ARE MEDICAL CARE PROGRAMS COSTING TOO MUCH-AND WHY? 659
BUTTE GETS NEW MUSIC TEACHER
by Marcia Lee 660
COURT RULES NEEDS OF BLIND MUST BE MET
by Judy Carlos 662
REVOLUTIONIZING NOTIONS ABOUT BLINDNESS
by Bill Nelson 663
QUOTES FROM MY AFRICAN LETTERS-GHANA
by Dr. Isabelle L. D. Grant 667
MEET OUR STATE AFFILIATE-MASSACHUSETTS 669
TWIN VISION HONORED AGAIN
by Haig Keropian 671
A YEAR OF PROGRESS IN IDAHO 673
THE BLIND READ ORDINARY PRINT
by J Campbell Bruce 679
A SIGNIFICANT SUPREME COURT DECISION 680
CANOEING BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN BLIND PERSONS
by Ralph Liglitfoot 683
BEGINNING A TRANSCRIBING GROUP
by Florence Grannis 684
MONITOR MINIATURES 704
Digitized by tine Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
http://www.archive.org/details/braillemonitorju1970nati
"BLIND POWER'-DIALOGUE AT A DISTANCE
by
Kenneth Jemigan
Recently Mike Ewart of Maryland
sent me an article from "The Village
Voice," an underground newspaper
published in Greenwich Village, New
York. Not only did I find the article
interesting but I wondered whether these
people were part of our movement and
what they were really doing to improve
the condition of the bhnd.
Rallying of the Blinks
in a (Short-) Sighted City
by
F. Joseph Spieler
A rainy day can be a drag for the
blind, for the sound of tapping umbrellas
is the sound of tapping canes.
"Hey, someone's coming," called Pat
Logan, as a rapping sound came down the
stairs of the elevated subway at 90th
Street and Elmhurst Avenue in Queens.
"No, it's just an umbrella."
"Dam," she said, and continued her
wait with others for more blind people
whom she would escort to her home for a
meeting of the Blind Power Movement.
A movement of mainly high school
and college students, it wants to stimulate
and serve-at first-the youth of a bhnd
population that numbers 40,000 in the
city. Somewhat to the left in individual
persuasion, though non-partisan in its
goals, it sees itself in confrontation with
the stereotype of the bhnd as sub-human
or super-human ("Oh, look at that blind
man, how sad and empty his life must
be"~"I know this blind girl, it's fantastic,
she plays the piano and 12-string guitar,
and she's only 16!"), with an industrial
society that assumes it has less use for the
bhnd than did Homer's Greece, and with
New York's state and private service
organizations, which, after standing pat on
their pioneering efforts years ago, have
become top-heavy and self-serving
bureaucracies that bind the blind to a
system that rewards conformity and
punishes dissent, but whose greater evil is
to effectively segregate its clients from
sighted society.
Walking from the subway to the
apartment that 20-year-old Pat, a student
at New York University, shares with her
mother, seven blinks ("that's our own
sub-culture word for ourselves") talked
about President Nixon, the Moratorium,
drugs, rock records, and various goings-on
at the institutions for the blind. Jerry, a
black high school student, talked with a
sighted (their word for you) about being
bhnd.
"Maybe I was kind of up tight with
you before, but you have to understand
that sighted people have so many
preconceptions about us that it can get to
be a pain in the ." In addition to
being blind, we're supposed to be
emotionally disturbed, too loud, picky,
helpless. It always messes them up to find
that we're like them, that we're involved
in the same things they are, have the same
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bags and hangups-except that we have no
vision."
The last is important, for the lack of
vision in the blind does not imply the
inability to "see." Pierre Villey, a blind
psychologist, once wrote: "Sight is
long-distance touch, with the sensation of
color added. Touch is near sight, minus
the sensation of color, and with the sense
of rugosity added. The two senses give us
knowledge of the same order."
Soon gathered in Pat's room-any
young woman's room, with the addition
of two tape recorders, a television set ("I
like to watch Johnny Carson"), and other
sound equipment-were sixteen persons
involved in pre-meeting pleasantries. After
a few minutes, Lynne, a diminutive
seventeen-year-old high-schooler, began
axing private conversation by calling it
"irrelevant," and the movement's third
meeting began.
Fitfully chaired by Jerry, the
gathering sifted legitimate from personal
grievances, split into contentious factions,
and then unified itself and put a series of
goals on Braille.
The agencies for the bhnd received
the heaviest specific criticism. These
institutions, of which the largest in this
city are the Jewish Guild for the Bhnd,
The Industrial Home for the Bhnd, and
the Lighthouse (the New York Association
for the Blind), provide, in part, mobihty
lessons (how to travel), evaluation
programs for students. Braille, typing,
sensory training, manual dexterity
instruction, home economics, and reader
services. Some run "sheltered
workshops"-where blind workers make
simple handicrafts for varying rates of pay.
Some receive money from state
agencies-mainly the Rehabilitation and
Counsehng Service-for mobility lessons
and evaluation testing.
The meeting was unanimous in its
anger over what it felt is the arbitrariness
shown by the agencies in their dealings
with chents (the agencies' word), their
closed mouthedness about information
(Wesley D. Sprague, executive director of
the Lighthouse, when asked recently how
many bUnd workers were employed by his
agency, replied with a long and windy
discourse on the meaninglessness of
statistics), and the narrowness of their job
training programs (the Lighthouse, for
example, will train people, regardless of
talent, for only three jobs-piano tuning,
transcription typing, and newstand
vending).
The young people made a special
point of teUing a visitor how they felt
about being talked down to, and being
"tested, tested, and re-tested." They said
that the agencies' subtle, invidious message
was tiiat the social and vocational freedom
of the blind was severely limited and that
they were not to forget how dependent
they were on agency support.
"Of course," said Jerry, "they'll deny
everything and call us paranoid when we
say that."
In fact, a sighted executive near the
top of one agency's hierarchy came close
to labeling the movement's sentiments in
just that fashion. -"Sure, they think
they're being given a raw deal," he said,
"but they're just youngsters. Why I
remember I rebelled as a kid myself, and
in a way it's good for them."
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Yet a recent study of the blind, "The
Making of Blind Men" by Robert A, Scott,
discussions with sympathetic professional
workers in the agencies, and a talk witli
William Underwood, an educational
specialist for the American Foundation for
tlie Blind, a national consultative agency
that carries Helen Keller's legacy, indicate
that Jerry and others in the
movement-who, like many blind clients
and agency workers, are fearful that full
identification will lose them their services
and jobs-are neither paranoid nor juvenile.
independently is severely diminished.
Because "the workers have a virtual
monopoly on the rewards and
punishments in the system," he continues,
the client ends up by conforming to tlie
worker's conception of what a blind
person should be.
Underwood agrees. "To get the
services of the blind agencies, the blind
individual must confonn to the system,
and let's face it, blind kids entering high
school and college need their services."
Scott's work, published this year by
the Russell Sage Foundation, says that
self-conceptions of the blind contrast
sliarply with those held by workers for the
blind, who regard blindness as "one of the
most severe of all handicaps,"
"Socialization" of the agency's client, a
process that Scott describes as learning
"the disability of blindness (as a) social
role," depends on "changing his views
about his problem. In order to do this, the
client's views about the problem of
blindness must be discredited." The client
"is listened to attentively and
sympathetically. However, when concrete
plans ai'e formulated, the client learns that
his personal views are largely ignored." A
blind person who simply asks for help
with reading can wind up facing a battery
of psychological tests. If he asks for
medical aid, he may be asked to involve
himself in a long, complex series of tests,
training classes, and re-tests.
Blind persons acceptable to the
agency, Scott says, "will often find that
the intake worker listens attentively to
their views but then dismisses them as
superficial or inaccurate." The result of
such treatment, Scott says, is that the
client's ability to act and think
One woman who holds a responsible
position at the Lightliouse, afraid that the
use of even her first name would lead to
her detection and firing, confirmed Scott's
description in detail. "The thing I
absolutely can't stand is the way they
pretend to like bhnd people~the hypocrisy
is sad, it's sickening." She recalled an
incident in which some blinks, after
meeting at the Lighthouse with a
psychologist, asked the doctor out for a
drink at a nearby bar. Some staff people
heard about it and, horrified at the
possibilities, rounded up the imbibers into
cabs and sent them home.
But beyond the textbook
understanding and occasional good
intentions of agency staff lies the fact that
a small, intelligent, energetic, and growing
Bhnd Power Movement has entered what
social scientists anesthetizingly refer to as
"the revolution of rising expectations."
The foremost of their goals is "the
education of the public to break down
stereotypes about the blind, with
particular emphasis on the consideration
of individual intelligence and talent by
educators, employers, and blind agencies.
Second is "increased and diversified
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job placement, with research into new
areas where bUnd people can find
challenging and stimulating work."
(Perhaps nothing gives the young blind the
sense of paternalistic manipulation as
much as the agencies' vocational training
classes, such as those run by the
Lighthouse.)
The Blind Power Movement makes
several other demands:
-A large increase in the number of
bhnd staff workers in tlie agencies. (The
movement members and their staff
sympathizers speak of agencies' systematic
placing in middle-management jobs of
blind Uncle Tom workers who dead-end
any innovative and experimental impulses
among the chents. One revealing figure is
that only one blind person sits on the
Lighthouse's thirty-eight-man board of
directors. Imagine all but one of the board
of directors of the NAACP in 1969 being
white.)
--"Expansion of self-help programs
tied to pubhc schooling to eliminate the
need for special schools for the bhnd,
which tend to reinforce the segregation of
the blind."
-The creation of "instruction groups
in which blind instructors would teach
parents how to provide their blind
offspring with more mobUity-and hence
independence~at an earlier age."
-Tutoring in such special areas as
science and math so they may achieve
competitive status with sighted students.
The movement is not heady. As well
as taking on the agencies-which in the
pubhc image have halos around their
offices-there is the problem of what
Richard Adcock, a seventeen-year-old who
attends Grover Cleveland High, calls the
"unorganized blind"-those frightened of
losing their agency's services if they join
the movement, those who are unaware of
the movement (pubhcity and meetings
pose special problems for the blind), and
those who feel they can do it on their
own
Joseph Ciccone is one who would
like to do it alone. Though he earned a B.
A. degree in economics from City College
in 1967, he has, at twenty-five, been
trained as a piano tuner. He has also
taught himself electronics, holds a
general-class ham license, and is
attempting to start a business as a
free-lance recording technician, using his
own impressive equipment. "It's not easy,
you always have to fight against the same
thing-'a blind recording technician?' "
Though his own experience with blind
agencies would have enabled him to write
much of Scott's criticism, Ciccone feels
that energy on behalf of the blind should
be directed at prying open the job market.
Unable to get a job in his academic field,
he qualified himself for work as a radio
announcer and studio technician-but not
one station in this city's progressive media
consented to offer him even a tryout. "It
was always 'we can't hire blind people' or
'we'll put you on our hst and get back to
you before not too long,' but they never
did."
He wishes the movement well but is
pessimistic "Numbers," he says, "that's
the whole thing about organizing the
bhnd-the numbers aren't there."
But the movement doesn't think so.
Its activists say the meetings-which are
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open to sighted people-are drawing a
growing membership, and that they are
earning sympatliy and tacit support from
progressive agency workers. "What we
need now," said Pat Logan, "is publicity,
pubhcity, pubHcity."
After reading this article I wrote to
Bill Dwyer, President of our New York
affiliate, The Empire State Association of
the Blind, and to Sam Wolff, President of
the Triboro Chapter of the Empire State
Association of the Blind:
Aprils, 1970
Mr. WiOiam Dwyer
94 Third Avenue
Rensselaer, New York 12144
Almost immediately I received a
response from Sam Wolff, who said in
part:
"This is in response to yours of April
3rd regarding the blind power movement;
I have just gotten off the telephone with
the party I believe is their leader. She is
intelligent, young, and one of the people
who I have placed two years ago; she
called to tell me of a job opening for
another blind person in the hospital where
she works. The young lady and her group
have little liking for "talk" or
organizations. It is unfortunate that their
opinion of the Triboro Chapter is one of
"all talk and no action," and this group
feels similarly to the ESAB Inc. and the
New York State Commission for the Blind
as well. The blind power movement is a
revolt against apathy and inactivity.
Dear Bill:
I am sending the enclosed article to
you and Sam Wolff to ask whether you
know anything about this "Blind Power"
group. If they are any good, we ought to
get hold of them and bring them into the
movement. Maybe they are in the
movement. If so, I have never heard of
them.
Sam, do you know these people? Can
you get in touch with them and see what
they are like?
Cordially,
"I happen to have good dialogue with
some of the people in the blind power
movement, but they want no part of
the . . . much talk and no
accomplishment."
I replied as follows:
April 13, 1970
Mr. Sam Wolff, President
Triboro Chapter of the ESAB
1 1 Park Place
New York, New York 10007
Dear Sam:
Kenneth Jemigan, President
National Federation of the Blind
If the members of the blind power
movement, as they call themselves, are
really interested in action, then they
should join the Triboro Chapter and,
thereby, the Empire State Association and
the NFB. Otherwise, regardless of their
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protestations, they will do more talking
than acting, or they will waste their effort
in an isolated, fragmentary demonstration,
which will end up by doing more hami
than good.
One of the most tiresome aspects of
the so called "power" movements
(whether black, blind, student, or
some tiling else) is their seeming arrogance,
apparently based on lack of historical
knowledge. As Roy Wilkins of the NAACP
put it, there were people working to
achieve civil rights (and with some
effectiveness) before 1954. Otherwise, the
first desegregation decisions of the
Supreme Court would not have occurred
in that year. These things did not happen
by accident.
Likewise, the difference between the
condition of tlie blind now and in 1940
when the National Federation of the Blind
came into being is profound. Such
rehabOitation as now exists (and it is
considerable); Aid payments and exempt
earnings; and the whole range of improved
public attitudes, can aU in substantial
measure, be traced to the "action" of the
organized blind movement, including the
"action" of the Empire State Association
of the Bhnd. Even so, many of the
agencies for the bhnd have made real
contributions, and some of them are
working as constructively and
progressively as could be hoped. While we
are on the subject, Robert Scott is not a
complete paragon of virtue but has some
of the grossest misconceptions I have ever
met. Things are just not as simple as the
"bhnd power" group would apparently
hke to have them. However that may be,
the real hope for the future of the bhnd
lies in tlie organized blind movement-the
National Federation of the Blind.
It is tnie that organizations often
flounder, that we ver>' often bicker, that
local chapters some times do not even
have enough talent among their
membersliip to carry on a meaningful or
worthwhile meeting. It is true that, despite
all of our efforts, more bhnd people are
unrehabilitated than employed and that
more of the unemployed are living on
starvation welfare checks than adequate
grants. It is true that most of the
comparatively few blind persons who have
been successful still think they are
superior to the rest of the bUnd and feel
that they made it on their own and that
they want to identify and associate with
the sighted-except, of course, when they
deign to do something "to be of help to
other blind persons since I don't really
need anything myself and there is nothing
the organization can do for me." In fact, if
all of these things were not true, we would
not have the pressing need which we have
to build and strengthen our organization.
The very fact that so many bhnd persons
are inactive and apparently more
interested in recreation and talking than in
pohtical action, that they submit to
custodialism with seeming gratitude, that
they want the emphasis to be on coffee
and cake (very often provided by
somebody else) at their local
meetings— this fact illustrates and
emphasizes the need.
All of the idealism, brains, courage,
objection to hypocrisy, and just plain guts
do not reside in that segment of the
population under thirty. No age group has
a corner on these virtues, and it
constitutes arrogance and hypocrisy to
delude oneself into believing that such is
the case. The so called "power"
movements often emphasize "rights" to
the exclusion of responsibility and, in
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1. i
childlike innocence, blandly ignore
long-range consequences, thus doing more
to damage than help the cause they
profess to support.
Yes, we need action and not just talk,
and the NFB is where tlie action is. If the
disabihty bill passes (with 180 million
dollars in the pockets of blind persons tlie
first year) it will be the organized blind
who bring it about-the sheltered
shopworkers, the welfare recipients, the
unemployed, the uneducated-the people
who, despite all odds, had the courage and
the sense to stick together and work for a
goal. If (and it will come) the chmate of
public opinion changes so that the average
blind person can be judged on his
individual merit, can be accepted for what
he is instead of being victimized by
prejudice and discrimination, it will be the
organized blind (with all their
shortcomings) who bring it about. It will
not be the individual "successful" blind
person, who thinks he is too good to
associate with the rest of us; it will not be
the agency for the blind; and it will not be
the small, snobbish, ehte groups, who
think they are too good to associate with
their intellectual inferiors, who think they
are above going to a routine chapter
meeting and helping to plan a Christmas
party or talk about the humdrum details
of here and now.
We need the members of this "blind
power" group in New York City, as we
need all blind persons in our
movement-the old and the young, the
stupid and the wise, the employed and the
unemployed, the rich and the poor; but
we need them with some humility. They
should realize that they (all of them) have
benefited tremendously by the efforts of
the organized bhnd movement, even if
they have never heard of it. The job
opportunites and the social climate are
better today than they were a generation
ago because of what has already been
done, and the blind of our day have some
responsibihty and obligation to make it
still better for themselves and the coming
generation. However, they also have the
obligation to be grateful for what they
have already received from those who have
been on the firing line before them.
I hope you will contact your friend
who is in the blind power movement and
read her this letter. She may not like it,
but perhaps it will cause her to do some
thinking. The NFB is on the move, and we
need all active bhnd persons of good will
to join in the battle. Tell her that if the
organization (whether at local, state, or
national level) is not what she would have
it be, she sliould join and make it better,
not simply gripe about it from the outside.
Cordially,
Kenneth Jemigan, President
National Federation of the Blind
KJ:kh
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NFB SPONSORED BILLS PENDING BEFORE THE 91st CONGRESS
AS OF MARCH 1, 1970
by
John Nagle
As of March 1, 1970, NFB sponsored
legislation stood as follows:
H. R. 3782, introduced in the House
of Representatives by Congressman James
A. Burke, Massachusetts, and S. 2518,
introduced in the United States Senate by
Senator Vance Hartke, Indiana, are
identical bills that would allow any person
who meets the legal definition of bUndness
and who has worked for a year and
one-half in Social Security-covered work,
to draw disability insurance payments so
long as he remains blind and regardless of
the amount of his earnings. Of the 435
members of the House of Representatives,
185 have introduced measures identical to
the Burke Disability Insurance to the
Blind Bill. Of the twent>'-five members of
tlie Ways and Means Committee, the
committee in the House of
Representatives which has jurisdiction
over Social Security amending bills, eleven
members (seven Democrats and four
Republicans) have introduced bUls
companion to H. R. 3782, and four other
Democrats on the committee have agreed
to support H. R. 3782 in committee. On
October 27, 1969, John Nagle, NFB
spokesman in Washington, presented
strong arguments in support of the
disability insurance for the blind bill in
pubhc hearings conducted by the House
Ways and Means Committee on Social
Security matters.
The Ways and Means Committee
reported out of committee a Social
Security-Welfare Bill early in March and is
expected shortly to consider other
possible changes in Social Security-based
programs, at which time. Congressman
Burke wiU endeavor to secure committee
approval of H. R. 3782.
When Senator Hartke introduced S.
25 18, the disability insurance for the blind
bill in the United States Senate, of the
other ninety-nine members, sixty-seven
joined as co-sponsors of the bill. Of the
seventeen members of the Finance
Committee, the Senate Committee with
jurisdiction over Social Security-amending
proposals, ten are listed as S. 2518
co-sponsors, six of the ten Democratic
members, four of the seven Repubhcan
members.
S. 1475, introduced in the United
States Senate by Senator Vance Hartke,
would make several much-needed and
long-striven for alterations in the
Federal-State programs of aid to the needy
bUnd. It would make pubhc assistance a
stimulant to independence not only in the
economic sense, but in the areas of daily
hving as well. Social services needed to
achieve this independence would be at the
request of the recipient and not forced
upon him as a present. It would require
tliat the needs of the individual due to his
bhndness or other disabhng causes, be
recognized and met in both the Aid Grant
and Medical Care.
S. 1475 would write into the statute
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that increases in the Federal share of
payments must be "passed-on" to
recipients, and it would abohsh the means
test. This Hartke-Federation Measure
would also remove the time limitation on
the retention of income and resources in
considering the grant of a blind person
who has an approved plan for
rehabilitation. Federal financial
participation in money payments would
be increased by a new matching formula:
raise the present basic grant of $31.00 of
the first $37.00 to $42.80 of the first
$50.00; raise the present matching ceiling
from $75.00 to $100.00 with the variable
grant formula detennining an additional
Federal share of 50% to 66% of the
difference between $50 and $100.
S. 1476, introduced in the U. S.
Senate by Vance Hartke, would
mandatorily exempt increases in Social
Security payments from consideration as
income in determining the amount of an
aid grant, and thus, would eliminate the
present practice of reducing an aid grant
by the amount of the raise in the Social
Security payment.
H. R. 2378, introduced in the House
of Representatives by Congressman Carl
Perkins, Kentucky, and S. 1477,
introduced in the U. S. Senate by Senator
Vance Hartke, identical bills, would
extend Medicare, presently available only
to Social Security-retired persons over the
age of sixty-five, so as to provide hospital
and medical care coverage for disabihty
insurance beneficiaries within the existing
Medicare system.
H. R. 9453, introduced in the House
of Representatives by Congressman James
M. O'Hara, Michigan, would amend the
National Labor Relations Act to recognize
and protect the rights of handicapped
persons employed in Sheltered Workshops
to organize and bargain collectively
through their chosen representatives with
shop management.
S. 2461, introduced in the U. S.
Senate by Senator Jennings Randolph,
West Virginia, joined by fifty-one
co-sponsoring senators, was developed by
representatives of all national
organizations and agencies in the blind
field, and it would:
Assign income from vending
machines exclusively to blind operators of
vending stands;
Broaden types of articles and services
that can be sold in vending stands;
Remove one-year residence
requirements from vending stand
programs ;
Require that there be suitable sites
for the location of vending stands on all
property occupied by Federal departments
and agencies;
Include an arbitration-type fair
hearing procedure to assure blind
operators of vending stands of impartial
adjudication of their complaints and
grievances;
Include an arbitration-type appeals
procedure for use when state-licensing
agencies are disatisfied with the results of
their dealings with Federal departments
and agencies;
Expand a definition of vending stand
to include vending machines, cafeterias,
snack-bars and cart service;
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Provide for a judicial review of
decisions affecting the vending stand
program.
^t'^^^^^^^^:lp^
ARE MEDICAL CARE PROGRAMS COSTING TOO MUCH-AND WHY?
As of the first of this year seven new
Medicaid programs-in Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey,
and North Carohna-began operating.
Medicaid programs aie now m operation in
forty-eight of the fifty States. Only Alaska
and Arizona do not participate. Last year
over ten million needy and low-income
persons received medical assistance under
Medicaid.
Federal law requires that all State
Medicaid programs include persons
receiving public assistance money
payments under federally supported
programs for the aged, the blind, the
disabled, and members of families with
dependent children. States may extend
eligibility to the "medically
needy"~persons otherwise quahfied for
aid under one of the four categories who,
although they are self-supporting, are
unable to pay for necessary medical care.
Of the seven new Medicaid States, only
North Carohna includes the medically
needy.
All Medicaid programs include the
following: inpatient hospital care;
outpatient hospital services; other
laboratory and x-ray services; skilled
nursing home services for individuals
twenty-one and older; early and periodic
screening, diagnosis, and treatment of
eligible individuals under twenty-one; and
physicians' services. Federal contributions
to States for medical assistance range from
fifty per cent (to the richest States) to
eighty-three per cent (to the State with
the lowest per capita income) of medical
care costs. The Medicaid program is
authorized by title XIX of the Social
Security Act.
Medicare, authorized by title XVIII
of the Social Security Act, consists of two
parts, and is available to all persons aged
sixty-five or older, and who are covered by
Social Security. Part A is hospital
insurance protection and no monthly
premium is paid by the insured. Part B
covers medical insurance providing for the
part payment of physicians' services, home
health visits, and a number of other
medical and health services prescribed by
the physician. The insured pays a monthly
premium for this coverage, which is
matched by the Federal Government.
These medical care programs
continue to be in deep trouble because of
the skyrocketing costs. The staff of the U.
S. Senate Finance Committee recently
completed an eighteen-month
investigation of the programs. The report
found the present formula for reimbursing
hospitals and nursing homes for
"reasonable" costs of treating patients
had, in practice, proved to be too
generous. As for doctors, the report said
their incomes have been "inflated" by the
programs.
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The study made several
recommendations, all tending to limit the
size of payments to doctors, hospitals, and
nursing homes. Under Medicaid the
patient pays nothing. Under Medicare, he
now pays $4 a month and the Federal
Government pays an additional $4. The
administration has, however, ordered the
fee paid by the insured under Medicare to
be increased to $5.30 effective July 1,
1970. The fact that costs under both
programs continue to soar has led Senator
Russell Long, Chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee, to predict that "some
of the staff suggestions undoubtedly will
become law."
As a result of the staff study, the
Nixon administration has proposed
ceilings on hospital and physician charges
under the Medicare and Medicaid
programs. John G. Veneman,
Under-Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare disclosed administration plans to
ask the Congress to replace the present
criteria of "reasonable cost" and
"reasonable charge" for government
reimbursement with either negotiated or
imposed ceilings.
reasonable charge criteria established in
the law have provided opportunity for
major cost-control efforts," Veneman said.
The Under-Secretary outlined the
cost-cutting proposals in testimony before
the Senate Finance Committee. Veneman
said the administration wants the new cost
Hmits for the hospital portion of both
Medicare and Medicaid and for physician
charges under Medicare but not Medicaid.
Veneman outUned three possible
methods for determining hospital cost
ceilings that would provide incentives for
efficiency. "With rates set in advance, a
provider would be challenged to stay
within the limits of the known
reimbursement to be received and the
provider would share in the savings that
come from economies that are achieved
through effective management," he said.
"I beheve also that the law should be
changed so as to limit further the rate at
which increases in physicans' fees would
be recognized by Medicare," Veneman
continued. He said the administration
supports a fee schedule that would
increase only in proportion to a general
index of cost of medical care.
"Neither the reasonable cost nor the
BUTTE GETS A NEW MUSIC TEACHER
by
Marcia Lee
[Reprinted from the Butte, Montana Standard.
"My problems will be no different
than those of any other new teacher." The
speaker was Dorothy Dunn, new music
teacher at the Emerson School.
Miss Dunn has been blind since birth
but has overcome her handicap to excel in
her field. She was graduated in music with
a high grade average from Montana State
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University last March. Miss Dunn, who
prefers to be called Dede, said, "I chose to
come to Butte because the people here are
so friendly. If people are friendly you can
do anything and I figured I would rather
be somewhere I know people will like
great love for music." The decision to
teach music came like this, "I feel I can do
things in it and I wanted to be a teacher
because I admired my own. I want to
affect lives of other students like my
teachers affected mine."
A native of Bozeman, Dede attended
the Montana School for the Deaf and
Blind in Great Falls. She also took courses
at the College of Great Falls for two years
and then went to MSU. Scholarships and
grants were numerous for Dede. The
Rehabilitation Services for the Visually
Handicapped paid for part of her
education and helped her get braille music
books. She is listed in "Who's Who in
American Colleges and Universities," and
received many advanced honor
scholarships for tuition. The Treble Cleff
Club in Livingston gave her two
scholarships. In addition to studying at
MSU, she joined a sorority, "So I could do
some social things." She was also choir
director at the MSU Newman Center.
Her love for music is apparent. She
said, "Voice is my main instmment and I
have given five vocal recitals. I love to sing
opera and German songs and good popular
things but they have to be worth singing. I
don't like trite music." As a music teacher
at Emerson School, she will have about
eighteen classes from grades three to six.
She noted, "I'm going to teach my kids
good music. That's one of my goals. They
have to know music of all kinds so they
can decide what they Hke."
Dede said she got her start in music
from her grandmother who used to sing
when she was small. "I've been singing
from the time I was two and that's how I
really got interested in it. I've always had a
Understandably some things for a
blind teacher will be a little different.
Dede said "I don't want things to be
distorted because I'm bUnd. One problem
I worry about is getting all the students'
names and voices sorted out." She added,
"This is a problem all teachers encounter
though." Miss Dunn's students will
identify themselves out loud instead of
raising their hands. She mentioned an
experience when she was student teaching
when the students raised their hands and
couldn't figure out why Dede didn't call
on them. She laughed, "Actually I'm
flattered when someone forgets I'm
blind."
Her teaching books are braille and
Dede said, "I'm going to memorize them
as much as I can because I can sing better
when I don't have to look at the music."
A braille writer, something Hke a
typewriter, is used by Miss Dunn for
classwork.
Dede was one of forty-two members
of the MSU Chorale who toured Europe
under the Institute of European Studies
last summer. They gave nine concerts. Her
memories of Europe are many and she
said, "We all had a great time and I think I
saw more of Europe than the other kids."
She explained, "One of my teachers
described everything to me in detail so I
really saw everything." Dede's friends and
teachers would ask museum officials if she
could touch art objects because she
couldn't see them, and they usually let
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her. She said, "I felt a foot of a sculpture
by Michaelangelo."
The Chorale toured Germany,
Austria, Italy and Belgium. They sang with
European choirs and Dede said, "There are
no barriers when we are all singing
together. Music does that for people."
Dede said, "Here in Butte the
attitude of the people is so good. In some
other places, people are uncomfortable
about the blind. Here we both feel very
comfortable." This girl of strong
convictions is quick to mention one thing.
"A bUnd person is just as capable as
another person and people should know
this."
COURT RULES NEEDS OF BLIND MUST BE MET
by
Judy Carlos
[Reprinted from the Las Vegas, Nevada Sun.]
"Must tlie bhnd beg in the streets to
live?"
A. William Villa, a Las Vegas blind
man, shouted that question from the
welfare offices to tlie state capitol for the
past two years.
Yesterday the Nevada Supreme Court
said, "No."
The result could cost the State
Welfare Division thousands if the decision
were applied across the board to blind
welfare recipients. The Court ruled that
the State Welfare Division must pay the
"actual need" of bhnd persons receiving
state aid. Their unanimous decision came
as a result not of Villa's begging but his
persistent and angry fight in the courts
and news media. Villa had been receiving
$198 a month. He claimed his actual need
was $219. State welfare officials had
countered for two and a half long years
with the argument that the law which read
"actual need," also implied that the state
was not obliged to pay if the money was
not available in the budget.
Yesterday Chief Justice Jon Collins,
writing the majority opinion for the
Court, said, "We hold that the Welfare
Division's definition of actual need is not
reasonable and the application of that
principle in denying Villa's request for an
increase in his allowance is arbitrary and
capricious." However, some confusion was
left behind-at least in the mind of State
Welfare Chief George Miller and Welfare
Board Chairman Keith MacDonald. Miller
said the ruling may mean they have to
make retroactive payments to Villa, but it
doesn't mean anything in connection with
current cases.
Villa's suit in District Court was filed
before the last Legislature erased the
words "actual need" from the statute.
MacDonald, however, said, "It probably
means a lot of trouble" for the Welfare
-662-
Division. "We don't have the money to
pay for actual needs as determined by the
Supreme Court," MacDonald said. "It's
against the law also to pay more than the
Legislature appropriated." Villa declared
the ruling a victory for all blind people in
the state. The Court said it did not feel
there was any question before it relative to
the loss of federal funds.
Some blind citizens are claiming
outside the courts that the state contracts
with the federal government for specified
monies per recipient and may have
violated its agreement when Miller's
division cut the allowances of some
recipients two years ago.
From the first cut Villa had declared
that the State Welfare Board was
"substituting its book of self-serving
regulations for the law." Taking his guide
dog, Kyle, the pugnacious Villa carried his
fight to the halls of the Legislature and
then claimed he was dealt a doublecross
by Senate Finance Committeemen who
told him they were preparing a bill to his
liking when they were not. "I didn't know
until I got home and a friend could read it
to me," he complained. "Then it was too
late," He came home to berate State
Welfare officials in person and on the air,
and to demand that he be allowed to
accompany other blind persons to local
hearings where their eligibihty and
allowances were to be adjudged.
Finally, represented by a friend,
Harly Claiborne, he filed suit. The District
Court turned him down. Claiborne took
the dispute to the Supreme Court but not
until after months of delay on the part of
the Attorney General's office. During that
inter\'ening period the state statute was
cleansed of the words "actual need."
The Supreme Court said yesterday
that the Welfare Division is obligated to
fix uniform state standards "according to
the reasonable actual needs of blind
recipients and pay them such sums insofar
as there are available funds." The Court
added, however, "We do not decide what
rights, if any, Villa may have against the
state sliould there be insufficient money
appropriated by the Legislature to meet
his actual needs for the entire fiscal year."
Welfare officials explained that after the
Legislature appropriates a certain amount
to the blind the division sets standards and
figures to regulate how the money shall be
apportioned
REVOLUTIONIZING NOTIONS ABOUT BLINDNESS
by
BiU Nelson
[Editor's Note: Reprinted by permission from the Christian Science Monitor. Copyright
1970 The Christian Science Pubhshing Society. All rights reserved.]
Kenneth Jemigan has always been
determined that lack of sight would not
min his hfe. As a young man, he opened a
furniture shop. He designed and assembled
-663-
tables, smokestands, lamps.
"I sawed and planed, drilled and
measured, fitted and sanded," he said. "I
did every single operation except the final
finish work-the staining and varnishing."
Later, as a psychological counselor
and instructor at the California
Orientation Center for the Adult Blind, he
discovered that the blind were varnishing
as a matter of routine. Soon he, too, had
learned.
The experience jarred him.
His early years were spent on a farm
in Tennessee's boondocks in the days
before TVA. The twentieth century had
not yet penetrated his homeland. There
was no nuining water; no indoor
plumbing; no electricity; no radio; no
auto. He rode to town in a buggy.
But the humble origin couldn't dim
this blind boy's brilliance. He chmbed to
the top of his class in training school.
Then came a big test-college-Tennessee
Polytechnical Institute. A blind student in
a sighted school seldom finds the going
easy.
"I did a lot of soul searching after
that," says Mr. Jemigan. "I considered
myself a progressive, but I had sold myself
short."
Ever since, Mr. Jemigan-now a
national figure in the rehabilitation of the
blind-often ponders the question of what
the blind still exclude from their lives that
is actually within grasp.
He reminds liis students, "It's not
'what can I do?' but 'how can I do it?' "
An irascible biology professor shook
his head when Mr. Jernigan tapped his way
into the classroom.
"It's ridiculous for a blind person to
take the course, but the dean made me let
you do it," he barked. "But I think you'll
fail."
"Just treat me hke anyone else," Mr.
Jernigan answered quietly. "Give me a
chance and don't prejudge me~that's all I
ask."
Mr. Jemigan leads a life full of
activity. He water skis. He plays a rousmg
game of hearts. He reads voraciously. He
writes articles. He barbecues. As a pubhc
speaker, he charms audiences. He hikes,
swims, and travels across the country
without assistance. And he cuts wood
("you'll never feel self-pity at the end of a
cross-cut saw,'' he tells trainees).
Blind since birth, Mr. Jernigan is a
dynamo around whom controversy has
long swirled. Who is this outspoken
activist who has made such a splash in the
training of the blind?
Four years later, he had an almost
unblemished string of A's. And he had
been a campus leader. In 1949 he earned
his master's degree at Peabody College in
Nashville and the American Foundation
for the Blind named him the nation's
outstanding blind student.
Nine years as an educator of the
blind in Tennessee and California shaped a
philosophy that would speed past what
other states or agencies dared or dreamed
of attempting. Negative thinking, Mr.
Jemigan noted, had held the bhnd in
bondage too long.
-664-
It was time for the pendulum to
swing the other way.
The sightless director designed the project
himself, using Braille blueprints.
Iowa in 1959 took a gamble and
hired this energetic blind man to lead the
blind. For Mr. Jemigan, the job called for
both a pay cut to $5,500 and the toughest
challenge of his life. What he found in
Iowa would have turned away a lesser
man.
The state placed last in vocational
rehabilitation of the bhnd. Only a handful
of its 6,000 bhnd could be classified as
rehabilitated (able to obtain and hold a
job).
Iowa's blind had no library' service of
their own. The Iowa Commission for the
Blind was housed in three dingy rooms.
Materials were stacked haphazardly.
Lighting was poor, paint peeling, plaster
cracking. Staff morale was at rock bottom.
An atmosphere of defeat and hopelessness
permeated the program.
Mr. Jernigan wasn't daunted. "The
situation is really in my favor," he
confided to friends. "There's no
bric-a-brac to clear away. We can build
afresh."
When Kenneth Jemigan took over
the Iowa Commission for the Blind in
1959 he was faced with an enormous task.
Facihties were lacking and morale was
low. He began by asking for more funds,
and offered to resign if he didn't produce
impressive results quickly.
The former YMCA-a seven-story
building in downtown Des Moines-was
bought. It was transformed into the Iowa
Orientation and Rehabilitation Center, tlie
heartbeat of the Commission's program.
Mr. Jernigan assembled a staff that
grew to more than sixty.
"This is a crusade," he told his aides.
They would be blazing trails througli the
thick underbrush of misconceptions.
A revolution was necessary, he said.
A revolution in society's beliefs about
blindness. Stereotypes would have to be
shattered~the image of helplessness,
incompetency, dependency; the image of
abnormality, equating lack of sight with
lack of sense; tlie image of the bhnd being
broken men and women, impaired,
imbalanced, imperfect.
Blindness, Mr. Jernigan declared, is a
nuisance, not a handicap. Certainly the
bUnd can't drive trucks or run for
touchdowns. But, with proper training,
the average bhnd man can perform as well
as the average sighted man in most jobs.
How?
By using alternative techniques.
Elementary schoolteacher Judy Young,
for instance, uses Braille teaching guides;
her class materials are translated by a
Jewish sisterhood, and she hires an
assistant to read schoolwork aloud so she
can make corrections.
By approaching situations with an "I
can figure out a way to do it" philosophy,
the bUnd can rise to the mainstream of
life, Mr. Jemigan says.
"They can become first-class citizens.
They can live in dignity. They can be
contributing members of society."
-665-
Such a credo has no place for
custodiaUsm, isolation, and sheltered
employment.
Colliding head-on with traditions, Mr.
Jernigan's bold philosophy met vigorous
criticism.
"You are misleading the blind as to
the severity and consequences of
blindness," critics declared.
Associations for the blind, some
educators, and even federal officals voiced
grave misgivings.
Theories can be challenged, Mr,
Jemigan conceded, but results speak for
themselves.
The rehabilitation program lasts six
to ten months and its cornerstone is
mobility.
Using a long, fiber-glass cane as an
antenna, trainees tap their way along
streets and through buildings. Arching the
four-and-a-half-foot cane a step and a half
ahead, they learn to move around
comfortably. Their ears and nose serve as
their eyes. The sounds and feel of the cane
provide mental pictures. So do the noises
of traffic and pedestrians, the smells of
stores, bakeries, and service stations, the
air currents coming around a comer.
It takes a lot of practice to develop
this ability-two hours daily and at least a
half-year training. But the results are
responses that make independent mobility
a reahty.
"The white cane is a symbol of
strength, not a sign of infirmity," one
foreign visitor observed.
The blind stroll around Iowa's capital
so easily that Mr. Jernigan's program has
come to be known as "The Miracle of Des
Moines." Walking skills, of course, can be
adapted to any comnnmity in wliich the
bhnd live.
One graduate of the center, vivacious
Jan Omvig, for example, travels alone to
New York City. She browses through
shops, takes in plays, goes on
tours-everything the average tourist would
do.
Trainees swim in the pool, hold
cookouts, ride horses and tandem bicycles,
lift weights, water ski, drive nails, fix leaky
faucets, sharpen their skills with Braille.
Women cut out patterns, sew clothes, and
bake cakes. Techniques of grooming,
dressing, and eating are practiced at
length. In shop courses, men learn to use
bandsaws, jointers, shapers, and milling
machines. None has special guards.
The center graduates fifty to seventy
adults a year. Directly into the
competitive world they go. The careers
they've forged impress even the skeptics.
Curtis Willoughby and Lloyd
Rasmussen are successful electrical
engineers. Jim Gashel teaches speech in
Pipestone, Minnesota. Richard Bevington,
Ted Hart, and Ray Benson work as
machinists. Kenneth Hopkins directs the
Idalio program for the bhnd, which is
modeled after Iowa's. Jim Omvig is an
attorney for the National Labor Relations
Board. Elwyn Hemken operates a farm.
The list goes on and on. Computer
programmers, tool and die makers,
secretaries, vending-stand operators,
masseurs, social workers, telephone
-666-
operators.
They're showing that tlie blind are
capable of independent, self-sustaining
lives. And the rehabilitations save the state
from $75,000 to $100,000 per individual
in relief costs over a lifetime.
Now in his second decade in Iowa,
Mr. Jemigan has risen to the presidency of
the National Federation of the Blind. His
ideas have had a profound effect
nationally. And Iowa's hbrary for the
bhnd has grown to be tlie largest in the
world.
In awarding Mr. Jernigan a
presidential citation in 1968, Harold
Russell, chairman of the President's
Committee of Employment of the
Handicapped, said:
"If a person must be blind, it is
better to be blind in Iowa than anywhere
else in the world. Iowa's rehabilitation
programs are unsurpassed anywhere-a
mark for the rest of tlae world to slioot
at."
QUOTES FROM MY AFRICAN LETTERS-GHANA
by
Dr. IsabeUe L. D. Grant
It was a long way to Ghana from
Morocco. Summer flights were off in
October so you went where the plane took
you. We came down at Agadir on the
shores of the Atlantic in the southwest
comer of Morocco, but not long enougli
for a trip into town. Then, of all things,
we were on our way to the Canary Islands!
Las Palmas was hot and heavy as we
chmbed innumerable steps to the top deck
of the airport to get a good look at the
Atlantic Ocean, the moon, and the deep,
deep blue sky. It was about midnight, the
hour when people's spirits wax romantic,
particularly in such a honeymoon-like
environment. To me, who had not
bargained nor paid for this 'extra', this was
gravy or groovie or both.
Then off to Dakar! One night there
and that was more than enough. Then
down at Gambia, down at Monrovia, down
at Ibajan on the Ivory Coast, and around
the bulge with Ghana our next stop. It was
exhausting and I was exhausted.
But Ghana came at last, and when
the plane dropped at Accra, I was where I
wanted to be. Nknima and his political
shananigans had interested me when I read
that Mr. Nkruma had done something for
Ghana; he had made Ghanaians out of a
motley group of tribal factions. I found
this to be true. Ghanaians were proud of
their new nation, proud of their
independence, and if there were
super-elaborate facades to buildings on the
main thoroughfares and in front of the
too-many palaces, there was a national
pride that was infectious, sustaining, and
elevating. The new road along the coast,
the Volta River bridges, and the cocoa
beans, enormous ten inch long cocoa
beans. Cocoa House, and all that-were
-667-
what the Ghanaians saw as their work,
their property, their future. TribaUsm was
giving way to nationalism, and the people
were actually conscious of this change and
were working for it. Such was the spirit of
Accra. I was with bhnd people in the
poorer quarters, with blind people in the
cities, in centers of so-called
"rehabiUtation", with fine blind women
doing their best to nm simple homes,
make baskets, look after their children,
clean the fish, or make coconut cakes, in
huts that could not possibly keep out the
rains, situated on alleys for streets, cut-up
by ruts from the deluges. In the cities it
was different, but the people were the
same; kindly, happy to talk with you
througli the interpreter, interested in the
education of their children, and asking
how they too could learn to read and
write so that they could be of help to their
siglited as well as their blind offspring.
How did I put it in my letter?
Ghana's Social Welfare Department is
genuinely interested in blind welfare, but
here again, the voice of the blind is not
heard. Granted that there are several
young bhnd workers in the Department,
there is stUl room for a revision of a point
of view.
The concept of a glorified custodial
care with sheltered centers needs to be
broken down and replaced with a genuine
attempt to integrate blind people, with
adequate training^ into the mainstream of
their own society. Blind persons in such
agencies are fine gestures, but to save their
own skins and their jobs, they can not
speak out. Occasionally one comes across
the independent thinker and speaker, but
he is in the minority, and one would even
advise him to think of his job, of his wife
and children, he low-in other words.
Organization of bhnd persons will come
when these young blind either through
legislation or other concerted action,
combine to enunciate their needs, demand
their rights as citizens, and speak with one
voice. The seeds of this concept are
already sown.
The education of blind children is
trailing behind the education of sighted
children. I feel that the existence of a
physically, geographically, and socially
segregated blind school at Acropong is
conducive to the social segregation of the
bhnd in Ghana. A few, very few, students
are in sighted schools at the upper grade
levels, but they were for the most part
discouraged, struggling to maintain
attendance, and drawing my attention to
the significant fact that there were no
blind students in the University at Accra. I
asked if there was one student quahfied to
enter the university with the requirements
set up for sighted students. There was not
one such, I learned. This was not the fault
of the university for I learned while there,
tliat there was a bhnd professor on the
faculty, from Columbia University in New
York.
Sheltered workshops which are set up
to include ALL types of handicapped
usually don't fill the bill of fare for bhnd
applicants. I found this the case in Ghana.
The percentage of blind persons in the
center, was miserably small in comparison
with the number of deaf and other
physically handicapped trainees.
Basket-making actually does not pay. A
man can not make a living, in basketry,
without government subsidy, otherwise
baskets would have to be priced at an
astronomical figure.
Likewise the Society for the Blmd,
-668-
another agency, active, well-meaning,
interested, needs to involve in its
leadership, the leadership inherent in its
own bhnd people. There ARE intelligent,
thinking, capable, blind persons in the
country, but they are not at the helm. Yet
there were blind girls working in the Lever
Brothers' Cosmetic Factory, and some
blind men in industry-a good beginning,
but sporadic. The country could use many
more workers in the cocoa bean culture, in
packing factories, in farming, in poultry
raising, and in food production if just a
modicum of training in the specific field
were available.
MEET OUR STATE AFFILIATE — MASSACHUSETTS
[Editor's Note: Usually installments in this series contain material regarding the President of
the affiliate being presented. However, in the case of Massachusetts, Miss Anita M. O'Shea
who is the President has been featured in previous issues of the Monitor. Suffice it to say
that Anita is a successful medical secretary and a dynamic leader of the Associated Blind of
Massachusetts.]
The Associated Blind of
Massachusetts was organized in 1940, the
same year as the Federation itself. For
eight years its membership was primarily
centered about the Boston area; but, in
1948, two more chapters were founded in
Worcester and Springfield. Two sateUite
groups, from the Springfield area, were
started in Holyoke and Westfield, about
1950-51; however, after ten years of
affiliation, and after raising enough money
to buy their Home for the Blind, the
Westfield chapter gave up its affiliation
with the ABM. The 1950's witnessed the
organizing of two other affiliates in
Brockton and Lawrence; and, in the last
decade from 1960 to the present time,
three more chapters were established in
Fall River, Watertown, and the
Greenfield-Athol area, bringing us to the
current total of nine affiliated chapters,
with one individual total membership of
about 500.
Past presidents of the Associated
Blind of Massachusetts include our
venerable patriarch, Charles W. Little of
Boston, who also served a term as
secretary' of the National Federation of
the Blind; Newton E. Ottone, founder of
the Springfield chapter and organizer of
four others, who became well-known in
WCW circles for his eminent success as a
fund-raiser in his home chapter district;
John F. Nagle, charter member of the
Springfield chapter, who has won the
respect, affection and gratitude of all
members of the Federation for liis
monumental efforts on behalf of the
NFB's legislative program in Washington;
Raoul Goguen of Worcester, the third
member of the Little-Ottone-Goguen
Triumvirate, who effectuated the change
from the Old Council structure of the
ABM to its present form in 1955 and who
still gives generously of his time and
devoted service to our Association; Manuel
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J. Rubin of Brockton, who was appointed
by Governor Volpe to the Advisory Board
of the Massachusetts Commission for the
Blind two years ago; Eugene E. Sibley of
Greenfield, the quiet-spoken and judicious
man who was our official delegate to the
NFB convention in South Carolina last
summer, and whose term expired only last
October; and Anita M. O'Shea, of
Springfield, fonner member of the
Federation's Executive Committee.
For the thirty years of its existence,
the Associated Blind of Massachusetts has
been compiling an impressive record of
achievement to the benefit of the bhnd of
our Commonwealth. In the early days, the
basic needs of our people were
guaranteed-increased grants, passage of a
White Cane Law, and the right of a bhnd
voter's free choice, in determining the
person to assist him in casting his ballot
was estabhshed in law. Partial property tax
exemptions were obtained later for home
owners, and excise tax abatements for
blind car owners. One of our more
spectacular legislative victories was scored
when the ABM spearheaded the battle to
have the Massachusetts Commission for
the Blind legally established as the State
governmental agency, administering all
services to the blind; and it was through
our efforts that, on three separate
occasions, John F. Mungovan, former
winner of the Federation's Newel Perry
Award, received gubernatorial
appointments, first as Director of the
Division of the Blind and now
Commissioner for the Blind.
To the best of my knowledge, our
organization was the first NFB affiliate to
negotiate and arrange regularly scheduled
haison meetings with a state agency,
administering programs for the bUnd. This
was accomplished in 1960; and they have
been carried on continually since that
time. The results of these meetings have
been truly impressive. They have produced
a rapport between the Commission and
the organized bUnd which allows complete
candor from both sides and inspires
confidence in each other's integrity and
rehabihty. The Commissioner and his staff
have answered our questions frankly,
sought our opinions on matters of policy,
and informed us about future plans. We do
not discuss specific cases; but we can and
do take up problems of individuals which
we then explore in general terms. A
remarkable feeUng of cooperation has
evolved in the past decade, as the
following examples illustrate: Whenever
tlie ABM wishes to contact bhnd people in
tlie Bay state who are unknown to us, we
send our letters and a check to cover the
cost of maihng to the Commission and it
sends them out for us. In this way, the
inflexible confidentiahty code which the
Commissioner enforces is not violated.
When the Commission anticipates a
problem with the legislature or an
executive authority in getting part of its
program approved, they solicit and receive
our help in convincing the powers-that-be
that the proposal sliould be accepted. This
type of collaboration has proven to be
mutually gratifying and advantageous.
At the present time, the ABM has
seven bills before the Massachusetts
General Court. They include the Model
White Cane Law, as well as measures to
increase the salaries of home teachers,
provide the same priority to blind vending
stand operators in state and county
buildings as is contained in the
Randolph-Sheppard Act, include the blind
in the existing anti-discrimination statute
now on the books, exempt blind trailer
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owners from paying a $6 monthly fee to
the Health Department, increase property
tax exemption for blind home owners, and
tie in automatic increases in AB grants,
commensurate with the cost of living rises
reported by the Consumer Price Index,
while providing a floor at the December
1969 level. The property tax exemption
bill is ready for the governor's signature at
the time of this writing; and the trailer
owner, vending stand and
anti-discrimination proposals have received
approval of the House Ways and Means
Committee. This constitutes a promising
start for our 1970 legislative program,
which we hope will culminate in total
success.
With respect to fund-raising, our
methods are diverse and almost as
numerous as our affiliated chapters. Six
out of nine groups conduct WCW drives,
using various approaches-mailing of
appeal letters, tag and candy sales; and the
others substitute concerts, cake sales and
raffle ticket sales and such to obtain their
incomes. One chapter conducted a flower
sale around Memorial Day to supplement
WCW receipts; and the sale of pens,
telephone pads and an antique car show
have proven to be lucrative projects in
some areas. But, no matter how each
group raises its money, it contributes $150
over and above its dues of $50 annually to
support our State organization. By
tradition, the ABM has not gone in for
fund-raising on a regular basis in the past;
but last year, a committee was appointed
to devise ways and means of doing this to
relieve our chapters of at least part of their
financial obligations toward the parent
organization. A benefit concert by George
Shearing was held last fall, which was an
artistic success, but a financial dud, in
spite of the diligent efforts of the
committee and its chairman, Mr. Domenic
J. Marinello of Dorchester. At the present
time, an augmented committee has been
handhng a state-wide sale of raffle tickets,
with $700 in prize money, with the intent
of wiping out the concert deficit. After
that, we shall try something else to put the
Association on its financial feet.
The members of the ABM are proud
of our organization and we derive great
satisfaction from our accomplishments;
however, we are keenly aware that there is
still much to be done before we attain our
goal of full security, equality and
opportunity for all the blind of
Massachusetts.
TWIN VISION HONORED AGAIN
by
Haig Keropiaji
[Reprinted from the Van Nuys (California) News.
Selfless service for the well being of
those who are facing life's problems and
frustrations in a world of darkness, as well
as those deprived of both sight and
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hearing, has earned San Fernando Valley's
Twin Vision group high tributes and
sincere words of gratitude.
And for the second consecutive year,
Twin Vision, through its noteworthy
efforts to brigliten the lives of the blind
and deaf-blind, has received a second
George Washington Honor Medal Award
from the Freedoms Foimdation at Valley
Forge.
The coveted award was presented at
the seventh annual awards banquet of
Twin Vision in the Queen's Arms
Restaurant-an observance which also
highlighted the presentation of Gold Book
Awards to Mrs. W. F. Lombard and W.
Paul Novack for "invaluable contributions
to the advancement of Twin Vision
programs."
The most heartwarming aspect of the
banquet was the absence of gloom and
commiseration. There was ample evidence
tliat valiant battles had been fought and
won via courage and determination.
There were deliglitful moments of
levity, humor and good natured heckUng
throughout the evening.
Impressive were the reports of Twin
Vision accomplishments-including the
design and publishing of Twin Vision
books which enable parents to share rich
reading experiences with their blind
youngsters and vice versa.
Equally significant was the disclosure
of plans and projections for expanding the
distribution of these and other important
Twin Vision publications-including the
"Hot Line" newsletter for the
deaf-bhnd-on a broader world-wide basis.
Volunteer editor of "Hot Line" is
Rockey Spicer, area public relations
director of the United States Steel
Corporation, and a past president of Los
Angeles Chapter of Sigma Delta Chi
Professional Journalistic Society.
This newsletter, which is issued twice
a month, was one of the determining
factors in the presentation of the George
Washington Honor Medal to Twin Vision.
Spicer had produced a special "Hot Line"
issue "Man on the Moon."
Another major factor for Twin
Vision receiving the coveted award for the
second consecutive year, was the
pubHcation in Braille of Volume 1 of
"Anthology of Great Documents."
These documents included Thomas
Jefferson's First Inauguration, the Monroe
Doctrine, Lincoln's House Divided Speech,
the Emancipation Proclamation and the
Gettysburg Address.
The award was presented by Mrs.
Albert C. Vieille, representative of the
Women's Division, Los Angeles County
Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at
Valley Forge.
It was accepted by Dr. Kenneth
Jernigan, blind president of the American
Brotherhood for the Blind.
The Golden Book Awards were
presented to Mrs. Lombard and Novack by
Jean Dyon Norris, director of Twin Vision
since the organization's inception in 1961.
Mrs. Norris made reference to Mrs.
Lombard's pioneering efforts-including
her generosity in making her home
available during the early days for the
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work of Twin Vision.
She also commended Mrs. Lombard's
continuing dedication as a volunteer
worker for the organization.
Novack's contributions to Twin
Vision, according to Mrs. Norris, included
the use of his printing press, which she
said "worked overtime" for the
production of Twin Vision pubHcations.
Mrs. Norris also called attention to
countless other contributions made by
Novack, whose wife is a hard working
leader of the Twin Vision Volunteer
Action Committee. She currently is public
relations chairman for the organization.
In reviewing the progress of tlie past
year, Mrs. Norris referred to the publishing
of 10,000 copies of Twin Vision's "Hot
Line" newsletter.
editor of The Braille Monitor, and widow
of the late president of the American
Brotherhood for the Blind.
Mrs. tenBroek reviewed some of the
humorous and serious incidents relating to
tlie organization and growth of Twin
Vision-including the efforts of Dr.
tenBroek.
Otlier participants in the program
included Anthony G. Mannino, executive
secretary of the American Brotherhood
for the Blind, and Donald W. Fogerson,
representative of the Woodland Hills Lions
Club, who served as master of ceremonies.
Among those present were Elizabeth
Noble, junior past president of the Pilot
Club of Van Nuys, and Mrs. Rockey
Spicer, assistant director of Twin Vision
and past president of the Twin Vision
Action Committee.
She also announced that larger
quantities of educational material were
distributed to blind students in many parts
of the world.
Also Mrs. Robert K. Neel, author and
illustrator and creator of Twin Vision
books. Mrs. Neel is a past recipient of the
Golden Book Award.
Another feature of the program was a
talk by Mrs. Jacobus tenBroek, associate
A YEAR OF PROGRESS IN IDAHO
[Editor's Note: The Idaho Commission for the Blind has recently released its Annual Report
for the period ending last June 30. So much sound philosophy and solid progress is reflected
in tlus Report that it is pubhshed here. While the Report naturally does not say so, it is true
that most of the credit for this year of progress is due to the Commission's young and able
Director, Kenneth N. Hopkins.]
Fiscal 1969 was the first full year of
operation of the Idalio Commission for
the Blind. This Fiscal Year has been the
beginning of a new era for the bhnd. The
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39th Legislature, recognizing the great
need in Idaho for a separate agency,
knowledgeable about the special needs and
particular problems faced only by the
blind, created the Commission to initiate
and expand a comprehensive program of
services to the bhnd in Idaho. Directly
responsive to the special needs of the
blind, the Commission has been able to
advance a program of meaningful and
effective services to more of Idaho's blind
than was ever before possible.
The growth and development of the
work of the Commission during this first
full year of operation is beginning to show
conclusively that dependence and
deprivation need no longer be the lot of
the blind in Idalio. Given proper training
and opportunity, the bhnd are definitely
capable of entering fully competitive
society-the road of independence and
self-support is now a practical and possible
choice.
REHABILITATION
Rehabilitation of the bhnd in Idaho
is the prime objective of the Commission
for the Blind. However, this objective
must be specifically defined for the word
rehabilitation encompasses many concepts
today. At the Idaho Commission for the
Blind, rehabilitation means that process
ending in the employment of a blind
person. It is vocational rehabihtation.
The two essential components of
rehabilitation are proper training and
opportunity; proper training to give the
blind person necessary skills and
self-confidence to carry on as a
competitive individual; and opportunity,
created by public education, to erase
erroneous ideas held by most employers.
These two essential components of
vocational rehabilitation are being carried
out by the Commission for the Blind,
making it possible to place blind persons
in normal, regular, competitive
employment.
Any discussion of the significance of
rehabilitation of blind persons must
include the savings to the taxpayer of
Idaho. A brief examination of statistics
will be sufficient to make the point
graphically. The entire state appropriation
and federal matching funds for the
Commission expenditures during Fiscal
1969 was approximately $175,000~not
merely for the rehabilitation function of
the Commission, but for each and every
program and activity.
The financial difference to society
when one bhnd person is rehabilitated is
surprisingly great. If, for instance, a blind
person begins to draw public assistance at
the age of 21 (and some begin sooner) and
continues to draw to age 65 (some
continue longer and some stop before) he
will receive a grant of $75.00 (according
to present averages and without
consideration of state medical care
expenses) each month for 12 months for
44 years or $39,600. If, on tlie other
hand, he is rehabilitated and becomes
self-supporting, he will pay at least $500
each year in taxes or $22,000 for the same
44-year period.
When this $22,000 is added to the
$39,600 not drawn in pubhc assistance,
the result is a savings to the taxpayer of
$61,600. This still does not tell the whole
story, for it fails to take into account the
value of the added productivity the
person's labor gives to the community. It
also fails to take into account the effect
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upon the children of seeing their parent
supporting the family instead of vegetating
at home. Finally, it fails to take into
account the individual himself,
maintaining his dignity and role as head of
the household.
Of course each rehabilitation is
unique. Some persons become bUnd after
age 21 and some lose tlieir jobs or die
before age 65. Some, as pointed out
previously, receive public assistance far
longer than 44 years. Like sighted people,
bUnd people do not have exactly the same
potential. Some achieve full self-support
and some only partial self-support.
It is not even necessary to use the
figure of 561,600 of saved tax money per
rehabilitant to make the point. If we cut
this figure by more than half, which is
ultra-conservative and unrealistically low,
the answer is still conclusive. Even if only
$30,000 is saved on the average for each
blind person rehabilitated, then less than
six rehabilitations per year would pay for
the entire operation of the Commission
for the Blind-not merely for the
rehabilitation function but for each and
every one of its programs and
activities-every phase of its work. The
Commission is now rehabilitating twice
this number.
The rehabilitation program of the
Idalio Commission for the Blind is
definitely proving that proper training and
opportunity lead to jobs. To illustrate this,
a young school teacher with a family to
support lost his sight in the beginnmg of
his school year. He was capable, bUnd but
untrained and beheved that his career as a
teacher was ended. However, he took a
leave of absence, came to Boise and
completed orientation and adjustment
training at the Commission for the Blind.
Weeks later he returned to his classroom,
again a capable and effective teacher.
From fear and dependence to
self-confidence and self-support in less
than a year-this is vocational
rehabilitation.
Another woman lost her sight four
years ago. She was forced to quit her job
as well as rely on her family to handle
routine household chores. With the
creation of tlie Commission for the Blind,
she began receiving orientation and
adjustment training-training in everything
from cane travel and braille to techniques
of baking a pie. Then she returned to
work-working hard in a normal, regular
life caring for her home and family as well
as again holding a competitive job. This,
too, is vocational rehabilitation.
These are not isolated instances.
There are others just like tliem who now
work at regular offices, factories, business
establishments and ranches throughout the
state. Placements in Fiscal 1969 were as
varied as the individuals. The types of
employment being held by these
rehabilitated blind persons run the range
of employment in the regular hfe of the
community. There was a masseur, a speech
pathologist, piano technician, employment
counselor, snack bar manager, ranch hand,
school teacher, assembly line worker,
small business supervisor and an office
worker.
The direction of the new program is
unmistakably clear. Of these twelve people
rehabihtated in Fiscal 1969, none was
placed in sheltered employment-all are in
regular competitive jobs, working
alongside their sighted fellows and with
average monthly earnings of over $400.
-675-
These people are self-supporting citizens,
assisting in the support of their
communities and state. Growing public
awareness of the Commission for the Blind
and services offered has been responsible
for a tremendous increase in the number
of persons requesting services. Program
direction points to an even greater number
of successfully rehabilitated blind persons
during the next fiscal year-toward more
jobs in competitive employment and
toward what more blind Idalioans ought
to achieve-full integration into society
with every blind person realizing the
maximum potential of his abilities and
talents.
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
Small business enterprises, or the
vending stand program, is a part of the
rehabilitation services of the Idaho
Commission for the Blind. Under this
program, assistance is given to blind
persons who wish to manage independent
businesses, particularly vending stands and
cafeterias-selling foodstuffs, tobacco
products, magazines, etc., and located on
Federal, State and other property.
During Fiscal 1969 the food service
in the Federal Building in St. Maries
opened for business. This small but highly
successful operation is managed by a
young man, bhnd from birth, who was a
graduate of the Commission's orientation
and adjustment program. He also
exempUfies the Commission's objectives of
the total integration of Idalio's blind into
the mainstream of society. Not only is he
a succesful businessman, but active in
community affairs-Vice President of the
Junior Chamber of Commerce in St.
Maries and a member of the Elks
Lodge-meeting his responsibilities as a
contributing member of his community.
At least three other vending stands are
being planned for the coming year. With
the hiring of the Small Business Enterprise
Supervisor, progress has really begun in
this heretofore neglected area.
HOME TEACHING
During Fiscal 1969 the home
teaching program continued to increase its
activities. By the end of the fiscal year
there were two Home Teachers. It is the
function of the Home Teacher to visit
bhnd persons in their homes for the
purpose of providing instmction in a
variety of skills and techniques. The Home
Teachers serve as Field Representatives for
the Commission, screening applicants and
giving preliminary instruction in the home.
Most often the Home Teacher works with
older blind persons who are beyond the
years of competitive employment or who
are homebound. This is a vital part of the
developing program of the Commission in
serving all of the blind of Idaho.
ORIENTATION AND ADJUSTMENT
The orientation and adjustment
program of the Commission for the Blind,
initiated in January of 1968, has been one
of the most outstanding items in the
general growth and development of the
Commission. The purpose of the program
is twofold: during the training a bhnd
person learns the skills necessary to
compete successfully in a predominantly
sighted world and the necessary attitudes
to overcome public misunderstanding and
discrimination. The classes taught are not
academic in nature. Regular courses
include travel, using the new long cane
method, braille reading and writing,
attitudes and techniques, personal
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grooming and home management. This
program is still in the beginning stages, as
lack of adequate facilities severely limits
the number of blind persons who can take
this training at one time. Although we
now have two full-time teachers, more are
needed to expand the courses offered.
Consequently, there is stUl a large backlog
of blind Idahoans who both need and
want this training. In spite of the
hmitations, students in the orientation and
adjustment program have become a
familiar siglit learning travel techniques
around the Capitol grounds-rainy weather
and fair, in snow or hot sun. Using the
new long cane technique, the blind
student is able to travel independently and
go anywhere he pleases without help-on
crowded sidewalks or across busy streets,
to a place of employment, to a store or
restaurant or to his own home. During
Fiscal 1969, eight students completed
orientation and adjustment training with
six others receiving training at the end of
the year. Some of the graduates of this
program went on to college or other
vocational training; some to on-the-job
training, some to fully competitive
employment in the business world and
some returned to the home as competent
housewives-but all finding the way to
successful lives as blind persons in a
predominantly sighted world.
SPECIAL SERVICES
Special services in the form of a
braille and taping program as well as the
provision of talking book machines,
special tools, aids and devices continued to
grow in the number of blind persons
receiving this service. In Idaho, the
Commission is responsible for the
distribution, cataloging and repair of
talking book machines. During the year
212 machines were distributed, 131 to
new readers, representing a 150% increase
over the last year.
At the present time library services
are being purchased from the Utah State
Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped in Salt Lake City. This
includes the distribution of talking books,
braille books and taped books on a loan
basis to over 600 bUnd Idaho readers.
However, while such library service
includes books for general pleasure and
vocational interest, text books are
constantly needed by Wind students
attending Idalio's colleges, universities and
technical schools. Also, blind persons
returning to or entering competitive
employment require books, manuals and
other materials in the reading form of
their choice to enable them to perform
their jobs competently. These include
special graphs and forms for an
audiologist, a personal copy of a Braille
Dictionary for a secretary, and copies of
student texts for the blind teacher or
siglited students. The Commission for the
Bhnd locates and purchases such materials
if available and when not, utilizes the
excellent services of sighted volunteers in
producing previously unavailable
materials, transcribing them onto tape,
into braille or onto the newest form, tape
cassette.
The Library' of Congress, Division of
Services for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, had just completed the
testing of the tape cassette program by the
end of Fiscal 1969 and was beginning
general production. The tape cassette is
lighter in weight, less expensive and easier
to handle than the other forms of reading
materials. They are expected to be a boon,
particularly to the college student and
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professional. It is anticipated that the tape
cassette machines will be available for
limited distribution by the Commission
during the next year.
Aids, tools and devices especially
designed for the blind or adapted for use
by the blind are provided by the
Commission to assist blind persons in
becoming more self-sufficient. The items
are provided free of charge, if necessary,
or at the Commission's cost. These special
aids, tools, and devices include everything
from white canes, braille watches and
specially adapted insulin syringes to
scientific instruments such as those used in
the detection of water levels, reading of
meters and differentiation of colors, some
of which must be especially manufactured
for a particular person. The Commission is
cataloging possible sources of needed
items and maintains a small inventory of
those more frequently used.
WORKING TOGETHER
The efforts of many groups and
individuals throughout Idalio has helped
make possible the tremendous growth and
progress of the Commission since its
inception in 1967. The Commission for
the Blind wishes to express its sincere
gratitude to all of those who have helped.
The Telephone Pioneers of America,
SkyUne Chapter (in Idaho) and other
telephone workers conduct a program of
talking book machine distribution, repair
and instmction in the use of the machines
to new blind borrowers. In Fiscal 1969 the
Pioneers repaired 78 machines. This does
not include the many converted from
two-speed to three-speed.
Lions Clubs in Idaho aid the
Commission for the Blind and serve in a
variety of ways. During tliis past year the
Lions formed the Idaho Lions Sight
Conservation Foundation, a statewide
program to aid in the prevention of
blindness and restoration of sight. This
program will be a valuable adjunct to the
services given the permanently blind by
the Lions and to the programs of the
Commission. Individually and through
local clubs. Lions supply much needed
training equipment, make referrals from
local communities and inform their own
areas about the service programs and
opportunities available from the
Commission. In many instances the local
Lions Club members have worked with
Commission representatives to secure jobs
for quaHfied blind workers.
The Gem State Blind, the statewide
organization of blind people and affiliate
of the National Federation of the Blind,
continues to work together with the
Commission and has given valuable
assistance and guidance in expanding and
developing the program of the
Commission for the Blind.
During Fiscal 1969 the Commission
worked closely with the Department of
Public Assistance and the Division of
Vocational RehabiHtation in the
Department of Education to bring about
an overall coordinated program of services
to Idaho's blind citizens.
The Commission has worked with the
State School for the Deaf and Blind and
with the resource programs in the public
schools, counseling with high school
students and doing intensive planning with
the seniors in connection with their
vocational futures. The Commission has
also worked with many parents of blind
-678-
children, informing them of programs
available and assisting them in obtaining
services when appropriate. -
Close cooperation is maintained
between the Commission and the Idalio
State Library in an effort to maintain and
improve library services for the blind, for
all programs of the Commission and a
good hbrary for the bhnd go hand in liand.
Finally it must be recognized that the
progress of the Idalio Commission for the
Blind, since its inception, would not have
been possible nor could have been
accomplished without the realization of
need and the cooperation received from
Government officials. The Legislature and
the Governor's office responded
generously to the financial request of the
Commission in the last legislative session
and have taken leadership in the
establishment and promotion of the
Commission's program.
With continued interest and
cooperation from so many groups and
individuals, it is the belief of the
Commission that it will not be long before
Idaho has one of the most outstanding
programs for the bhnd in the country-a
program in which all of the citizens of
Idaho can justly take pride.
THE BLIND READ ORDINARY PRINT
by
J. Campbell Bruce
[Reprinted from the San Francisco (California) Chronicle. Copyright Chronicle Publishing
Co., 1970.]
Optacon, a wonder of the electronic
age that lets the bUnd read ordinary
printed matter went on display recently
The reading aid was developed jointly
over the past six years by tlie Stanford
Research Institute and Stanford
University's Electrical Engineering
Department. The device, battery-operated
and portable, is the size of a small
briefcase and weighs eight pounds.
The name Optacon itself-an acronym
for Optical to Tactile Converter-is a
capsule description of how it operates. A
reading head, or scanner, moved across a
printed hne by the reader, picks up the
contrast between the dark letters and the
lighter page. These photoelectric sensors
send impulses to an array of tiny wires and
causes them to vibrate selectively in the
shape of the letter being scanned. The
reader, whose fingers rest on the wires,
feels the shape of the letter through the
vibrations. Some blind persons, after
several months of training, have learned to
read as many as 60 words a minute.
"A good braille reader can read much
faster," said Dr. James Bliss of SRI's
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Bioinformation Systems Laboratory.
"However, the amount of reading material
available in braille is very limited. Optacon
opens up for the bhnd the entire field of
printed material-books, newspapers,
magazines, typewritten letters, even
denominations of paper money and labels
on cans."
Bob Stearns, a young computer
programmer at SRI, is blind. He does his
daily work with the aid of an Optacon.
The idea for the device originated with Dr.
John Linvil, professor of electrical
engineering at Stanford. His daughter,
Candy, 19, a freshman at Stanford, is
bhnd.
A SIGNIFICANT SUPREME COURT DECISION
On March 23, 1970 the United States
Supreme Court struck a mighty blow in
favor of the poor when it declared that the
receipt of aid was a "right" and not a
"privilege." The Court went further and
declared that it was a right sustained by
due process-procedural and substantive.
The High Court also rejected another
centuries old argument-protection of the
pubUc purse against the poor.
The case was Goldberg v. Kelly and it
was a five to three decision. Considered
were consohdated cases brought by a
number of AFDC recipients in New York
City, and a companion case, Wheeler v.
Montgomery, a class action by old age aid
recipients, on appeal from California.
These recipients were threatened with
withdrawal of aid or had had aid
withdrawn for a variety of reasons. One,
for example, had had aid terminated
because he refused to accept counsehng
and rehabilitation for drug addiction even
though the petitioner continued to insist
that he did not use dmgs. All maintamed
that they were removed, or were
threatened with removal, from the aid
rolls without a prior fair hearing. In
addition, they challenged the
constitiitionahty of procedures for notice
and hearing which had been adopted by
the State and City of New York after
some of these suits had been brought.
These regulations provided a hearing only
after termination based on departmental
consideration of the facts and written
notice to the recipients of the "reasons"
for such termination of aid.
The majority, speaking through Mr.
Justice Brennan held that "the Due
Process Clause [of the Fourteenth
Amendment, in this case] requires that
the recipient be afforded an evidentiary
hearing before termination of benefits."
As sometimes happens in split
decisions, the debate between the majority
and minority Justices begun in the
conference room continues in their
opinions. Here the majority, relying
heavily on the opinion in the lower
District Court, said: "While
post-termination review is relevant, there
is one overpowering fact which controls
-680-
here. By hypothesis, a welfare recipient is
destitute, without funds or assets. . . .
Suffice it to say tliat to cut off a welfare
recipient in the face of . . . 'brutal need'
without a prior hearing of some sort is
unconscionable, unless overwhelming
considerations justify it." Speaking mostly
througli Mr. Justice Black, the minority
thouglit otherwise. He said that the
majority opinion was based "solely on the
collective judgment of the majority as to
what would be a fair and humane
procedure in this case."
Mr. Justice Brennan argued, again
quoting the lower court, " 'Against the
justified desire to protect public funds
must be weighed the individual's
overpowering need in tliis unique situation
not to be wrongfully deprived of
assistance.' " However, the dissenters felt
that the opinion would lead to
"time-consuming [and costly] delays of a
full adversary process of administrative
and judicial review. In the next case the
welfai-e recipients are bound to argue that
cutting off benefits before judicial review
of the agency's decision is also a denial of
due process." Somehow the Justices think
this argument has no merit! Mr. Justice
Black continued in the same sarcastic vein;
"I would be surprised if the weighing
process did not compel the conclusion
that termination without full judicial
review would be unconscionable. After all,
at each step, as the majority seems to feel,
the issue is only one of weighing the
Government's pocketbook against the
actual survival of the recipient, and surely
that balance must always tip in favor of
the individual. Similarly today's decision
requires only the opportunity to have the
benefit of counsel at the administrative
hearing, but it is difficult to believe that
the same reasoning process would not
require the appointment of counsel, for
otherwise the right to counsel is a
meaningless one since these people are too
poor to hire their own advocates." Where
has the good Justice been these last few
years?
The majority answers these
arguments thus: "That termination of aid
pending resolution of a controversy over
eligibility may deprive an eligible recipient
of the very means by which to live while
he waits." "The State is not without
weapons to minimize these increased
costs. Much of the drain on fiscal and
administrative resources can be reduced by
developmg procedures for prompt
pre-termination hearings and by skillful
use of personnel and facilities. . . . The
pre-termination hearing need not take the
form of a judicial or quasi-judicial trial." It
has only one function: "to produce an
initial detennination of the validity of the
welfare departments' grounds for
discontinuance of payments in order to
protect a recipient against an erroneous
termination of his benefits. . . . We
recognize, too, that both welfare
authorities and recipients have an interest
in relatively speedy resolution of questions
of eligibility, that they are used to dealing
with one another informally, and that
some welfare departments have very
burdensome caseloads. These
considerations justify tlie limitation of the
pre-temiination hearing to minimum
procedural safeguards, adapted to the
particular characteristics of welfare
recipients, and to the Umited nature of the
controversies to be resolved."
The present New York provisions for
"fair" hearing do not permit the recipient
to appear personally or present evidence in
his own behalf or to confront or
-681-
cross-examine adverse witnesses. The
majority thought personal presentation
vital. "The second-hand presentation to
the decision maker by the caseworker has
its own deficiencies; since the caseworker
usually gathers the facts upon which the
charge of ineligibility rests, the
presentation of the recipient's side of the
controversy cannot safely be left to him.
Therefore a recipient must be allowed to
state his position orally."
A good deal of attention is given here
to the minority opinion because it
probably points in the direction it is
hoped by some the Higli Court will go. Mr.
Justice Black evidently hopes to lead the
way to "strict construction." He takes this
to mean that judges must not legislate and
must only "interpret" the words in the
written Constitution. One must not give
more than is in the word. Hence, to him
the conclusion is clear in this case that
since there is not one word in the
Fourteenth Amendment about "fair
hearings" or the right to counsel, or the
right to aid, it cannot be. So to ignore a
hundred years of political and judicial
history would be Uke reading the first
three words of each section of a
statute-one might get some notion as to
the subject but not much insight as to its
purpose.
Mr. Justice Black has always seen
"red" when the Fourteenth Amendment is
mentioned. It arouses his state's
rights-anti-federalist ire. One of the bills
that held up passage of the Social Security
Act in 1935 was the anti-lynching
proposal. Speaking against that measure,
the then Senator Hugo Black said: "I
assert that if the bill should become law, it
would have an accentuating effect Uke
unto that of the fourteenth amendment."
In the current case he says: "Particularly
do I not think that the Fourteenth
Amendment should be given such an
unnecessarily broad construction." In
1935 Senator Black said: "Did any
Member of the Senate hear me read the
word 'corporation' as I read the
Fourteenth Amendment? He did not. The
word 'corporation' does not appear in the
Fourteenth Amendment." In the present
case he says: "[S]ome members of this
Court [believe] that the Due Process
Clause [of the Fourteenth Amendment]
forbids any conduct that a majority
beheves 'unfair,' 'indecent,' or
'shocking'. . . . Neither these words nor
any like them appear anywhere in the Due
Process Clause." He was on the floor of
the Senate when title X of the Social
Security proposal was introduced. It
included the clause of the
earlier-introduced titles which provide
"for granting to any individual whose
claim for aid is denied, an opportunity for
a fair hearing before such State
agency; . . ." But Senator Black voiced no
objection, although it should have been
patent that the use of the word "fair" was
for the protection of the individual
involved. Those of our readers who have
bumped into administrative hearings know
that the use of that word was necessary.
Certainly tlie Legislators were not worried
about protecting the administrators but
were concerned about protecting the
rights and interests of the individual who
had to deal with them. In other words, a
fair hearing is granted to insure due
process. Since the procedure was built into
tlie Social Security Act thirty-five years
ago why should tlie minority now declare
that "The procedure required today as a
matter of constitutional law finds no
precedent in our legal system." In reality,
then, the minority is complaining about
-682-
the use of the due process clause to
uphold the right and not about the fact
that the decision directs pre-termination
rather than post-termination hearing.
CANOEING BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN BLIND PERSONS
by
Ralph Lightfoot
[Reprinted from the ICRH Newsletter, publication of the Outdoor Laboratory, Southern
Illinois University, Carbondale, IlUnois. Mr. Lightfoot is with the Royal Victorian Institute
for the Blind.]
Canoeing can give confidence to
newly bhnded people by improving
balance and the sense of achievement.
The Royal Victorian Institute for the
Blind Training Centre commenced in 1963
and from its inception embraced the idea
that outside activities are beneficial to the
newly bhnd for the re-estabhshment of
confidence, and among those who have
been bUnd for a longer period these
activities give confidence through
achieving the novel and the unusual. Our
institute put all its know-how, gathered
since 1866, into this project
The training centre with the
cooperation of the National Fitness
Council of Victoria arranged cam.ping,
bushwalking, rock climbing, abseiling,
snow skiing and canoeing. The most recent
of these ventures was a trip by canoe
down the Goulburn River from Alexandra
to Seymour, a distance of 50 miles.
The week before the trip, a practice
session was held on the Yarra River a few
miles from the training centre. This was
necessary as three of the group had never
been in a canoe before.
On November 10, a party of seven set
out for Alexandra for the five day trip on
the river. This included camping on the
bank, pitching tents and cooking all meals.
From the beginning to the end of the trip
the party had to be self-contained,
carrying all their food, clothing and
camping equipment in the canoes.
Those who were on this expedition
were: Doug, age 19, totally blind as the
result of a car accident in May; Owen, age
20, also totally blind as the result of a car
accident in June; Robert, age 32, a
diabetes sufferer, totally blind; Sue, Leslie
and Ray, members of the staff of the
Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind;
and Bryan Scott, field officer with the
National Fitness Council of Victoria. The
method used was to have one visually
handicapped person and one staff member
in a 16-foot Canadian canoe, and the
director of the enterprise in an 1 1-foot
canoe alone, so that he is more
maneuverable and can be on the site of a
capsize as quickly as possible.
-683-
On this trip eacli pair capsized once.
When a capsize occurs, one of the upright
canoes goes to help Bryan right the
unfortunate craft and get the canoeist out
of the water as quickly as possible, for
although life-jackets are worn all the time,
immersion for more than a few minutes in
cold water can be very serious. The others
make for the bank to get a fire going to
dry off the wet ones.
Camp is usually pitched about 4 p.m.
Everybody sliares all the duties, such as
pitching tents, cooking, clearing up,
collecting fuel for the fires and, in the
mornings, packing up the camp and
loading the canoes. There is no division of
tlie work done between the staff or the
clients in these duties.
The value of this particular journey is
already apparent in the friendships that
have been strengthened under these
conditions and in the obvious gam in
confidence that has occurred with the
tliree young blind men who were
participants. This sort of activity is made
practicable through the cooperation of the
National Fitness Council of Victoria by
allowing its staff to organize and direct
such events and by allowing us to use its
equipment.
It is intended to make this a yearly
event.
(The author, Ralph Lightfoot, 49,
has been totally blind since he was 5 years
old. He is the Senior Supervisor of the
Training and Rehabilitation Centre
conducted by the Royal Victorian
Institute for the Blind in Melbourne,
Austraha. He has taken part in all the
outdoor activities referred to in the article
and has inspired other blind people to
achieve greater independence and
confidence.)
BEGINNING A TRANSCRIBING GROUP
by
Florence Grannis
[Editor's Note: Mrs. Grannis is Assistant Director in Charge of Library and Social Services
for the Blind, Iowa Commission for the Blind, Des Moines, Iowa.]
I am frequently asked by blind
people and by volunteer oriented groups
how to go about organizing transcribing
groups. Over the years I have given much
advice concerning this. If any of this has
actually resulted in the formation of a
transcribing group which is now in
operation, I am not aware of it, but it
occurred to me that some of the readers of
The Braille Monitor might like to hsten to
my notions on this subject and perhaps
start one or motivate someone else to start
one.
Volunteer transcribing can be divided
into three aspects-taping, large typing,
-684-
and Brailling-and 1 shall deal with each
one separately. Of course, a volunteer
group may undertake all tlaree forms of
transcription and may have some
additional activities, such as binding. Also,
besides purely volunteer groups, a
volunteer group may be attached to an
organization so that some of the
individuals concerned with it are paid; and
these paid people may be either
professional people or clerical, or some of
each. Some examples of this latter group
are hbraries such as ours, and school
systems. Another excellent example of
tliis form of transcription group is the
prison, either state or federal (county and
municipal jails generally have inmates with
terms too brief for them to effectively
work in such a program). After I have
explored some of the aspects I believe
most essential in the fonnation of
transcription groups for the three media, I
shall comment briefly on what I consider
to be the basic essentials for a successful
prison transcription program.
Tape Volunteer Transcribing
Perhaps more than one would
imagine, taping demands a great deal of
time, effort and human and material
resources The need for this last element
will require the group to find a financial
backer unless it has sufficient resources of
its own to carry out the project. Actually
a volunteer taping program requires a
considerable expenditure of money,
especially in the initial investments.
Without this money, no matter what good
will there is involved in the group and how
enthusiastically the people begin their
endeavor, it is my experience that the
program cannot function If outside
financial support is needed, in general the
first place to look is the local Lions Club,
since the Lions are involved in work with
the bhnd. Another possible source is a
soi^ority and Delta Gamma is one which
may well be of help, or, possibly ZetaPhi
Eta, the national speech honorary. Perhaps
the local chapter of the American
Association of University Women, or the
Telephone Pioneers, or a Temple
Sisterhood might be of assistance.
The volunteer taping program must
have a chairman who has enough time to
over-view, coordinate and above all, see
that each volunteer is meeting his
deadlines. This is of great significance to a
successful taping program-also one of its
greatest pitfalls. The necessity of meeting
deadlines arises from the primary aim of a
program which is (almost invariably) to
transcribe materials for students.
Obviously students need their material
when they need it-usually in time for the
start of an academic year or semester.
There is almost invariably a definite
deadline involved. It is also best for a
chairman to serve on a long term basis so
that she can have a continuing and
increasing knowledge of the group's past
and present work.
It is very important that the group
have good equipment-the better the
equipment, the more effective the
program will be. The people in the group
should determine whether the group itself
will furnish tape recorders or whether each
individual will supply his own. In my
behef, the latter is preferable. Not only
will it save money, but a volunteer who is
interested enough to buy his own
equipment, will probably be a better
volunteer. Regardless of who purchases
the equipment, there should be no
attempt to economize by purchasing
cheap materials-the results won't be
-685-
satisfactory. There should be some extra
recorders available to replace temporarily
those that are being repaired.
There are many tape recorders that
are good but there are three basic
requirements in determining which brands
to use: that they accommodate 7-inch
reels, record at 3 3/4 ips and 1 7/8 ips,
record on two or four tracks. Standard
tape recorders may be purchased for
roughly $110.00 and since, in all
likeUhood, the group or the individuals in
the group will be buying a number of
recorders at tlie same time, it sliould be
possible to get Hie recorders at something
less than the full retail price. If the group
can afford to, it is wise to make large
purchases of tape. One thousand reels on
an order' will result in a substantial unit
price decrease. It is well to determine what
length of tape will be used (1200 or 1800
feet are the best ones to choose) and then
use one length all the way through if
possible-it makes tape duplication easier!
It is well to use as good a quality of tape
as the group can afford, but a medium
quality will do a satisfactory job. (Avoid
used or "reject" tape if possible.)
slightly more than $20 to machines that
sell for more than $100. People
knowledgeable in library work for the
blind are predicting that in about 10 years
most recording will be done on cassette
machines. The blind in each state have
already received a number of cassette
machines from the Library of Congress
Division of the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, under a pilot program, and
since a small but growing number of blind
people have switched from open reel
recorders to cassette machines, cassettes
will become increasingly important to the
bUnd. The problems with cassettes are: a
high percentage of breakage of cassette
tape, difficulty in knowing just when you
are approaching the end of a reel, having
only a fast rewind, and the great expense
of cassette tape. There are a number of
different lengths of cassette tapes available
to purchase but the general consensus is
that the 120-minute tape is not
satisfactory, and it is better to standardize
and use the same length throughout. We
are using the 90-minute tape which is the
same length as is used on the books
recorded in the Library of Congress
program.
Besides the conventional open reel
tape recorder, I would urge a group
beginning tape transcription, to have some
cassette machines. These machines are
considerably smaller than the open reel
recorders, can be taken virtually
anywhere, and can be used under
circumstances where the open reel
recorders are not practical. There should
be an extensive exploration and
investigation of different models of
cassette machines so that the best ones for
the purpose may be procured. There is a
very wide range of prices on cassette
machines, from machines that sell for
I have not been able to determine
that a satisfactory high speed cassette tape
duplicator has yet been developed but the
cassette tapes can be dubbed using two
machines. While on the subject of
duplicators, the transcription group will
need a high speed dupUcator for the 7 inch
open reel tape. There are a number of
them available and I believe they are all
quite satisfactory, but they are all quite
costly too." The group should retain the
master of every book taped, sending out
only copies-therefore the need for
dupUcating equipment.
-686-
When it comes to the actual
recording, not anyone and everyone is
acceptable. The recording of books
requires good reading ability and
unfortunately, people who have their
heart in the right place but lack the
abihty, will have to be turned down. An
application form for those who wish to
record should be sent and they should be
asked to send a sample tape of their
reading. When the person doing the
screening for readers listens to the sample
reading, a critique form should be sent to
the apphcant.-' There are a number of
rules and techniques in recording, and
these are covered in our publication "Tips
on Taping" which is printed below:
TIPS ON TAPING
Welcome to the tape recording program of
the Iowa Commission for the Blind. You
are joining a group of very important
people. Your work wil! make it possible
for the bUnd of Iowa to lake a giant step
towards independence and self-support.
All of your tapes will be sent to you by
the Iowa State Commission for the Blind,
an agency of state government, established
to help give services to bhnd persons in
our state. Since 1958, under the leadership
of its director, Kenneth Jemigan, the
Commission has been a vital growing force
in Iowa Each year more and more blind
persons are aided in their search for a job,
an education, a home-in short, a normal
life, through the programs of the
Commission. One of the newest
departments is the Library, from which
the blind of Iowa receive most of their
reading material ... for entertainment, for
instruction and for classroom study
This is where the work of our volunteer
tapists is so necessary. Each year a larger
number of blind students attend pubUc
high schools and universities. Textbook
materials, reference books and other
books are not available generally for blind
students Yet to have the same
opportunity as sighted students, they must
have the required material, and sometimes
quickly. Only through tape recording can
many of these books be made available to
these students when they need them.
And not only are you helping students of
our state. Many schools around the
country' use the same texts or correlated
materials. These books are kept in our
library and can be duplicated when
necessary' to give a blind student in any
part of the country the same opportunity
you help provide to Iowa students.
Yes, you are joining a group of very
important people. The following pages wUl
help you be a more effective and capable
tapist. Study the information carefully,
and many hours of pleasurable taping lie
before you.
The first step in taping any book is to
familiarize yourself with the material to be
transcribed. Even the finest commercial
radio announcers read commercials "cold"
only in emergencies. Reading the book to
be taped before beginning to record is a
vital part of any recording. Read with
pencil in hand and a dictionary close by
with the following objectives:
1 Familiarity with the story or
subject matter.
2. Correct pronunciation of all
words. If you are at all unsure of a
pronunciation, look it up and mark
your book. It takes much less time to
-687-
look up all words at this time than it
does to look them up individually
while recording.
3. Marking words which should be
spelled on the tape. All foreign
words, unfamiliar place names, long
technical terms sliould be spelled the
first time they appear in a text. They
need not be spelled on subsequent
appearances.
It is imperative that you pre-read at least
the material to be read in a single session.
If the book is one that has a continuity of
subject (such as a novel or a play),
pre-reading of the entire book can be
important for subtle meanings which
might be lost if only a short portion of the
book has been pre-read.
PREPARATION
1 . Find the place in your home which
is least subject to extraneous noises
(telephone, children playing, radios, etc.).
Set your recorder on a convenient table or
desk where it can be seen while recording.
You will want to check your recording
from time to time to be sure the volume
level is high enough, whether you are
running out of tape, or other reasons.
2. Set machine speed at 3 3/4 inches
per second. Until you have been recording
for a while, it is advisable not to change
this speed, since you will lose a good deal
of precious recording time if you should
forget to change it back.
3. Place your microphone so that you
will not be facing a door or a window, and
preferably not directly into a hard
surfaced wall. If possible, read facing a
drapery or other soft, absorbent material.
The louder you read the more important
this becomes. Flat, hard surfaces reflect
sound back into your microphone causing
a most undesirable echo.
4. If possible, attach "leader" tape at
the beginning and end of each reel.
Remove the manufacturer's adhesive tape
at the beginning of new reels before
placing on your machine. If you attach a
leader tape, do not use this adhesive tape,
scotch tape, masking tape or any other
type of tape. Use only the special splicing
tape made for the purpose, and available
at any store handling hi-fi or tape
recorders.
5. Thread your machine, being
careful to check that the shiny side of the
tape is away from the recording head! On
most recorders this will mean that the
shiny side will be toward you, or toward
the floor. If the shiny side of the tape is
next to the heads, no sound will be
recorded. The recording material is what
makes the other side of the tape
dull-looking.
6. After you have threaded your
machine, run off 60 seconds (18 feet) of
tape before you begin to record. Tapes
cannot be duplicated if there is less blank
space, and it will be a nuisance to the
reader if you leave much more than 60
seconds.
7. Set your microphone so it will be
approximately 8 to 12 inches from your
mouth when you are seated comfortably
for reading. If possible, place your
microphone on a different table than your
recorder, or you may get rumble from
your recorder's motor. If this is not
possible, place a soft pad under the
-688-
microphone stand (a foam rubber or thick
felt pad, or a large folded towel) to
eliminate this vibration: Place your
microphone as far as conveniently possible
from the recorder to eliminate any motor
noise or hum from your machine.
Do not hold your microphone in
your hand! You will never be able to find
a stable distance from the microphone,
and the distance will vary constantly,
giving an objectionable variation in volume
and tone. Microphone stands are
inexpensive. If you cannot purchase one,
it is possible to stand a microphone on a
short stack of books and (if necessary)
lean it against another book.
8. Turn your recording volume up
about half way. Read a portion of your
material at the same level as you will be
recording. Read at a volume that is
comfortable to you. Remember, the
microphone is a sensitive instrument that
can pick up your voice easily. If you
attempt to read in an unnaturally loud
voice, your voice will become tired very
quickly. Conversely, if you read
appreciably less loudly than you normally
talk, you will sound more confidential,
but your voice will lose much of its
flexibility. Adjust the microphone
position and the recorder volume to fit
your voice, rather than try to adapt to the
machine to the detriment of your best
reading.
All modem recorders have either an
electronic eye, "VU meter" or flashing
neon Ughts. If your machine has an
electronic eye, the eye should nearly close
any time you are talking, and occasionally
should cross. If you have a "VU meter",
the needle should approach the red line
most of the time, and occasionally cross
into the red. If you have the flashing neon
lamps, you should be loud enough so the
'"distort" light flashes briefly in almost
every sentence. While you are recording
this first sample page, adjust your volume
control so that whichever of the above
circumstances applies is met.
Play back your sample recording.
You should have to turn your volume
control down several points for easy
hstening. Listen critically. If your voice
sounds hollow or distant, you are too far
from the microphone. Move it towards
you an inch or two and try again. If your
voice sounds raspy, if you hear "pops" or
"puffs of air" on some words (particularly
with "t" or "d" sounds in them), or if "s"
sounds are sliarp and whistle, you are too
close to the microphone. Move it away an
inch or two and try again. Record several
portions of the book until you are
satisfied tliat your words are clear and
there is no hollowness in the sound. Note
the position of your volume control and
your distance from the microphone and
you will be able to set your proper reading
positions quickly from then on. Do not
follow slavishly standards set as to
distance from the microphone. What is
important is what you hear when you play
the tape back.
10. When starting to record your
book, you will eliminate the sound of the
record switch by simply holding the
"pause" or "instant release" button while
you depress the record button GENTLY,
turn the tape back a half an inch, then
gently release the "pause" button.
BEGINNING
1, The first reel of a book should
-689-
start as follows: "Reel 1, Track 1,
Title — , Author — ." Read the title page,
giving title and sub-title, if any, author's
name, city of pubhsher and name of
publisher, year, if given, and from the
back of the title page read the date of last
copyriglit and date and number of edition.
Then read:
"Recorded under the sponsorship of
the Iowa State Commission for the Blind,
Des Moines, Iowa, by (your name and
city) with the kind permission of the
copyright holder (name and address),
(date of recording) solely for the use of
the blind.
Unless otherwise instructed, table of
contents should be read in full, omitting
the page numbers.
(Author)
J. D. Salinger
(Copyright holder and date)
Copyright 1953 by J. D. Salinger
(Sponsorship)
Recorded under the sponsorship of
the Iowa State Commission for the Blind,
Des Moines, Iowa, by Elizabeth Holden,
Sioux City, Iowa, with the kind
permission of the publisher. New
American Library of World Literature,
Inc., January, 1961, solely for the use of
the bhnd.
(Contents)
A Perfect Day for Banana Fish, Uncle
Wiggily in Connecticut, Just Before the
War with the Eskimos, . . .
All preliminary material such as
Preface, Introduction, Author's Notes,
etc., should be read in full unless
otherwise instructed.
(Body of the book)
A Perfect Day for Banana Fish. There
were ninety-seven New York advertising
men in the hotel, . . .
All chapter titles should be read and
sub-titles, if any. After the reading of the
main heading, a brief pause should be
made. A shorter pause should be left after
sub-heading and between'chapters.
2. Since you will be reading two
tracks on each tape, each subsequent track
must be identified. At the end of the first
track simply say: "End of track 1,
page — , Chapter — , (TITLE OF
BOOK)."
SAMPLE OF HOW TO BEGIN
THE RECORDING OF A BOOK
Do Not Read the Material in
Parenthesis, It is for your Information.
(Identification)
Reel 1 , track 2
(Title)
Nine stories
3. Each succeeding track begins with
reel number, track number, title of book
and page. For example, the second track
of the second reel of The History of Mr.
Polly by H. G. Wells begins, "Reel 2,
Track 2, The History of Mr. Polly by H. G.
Wells, Page 91."
4. Reels are numbered consecutively,
but tracks are only numbered One and
Two. Each succeeding track would end
with "End track 1, page — " or "End
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Reel — ."
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spell names and unusual or
unfamiliar words.
2. Footnotes should be read at the
end of the sentence in which the asterisk
or number appears, regardless of where the
footnotes appear in the printed book.
Simply finish the sentence, record the
word "Footnote:", followed by the
footnote. At the end of the note, record
the words "Text continues:", and
continue with the text.
3. If a diagram, map or otlier material
is omitted, the omission should be
indicated, e.g., "Diagram six, on
page — omitted from the recording." If
possible, maps and diagrams should be
described briefly. To quote from "Tape
Recordings for the Blind" by Arther
Helms: "You will sometimes be faced with
the problem of how to represent pictures
to the bUnd listener. We say 'sometimes'
because it is by no means always necessary
to include a description of a picture.
Illustrations, e.g., photographs in a book
of travel, need not be mentioned. Many
diagrams you will encounter merely
present in a different form ideas that are
perfectly clear from a reading of the text
alone. Occasionally, however, you will
find diagrams that must be included if the
author's meaning is to be thoroughly
understood.
"Having decided that a diagram
should be included, your problem is to
turn it into words as vividly and as
economically as possible, This process is
not easy and will usually call for some
ingenuity on your part." It is most
effective to stop and write what you
intend to say about a piece of visual
material. Then it is a simple matter to read
this onto the tape, Mr Helms continues:
"Printed books using diagrams generally
have a phrase hke 'see diagram page 28' to
guide the reader. You, however, must omit
such words and insert a phrase like 'Here
the author illustrates his point with a
diagram' and tlien go on to describe the
diagram
"Mathematical formulae must be
read in a certain way, and a reader
unfamiliar with square root signs,
exponents, etc., must get authentic
information on these matters. The same
may be said for the special symbols used
in chemistry and other sciences. It is
desirable, of course, that scientifically
trained persons read highly specialized
technical books, but since such books are
not in wide demand, the average reader
need not concern himself with the
problem. The reader, however, must make
himself responsible for reading accurately
such scientific symbols as he encounters."
4. The page number should be given
when reading a new heading, when
referring to an illustration, and at least
every page or two at regular intervals
through the book. This assists the student
to refer to the book if required to do so.
5. No more than a 30-minute reading
span should be attempted without a break
for rest and refreshment. Shorter periods
are recommended if your voice becomes
tired. A tired voice will sound tired on
tape Generally, however, if your voice
tires in less than 30 minutes, you will find
that you are trying to talk too loudly.
Move the microphone closer and talk as if
the hstener were right across the table
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from you.
break in use.
6. It is recommended that you read
as rapidly as you possibly can without
stumbling. Of course some books will read
much more rapidly than others, but you
sliould determine tlie reading rate during
your pre-reading of the book and read as
rapidly as the material will allow.
7. Indicate "quote" and "unquote"
when more than one sentence, or an
exceptionally long sentence is a quotation.
Short sentences, phrases, or single words
can be indicated by tone of voice. If the
text uses a different typeset to indicate
quotations, rather than quotation marks,
these sections-usually paragraphs-should
be "quoted" in reading.
8. The meaning of an abbreviation
should be given rather than the
abbreviation itself: "for example", not
"e.g."; "that is" rather than "i.e.". This
would not apply, of course, to grammar or
other books in which the abbreviations are
used to educate the student to their
meaning.
TAPE RECORDERS
1. The controls of a tape recorder
should be operated slowly, a short pause
left after a switch is turned before another
switch is manipulated. This is necessary as
parts of the mechanism are belt driven and
if the controls are operated too quickly, a
belt may slip off the drive wheel. The
fast-forward and rewihd controls should
be handled particularly carefully. Sudden
fast-forward starts and reverses may cause
the tape to jump the groove and bind in
the reel, becoming crinkled. Crinkled tape
is difficult to work with and will probably
2. The sound on your tape is
produced by passing the tape over the
recording head in close physical contact.
Some of the magnetic material (oxide)
rubs off on the head as well as any dirt
tliat may cling to the tape. Dirty recording
heads can give you mushy or "bassy"
sound as well as completely missing
portions. You should periodically clean
the recording head, the tape guides and
the capstan drive units (the two wheels to
the right of the recording heads that press
the tape between them) with alcohol. Use
a small cotton swab ("Q" Tip) squeezed
almost dry. You can buy special solvents
for this job, but alcohol works as well, and
it is always as close as your medicine
cabinet. DO NOT USE any perfumed
alcohols or other cleaning solvents as they
will further clog the recording heads. A
general mle for cleaning your recorder will
be to clean the heads, guides and capstans
every 5 to 10 reels of tape.
3. A head demagnetizer is a simple,
low-priced piece of equipment that is well
worth the few dollars you pay for it. The
recording heads, tape guides and capstan
of your recorder pick up a little
magnetism over a period of time, which
causes crackling and other background
noise. You plug in your demagnitizer, hold
it against the metal parts, slowly withdraw
it, unplug it, and all residual magnetism is
gone. CAUTION! DO NOT PLUG IN A
DEMAGNETIZER WITHIN 4 FEET OF
ANY RECORDED TAPE-it will erase the
tape as well!
4. When not using your recording
equipment, keep it covered. Dust is a
deadly enemy to the precision built
recorder and microphone. Keep the
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microphone away from heat and moisture
or it will quickly be ruined.
CORRECTING AN ERROR
Whenever you mispronounce a word,
stumble, "bobble" a word or phrase, or
read a passage incorrectly, DO NOT LET
IT PASS. The temptation is great to
merely repeat the word or phrase and
continue on. It is easy to edit your
mistake from the tape and unfair to the
readers to let any errors pass.
All common recorders erase the
material already on the tape just a fraction
of a second before recording the new
material Here is the proper and foolproof
method of correcting errors. Stop the
recorder and rewind to the nearest pause
before the error. This will usually be at the
end of the previous sentence, but may be
closer to the error if it is a long sentence.
Play past tliis pause several times until you
are sure of the word preceding the pause.
Rewind again and stop the machine with
the "pause button" immediately following
the last word. Wliile holding the "pause
button", GENTLY stop the recorder, find
the place in the book where the next
section begins, GENTLY put the recorder
into RECORD position, release the "pause
button", and begin reading. This will erase
the error, and you can continue reading
until (heaven forbid) the next error.
It will take a httle practice to become
proficient at this method of covering
errors, but in the end ml\ make your
recordings much more pleasant for you to
do, and for the readers to hear.
When you are ready to stop recording
for any reason, allow the recorder to
continue for a few seconds after you stop
reading. This will put the "pop" that
occurs when you stop the macliine far
enough from the end of your reading to be
covered easily when you begin again. To
begin recording again, simply nm the
recorder back to the end of your reading,
hold the "pause button", GENTLY press
RECORD and release the "pause button".
If you must take an incomplete reel
off of your machine, it will be easier to
find your place if you will insert a small
piece of paper (1/4 by 1/2 inch or so)
under the last turn of tape on the feed
(left hand) reel before you start rewinding,
you can quickly fast-forward the tape to
tlie paper when you are ready to resume.
AD-LIBBING
Do not ad-hb except when describing
visual material which must be described.
On the other hand, be careful not to omit
any words, no matter how minor the
omission may seem. You are responsible
for correct and meaningful presentation of
each word on the page.
SPLICING
Occasionally a tape will break while
recording, or you will have some reason to
wish to cut out a portion of the tape.
SpHcing is simple but exacting, and can be
done either with one of the several
commercial spHcers now on the market, or
simply with splicing tape and a pair of
scissors. If you have a commercial tape
splicer, the instnictions that come with it
are familiar to you. If you do not have a
sphcer, here is the proper way to do it.
CAUTION-DO NOT USE "SCOTCH"
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TAPE, MASKING TAPE OR ADHESIVE
TAPE TO MAKE SPLICES! Use only the
special splicing tape made for the purpose.
Otlier types of tape will damage the
recording and playback heads, pressure
pads and drive rollers, and cause jamming
and binding of tape on the reels.
To make a silent, strong splice, cross
the ends of the tape over each other. With
your scissors cut through both thicknesses
on approximately a 45-degree angle. Place
the tape on a clean, dry, hard surface,
putting the edges together as precisely as
possible. Place splicing tape over the
joined-together place, rubbing with the
handle of your scissors to be sure the tape
adheres securely. Then carefully trim the
spUcing tape edges, cutting away a minute
quantity of the recording tape on each
side. Again, this will take a little practice,
but when mastered can be quickly and
easily done whenever the occasion arises.
IDENTIFYING THE TAPE
you are an individual, give full
name and address on your first reel;
your name is sufficient for the
following reels.
5. If the tape has been damaged and
you are unable to fix it, please note
this on the box.
TIPS ON MICROPHONE SPEECH, by
Richard March, San Francisco State
College.
The following article is valuable to
keep before you when recording. It can
give a quick review of your "reading
personality" before each session:
1 . Strive for voice color and vocal variety
thru:
a. pitch (up and down-ness)
b. volume (loudness)
c. duration (tempo)
d. quality (timbre and pitch range )
Reviewing and cataloging tapes is
faster when all boxes are fully labelled.
Most boxes will come to you with labels
attached, but if not include the following
information:
1. Reel and track number of pages
recorded on each track.
(EXAMPLE: Reel one, Track one.
Page 1-41; Reel one. Track two,
Page 42-98.)
2. Title of book.
3. Author's name as shown on text.
(Correct spelling is essential)
4. Reader's name and organization. If
2. Strive for "flow"-avoid being choppy.
3. Be much warmer, friendlier, more
intimate than you think you need to
be.
4. Sound as though you know your
material well. Be authoritative.
5. Sit about eight inches from a table
microphone. (Be just far enough away
to thumb your nose-this gives the
proper spacing and attitude!)
6. Make use of subtle exaggeration, but
don't talk down to your audience.
Have an air of intimacy. As you read
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the words, give yourself time to think
and feel.
7. If you are a man, put some male
strength into your reading.
8. If you are a woman, put warmth,
sympathy, and gentleness into your
reading.
9. Get the "essence" of your material.
Think and feel and sense ahead of your
words, thereby creating the desired
illusion that this is the "first time" the
thoughts have been conveyed.
10. Mark your copy judiciously. Some
•^'"'"- "'■" "throw-away words" (such
"and" 's, etc.).
marks are
as "the" 's.
II. Avoid extraneous noises, such as pages
moving, deep breathing, etc.
12. Be sure that you are "on the beam" of
the mike. Test your placement.
Maintain the proper recording level,
avoiding changes in volume output.
13. Know all pronunciations. If you do
not, spell the word.
14. Enunciate, using jaws, tongue, an open
mouth and relaxed throat. Use
techniques for resonance, such as
thinking forward, breathing from deep
down from the diaphram, etc.
Pronounce every syllable. Make your
d's, t's and vowels exact.
15. Be direct. Don't let the book come
between you and the hstener. Know
your material so that you can phrase
well, and build up to minor climaxes
on the way to the "point" of your
chapter or story.
16. Read intimately and personally, as if
the student were across the table from
you, and you were thoroughly
enjoying helping him with this
assignment.
PROOFREADING
The final step in any recording is the
proofreading. Proofreading a book on tape
is as vital as it is with print or Braille. No
matter how carefully a book is recorded, it
is imperative to go back over the material
following the print book as you listen. It is
far easier to listen to each recording
session at the time than it is to record the
whole book and take the time to
proofread the entire book when it is
completed.
When you find an error in the middle
of a recording session, it is seldom
necessary to record the entire portion of
the tape following the error. Unless you
have missed an entire sentence or
paragraph, usually replacement of missed
words can be accomphshed with httle
trouble. The following technique can also
be used for "hobbled" words or extra
words which have been inserted.
Suppose you discover that you have
left a word out of a sentence. As an
example, you recorded "It was raining
cats, dogs and little fishes." Here is the
way to put the "dogs" back into the
sentence. Be sure, of course, to have your
machine set carefully for volume and
microphone distance.
1. Start a sentence or two before the
one you wish to correct. Find the
places on either side of that
sentence where you have left an
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appreciable pause. It usually will be
directly on eitlier side of the
improper sentence.
2. Once you have determined where
tliese pauses are, find what must be
read between these pauses in tlie
print book, and mark them. Run
that portion through the machine,
carefully timing it with a
stop-watch, if you have one, or
with the second hand on your
regular watch.
3. Rehearse the sentence as it should
appear several times until you can
read it naturally in the same length
of time-or a fractionally shorter
time. A good idea is to play the
sentence already on tape while you
read it as it will be. You can tell
easily if you have timed your
correction properly.
4. As you would do for replacing
words while you are recording, run
your recorder to the pause before
the sentence you wish to replace.
Stop the tape with the "pause
button." GENTLY switch your
recorder to RECORD, release the
''pause button'' and
IMMEDIATELY read the correct
sentence. IMMEDIATELY STOP
the recorder to PLAY and release
the "pause button". If you have
read the sentence the way you
rehearsed it, you should hear the
next sentence begin.
This same technique will work for
words inserted. Simply time your
sentence to read more slowly than
originally with the inserted word left
out.
Naturally, very careful records must
be kept of all work being produced. If you
would like a copy of our tape working
card, we will be glad to send you one.
Material should be produced in its
entirety, even though the student may ask
for only one or two chapters of a book.
There will probably be someone else who
will need other portions of the book or
the entire book at some time in the future.
Also, it is vitally important that the
volunteer transcribe the material word for
word. Editing and altering the contents of
a publication is illegal and unethical.
Before any material is recorded,
someone should check with the Central
Catalog of the American Printing House
for the Blind, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville,
Kentucky 40206, to see if the material is
already available elsewhere. If it is, it is
desirable to attempt to borrow or
purchase it and thus conserve the time and
talents of the group for items which have
not yet been recorded. The group will
soon find that it has more than enough to
do!
Another step which must be taken
before recording, is to obtain copyright
clearance on the material (form available,
as in footnote 3), After producing the
material, you should report it to the
Central Catalog of the American Printing
House (form available, as in footnote 3).
Thus, others who may need the material
will be saved the time and trouble of
producing it themselves.
A number of publishers have granted
blanket permission for transcription of
their materials in all media for the use of
the blind, and a hst of these publishers can
be obtained from the Library of
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Congress.
If anyone has questions or comments
on setting up a volunteer taping program,
please let me know. I will do my best with
them.
Braille Transcribing Group
While there are many essential
similarities between a tape transcribing
group and a Braille transcribing group
(cohe siveness; strong, effective,
continuous leadership; firm financing;
orderly record keeping) there are
differences too. While it is easy to get
more volunteer tapists than a group can
use (not competent, hard working reliable
ones, of course) Braille transcribing
requires the completion of an 18 lesson
course , the employment of one or more
blind certified proofreaders^, some sort of
binding facility, and a dupUcator.
While I beheve that tapists should
furnish their own recording equipment, I
believe that a Braille transcribing group
should own enough Perkins Braillers° so
that anyone who is willing and able to
complete a course in Braille transcribing
could borrow a Brailler if he is unable to
provide his own. Generally speaking,
anyone who will expend enough effort to
become a certified transcriber will be an
asset to a group, and Braillists are so hard
to come by that no one should be
excluded because he is poor.
Frequently, when a Braille group is
being started, the nucleus of the group will
be one or more certified transcribers who
will teach others, either in a class, or by
correspondence. (Eitlier way is fine, but it
is our experience that while a number of
people may begin as an organized class,
the pace of learning is so different from
individual to individual that after the first
few lessons, each student will need
individualized instruction.) It is not,
however, in any sense necessary for a
group which is going to begin Braille
transcribing, to know anything about
Brailling--the Library of Congress
instruction course is complete in itself. Of
course, some other functioning
transcribing group may take on the
instruction and sponsorship of new
Braillists.
While it is important to teach each
transcriber to do precise, careful work, it
is equaUy important to instill in him some
of the commandments of transcribing such
as:
Thou shalt transcribe anything thou
art requested to do.
Thou shalt regard the words of the
author as sacred and not alter them.
Thou shalt meet deadlines.
Thou slialt volume thy books neatly.
Thou shalt prepare title pages.
Thou shalt adhere to format rules.
Thou shalt proofread every page and
rebraille all that contain uncorrectable
errors.
Learning to be a good Braillist-being
a certified Braiilist-is hard work and the
person taking the Braille instruction
course should be given encouragement and
assistance as he goes along. Remember,
each person who falls by the wayside is a
book or a shelf of books unbrailled. On
the other hand, temperament in a person
beyond a rather limited amount, is
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incompatible with good Brailling, and the
prima donna who cannot bear to do a
lesson over, cannot abide proofing her
own work, or telephones the instructor in
the middle of the night to complain that
his red pencil on her lesson has been too
harsh, should perhaps do something else
rather than Braille.
What will a Braille group need besides
some Perkins Braillers and some people
able to do Braille? A supply of paper- 1 1
inches x 11 1/2 inches is usually used-100
pound weight, cut so the grain is the 1 1
inch way , duplicating plastic for
producing more copies of the original
transcription, duphcating machine for this
production, and some sort of binding
equipment.
The same sort of coordinator for the
Braille group is needed as for the taping
group. A steadfast, dependable, hard
working coordinator is a great treasure. As
for taping, the Braille group should check
with the American Printing House for the
Blind to see whether work the group
contemplates producing is already
available, and it should secure copyright
clearance.
It is generally agreed (and I certainly
believe) that all hand-Brailled material
should be proofread by a certified
proofreader. How to make contact with
one? The Library of Congress pubhcation.
Volunteers who produce books, will tell
you of proofreaders. But it may be more
desirable to have some bright, affable,
local bhnd person who needs some income
and has considerable time, take the
Library of Congress proofreading course,
get an "A" certificate* , and do as much
as possible for the group's work. A
proofreader with a good personality will
develop rapport with the group members
and will help each of them do first quality
Brailling. (Some groups want the
proofreader to give material needing
correction to the transcriber since she will
be less hkely to make the errors again if
she corrects them. We feel this involves
too much time and handling with the risk
of loss and we want our proofreaders to
make necessary corrections.) However this
is done, the proofreader's report should be
the model of kindly diplomacy.
Proofreaders generally are paid $.10 per
page which adds significantly to Brailling
costs, but it is essential that books be
correctly Brailled and no transcriber is
good enough to avoid errors altogether.
A Braille group has secured its
equipment and supplies, has some certified
Braillists, is prepared to deal with the
Central Catalog, and with copyright
clearance-now what? What books will
they Braille and for whom? Who will pay
the costs? In most cases, the need for
some Braille will have been the motivating
factor which caused the formation of the
group. In any case, as soon as the Braillists
indicate they are ready for business, they
will be sent more work than they can
manage. Some of it will be "crack-pot
stuff not worth the paper the printed
material was put on, and surely not worth
the time and effort to Braille it. I believe
the coordinator should make the decision
on what should be Brailled.
Perhaps the group will have suitable
financial resources to pay all costs
involved in Brailling (I hate to see
members have to put down their Braillers
in order to organize a rummage sale to
raise paper, proofreader, or binding costs.)
My personal behef is that people who need
the Brailling done will value it more and
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will tend to keep "crack-pot" requests
down more if they pay at least part of the
costs. It is well to have some non-Braillists
in the Braille transcribing group to do the
"donkey" work such as duplication and
binding.
book in order to avoid retyping pages
later
3. Use a running title on each page
centered with a margin of 1/2 inch above
it except on page 1 where the top margin
should be 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches.
Large Type Typing
My belief is that large type
transcribing with a large type typewriter is
a horse and buggy method of getting
results when enlarging and duplicating
machines can accomplish the same
purpose much more quickly and without
the need for proofreading. However, we
do some large type work, especially if the
original format was unsatisfactory or if the
machine-enlarged material would be too
great in size for easy handhng. We are
therefore giving our large type format.
LARGE-TYPE FORMAT
The following outline of large-type format
and techniques should replace all previous
instructions. We are introducing a few
changes which are the result of experience
and which, we beUeve, will improve the
quality of the work.
1 . Please arrange the title page as nearly
like the print title page as possible, but
add to it a volume number. Prepare a title
page for each volume.
2. Arrange the completed book in
volumes of 100 to 120 pages. Make
volume breaks at the end of chapters when
possible. Otherwise break at some logical
point such as a chapter subdivision or with
a paragraph which introduces a change in
setting, change in tune, etc When possible,
plan volume divisions as you type the
4. Place the page number on the same
Une as the running title and at the end of
the right-hand margin .
5. Number pages consecutively unless
the book is designated as a textbook. For
textbooks follow inkprint numbering,
using letters a, b, c (65, 65a, 65b) etc., for
tlie extra pages.
6. For textbooks only, begin a new
inkprint page on a new large-type page
except where the print page ends above
the center of a large- type page. In this
case, introduce the new page number at
the end of a line of hyphens and continue
the text on the same page.
7. Type on one side of the page only.
8. Use double spacing (or 1 1/2 spacing
if your machine is equipped for it). Leave
a margin of 1 1/2 inches on the left for
binding; 1/2 to 3/4 inch on the right is
adequate. Follow inkprint format as
closely as possible for footnotes and
bibhographies. Footnotes should be typed
on the same page as the footnote reference
unless the reference comes too close to the
bottom of the page Separate footnotes
from the body of the text with a 2-inch
line of underscoring which begins at the
left margin,
9. Unless you receive instructions to
the contrary, include all material found in
the print copy.
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10. Begin each new chapter on a new
page. Center chapter titles and start the
text on the third line below such titles.
Subdivisions of chapters may be placed at
the margin with important words
capitahzed and the subdivision title
underscored. Underscore all words which
appear in print in italics.
1 1 . Handle graphs and illustrations
according to your resources. If you are an
artist or have the services of an artist
available, reproduce as much as possible.
Simple graphs and diagrams should be
reproduced in enlarged form in most
instances. Use black ink for such
reproductions and for any labeling which
goes with them. Pictures and other
illustrations which cannot be reproduced
should be described if they make a
significant contribution to understanding
the text. Many times the text itself
contains an adequate description.
12. Limit the hyphenation of words.
Avoid hyphenating unless enough of the
word can be included on the Hne so that
with the other context the reader will be
reasonably sure what it is. For example:
furni-ture rather than fur-niture. When
words are divided, be sure that a break is
made only at correct syllable divisions.
Consult a dictionary!
13. Keep tlie type keys clean to avoid
"fuzzy" characters.
14. Change ribbons as often as necessary
to maintain a uniform degree of
"blackness". Large type is produced for
the visually handicapped. They cannot
read it if it is only grey.
15. To make corrections use an eraser
which is not extremely abrasive, or retype
the page. Always retype if the correction
requires extensive erasing. Correction
paper does not make a good correction
with bold-face type, and the coating will
eventually wear off and leave a "double
image" for the reader. The Eberhard-Faber
Singlex eraser, No. 12 or No. 1007 will
make a nice erasure. Never make a
correction by striking over the error. That
practice only compounds the error.
16. Proofreading is always a part of
typing. Proofreading each page as it is
finished is highly recommended. If a hne
or two should be skipped, it can then be
caught at once; otherwise it might be
necessary to retype a number of pages to
make the correction.
As I mentioned earlier, prisons
present great potential for transcribing.
After all they represent-usually-a fairly
high, fairly stable, and in some cases, fairly
unoccupied population. What is the dross
then? The general intellectual level of a
prison tends to be lower than for the same
number of people outside-after all, if
these people had been successful in
whatever activity brought about their
incarceration, they probably would be out
practicing this activity. There is, therefore,
great competition among the "civilians,"
the employees of the prisons, for the
brighter and more skilled inmates. In
addition, sentences tend to be shorter and
more bench paroles are given white-collar
criminals— the ones who might be
"natural" transcribers. Then too, many
persons who work programs with
pay~money~cash-and since the people
usually have to pay for such items as
razors and blades, cigarettes, candy, etc., it
is hard for a "free" or low-paid activity
such as transcribing to compete with
maybe shoe repair or furniture production
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which may pay $ 60 per day. (We pay our
inmates at the rate of S.35 per day.) Still,
with all this, a prison is a good place to
have a transcription group, and some of
the finest transcribing work anywhere in
nation is done by by these people.
The first essential with the prison
program is that tlie prison officials and
particularly the civiHans who will be
directly responsible, ai^e altogether sold on
it. If they don't want it or give it
lukewarm support, it can't thrive. There
must be constant and sustained instruction
of the inmates who will fonn the core of
the program and will teach other inmates.
There must be provision of adequate
equipment, but watch out for its
condition! There seems to be a
relationship between being behind bars
and wanting to take things apart. While all
transcribing groups need constant
attentive nurture, this need is accentuated
with a prison group I beheve.
Well, this is my prescription for the
formation, growth, and survival of
transcription groups. I would be glad to
learn of any experiences of my readers
and, of course, glad to be of any further
help to anyone who might desire it.
FOOTNOTES
1. Anyone who is interested in receiving
the listing of cassette machines we
have for sale to blind people at the
Iowa Commission for the Blind may
write for this hsting This Usting does
not constitute an endorsement of any
of their machines.
and EngUsh Braille. American edition
1959 (revised 1962, 1966, 1968) may
be obtained from Mrs. Maxine Dorf,
Senior Braille Speciahst, Library of
Congress (see footnote 4 for address)
and this Braille instruction course may
also be taken from Mrs. Dorf.
2. If you wish brands of some open reel
tape duphcators, I will be glad to send
them. However, again, this does not
constitute an endorsement of any of
these.
Proofreaders are certified after taking
the proofreading course. The
following is the information the
Library of Congress provides to
people inquiring about the course.
3. We will be glad to send copies of any
of our forms to anyone desiring them.
4. The address for the Library of
Congress is: Division for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, the Library
of Congress, Washington, D. C. 20542.
The course in Braille proofreading is
offered only to blind persons who can
meet the following essential
prerequisites:
1. They must
graduates.
be iiigh school
5. Instruction manual for Braille
transcribing with its drill supplement.
2. They must have a fairly wide
reading experience.
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3. They must be able to read and
write Braille with a fair degree of
accuracy.
4. They must be willing to devote a
considerable amount of time to
proofreading at home.
5. They must be proficient typists
and have ready access to a
typewriter.
The course is conducted entirely in
Braille. Textbooks with specific
instructions are furnished by the
Library of Congress.
After reading the information
contained in this letter, the appHcant
who is interested in qualifying as a
proofreader should request tlie Braille
edition of the Instruction manual for
Braille transcribing. This is the Manual
from which transcribers are trained by
the Library of Congress. The study of
this, instruction book will afford the
opportunity to learn or review English
Braille as authorized by the official
code. Students are required to make a
thorough study of this textbook;
however, they will not be expected to
prepare each exercise for examination
by the instructor.
After a study of the first three lessons,
the exercise of Lesson Three should
be prepared and submitted to the
Division for the Blind of the Library
of Congress. It is essential that the full
name and address of the student
should appear in Braille at the
conclusion of every assignment
throughout the course. Other
assignments from this book will be
made, depending upon the progress of
the student. Upon completion of the
assignments from the Instruction
Manual, the student will receive a
copy of the Manual of Braille
proofreading. The lessons in this book
are designed to provide the experience
needed for the detection and
correction of errors, for the
preparation of constructive
typewritten reports to transcribers,
and other details necessary to
completion of a well-rounded course
in Braille proofreading.
Upon the successful completion of the
entire course, a certificate of
proficiency in Braille proofreading
will be awarded by the Librarian of
Congress.
The certified proofreader receives
compensation at the rate of seven
cents per page of hand-copied Braille.
It should be noted that the Library of
Congress cannot guarantee full-time
employment to certified proofreaders.
Manuscripts are available from time to
time, but there is no assurance that
they can be provided at regular
intervals. For this reason qualified
proofreaders who hve in localities
where there are groups active in
Braille transcribing are encouraged to
seek employment with such
organizations. The Library of
Congress will furnish names and
addresses upon request.
As equipment for the course, it will be
necessary for the student to secure the
following items:
l.A large desk slate, preferably the
37-celI model, obtainable from the
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American Printing House for the
Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue,
Louisville, Kentucky 40206. (For
student work proofreaders often
find it advantageous to own the
40-cell slate which may be
purchased from Howe Press,
Watertown, Massachusetts 02172.
In transcribing textbooks to be
bound in spiral binding a 40-cell
line is frequently used, making it
necessary for the proofreader, who
must occasionally recopy pages, to
reproduce accordingly.)
2. Braille paper, size eleven by eleven
and one-half inches, also
obtainable from the American
Printing House for the Blind.
3. Access to a rehable dictionary,
preferably a Merriam-Webster.
Good Braille proofreaders are few in
number when compared with the many
hundreds of certified transcribers
throughout the country. In addition to
books for hbrary circulation, the
ever-increasing demand on local
organizations for the transcription of
textbooks has created a need for more
quahfied proofreaders than are available
at the present time
We appreciate your interest in the
prospect of becoming a certified
proofreader, and trust that we may
welcome you as one of our students.
7. Spiral binding using equipment such
as tliat manufactured by General
Binding Corporation, Northbrook,
Ilhnois 60062, is frequently used by
transcribing groups and has the
advantage that the material can easily
be taken apart for duphcation.
Library binding such as we use (ours is
produced at the bindery of the Iowa
State Penitentiary) is very durable but
is expensive and cannot be taken apart
for duplication I do not recommend
loose-leaf notebook binders-it is too
easy to lose parts of the books. Once a
book is hand-Brailled, copies can be
made on plastic, using a thermoform
machine obtainable from American
Thermoform Corporation, 1732 West
Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles,
California 90047. However, since each
Braille page has to be duphcated
individually, it is a time consuming
process.
8. Perkins Braillers are manufactured by
Howe Press of Perkins School for the
Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts
02172, and (1970) sell for $116.10
with the carrying case and $100.40
without the carrying case. The word is
that there soon will be an electric
model available.
9. The Iowa Commission for the Blind
will undertake to teach Brailling only
to people who will transcribe some
books for the Commission's program.
10. Braille paper may be purchased from
Howe Press and the American Printing
House for the Blind, but freight costs
will be saved if the Braille group can
obtain it from a local paper company.
We buy from Midwestern Paper
Company, 1801 East Hull, PO. Box
6676, Des Moines, Iowa 50303.
1 1 . A proofreader with an "A" certificate
from the Library of Congress can
correct errors. One with a "B"
certificate must have someone else
correct errors.
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MONITOR MINIATURES
The Minnesota Bulletin, publication
of the Minnesota Organization of the
Blind, has devoted a large portion of its
current issue with the marking of the 50th
anniversary of the organization. The MOB
began in 1920 when there was an acute
need for action for social and economic
changes for the blind It has accomplished
much in the past fifty years-it has grown
in scope of services, has obtained much
public support, and has increased greatly
in membership. In Duluth, it has the
Arrowhead Chapter which is open to the
bUnd of six northern Minnesota counties.
The organization provided the first group
housing at a reasonable cost for blind
persons. Its legislative accomplishments
over the years have been
imposing-improvements in Aid to the
Blind, the Model White Cane Law, and tax
relief measures, to mention only a few.
The Braille Monitor salutes the Minnesota
Organization of the Blind on its fiftieth
anniversary and commends it for all it has
done for the welfare of the bUnd men and
women of Minnesota.
correction.
*****
A cane equipped with laser beams is
being tested at Western Michigan
University. It lets the user know if there is
a step 12 feet ahead or he is about to walk
into a low-hanging branch or is on a
collision course with another pedestrian.
The experiments began about six months
ago and are being financed by the
Veterans Administration. The cane uses
three laser beams, bouncing light off
obstacles. One adjustable beam is trained
up to 12 feet ahead of the user and a
low-pitched beep tells the cane user if
there is a low-lying obstacle or drop-off
ahead. A second beam tickles his right
index finger if he is approaching a large
object or if someone crosses his path. If he
approaches something at head level, such
as a low-hanging branch, he is warned by a
liigh-pitched beep. Those conducting the
experiments point out that they don't
want tto raise the hopes of blind persons
since they don't know how helpful the
cane may prove to be.
The March, 1970 issue of the
Monitor reprinted a story from a North
Dakota newspaper in which it was stated
that blind students were denied admission
to the School of Education of the
University of North Dakota. We have been
advised by Miss Del Sulsky of Williston,
North Dakota that she herself had
graduated from the School of Education
some ten years ago and there have been
about seven others who have completed
the course. We are glad to have this
The Vidivision for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped of the Library of
Congress announces the titles of two
cassette books done by speech
compression methods-The Fiction of
Experience by Lesser and Morris and
Patterns of Culture by Ruth Benedict.
Incidentally, the DBPH News, issued
bi-monthly, contains a lot of interesting
material for the Braille and talking book
-704-
readers.
Isabelle moves! Fleeing from the
smog of Los Angeles, Dr. Isabelle L. D
Grant has ahghted in the capital city of
California, Sacramento. Midst myriads of
cartons, Isabelle reports her new address as
1314 V Street, Sacramento. California
95818. She reports that her overseas
correspondence still continues unabated.
The nation has an immediate need
for 1,829 new rehabilitation facilities,
including 584 sheltered workshops,
according to a monograph just pubhshed
by tlie U. S. Rehabilitation Services
Administration. The publication was based
on a 1968 survey.
Robert R. Luman of San Francisco,
who was blinded in an accidental
explosion on a construction project,
recently won a $750,000 out-of-court
settlement. This award is one of the largest
in a personal injury case.
Science for the Blind is offering a
special introductory reel containing
recorded excerpts from all of the
periodicals currently being circulated. The
introductory reel is recorded on new
one-mil mylar tape on a seven-inch reel.
To obtain a sample reel, send your name
and address and one dollar to Science for
the Blind, 221 Rock Hill Road,
Bala-Cynwfyd, Pennsylvania 19004.
The District of Columbia Department
of Vocational Rehabilitation has recently
established a trainmg and evaluation
center. The major objective of the center
is to provide, in the most expeditious
manner, essential vocational rehabilitation
services and to offer those services at an
accessible site Services at the center
include orientation, rehabilitation
counseUing and guidance, psychological
testing, p re-vocational and vocational
evaluation, personal and work adjustment,
skill training, and specialized placement.
The center is located in the heart of the
Model Cities area of the District.
******
Doctors have recently been warned
not to substitute artificial lenses inside the
eye in cataract operations. A rash of about
300 such operations have been performed
in the New York area during the past three
months. Most of the lens insertion
operations have turned out unsuccessful
and many have caused permanent damage
to the eyes, including bhndness, says Dr.
Richard G Troutman of the State
University of New York Downstate
Medical Center
Two eminent American women,
Helen Keller and Jane Addams, were
recently honored at Washington Cathedral.
Their likenesses are carved on corbel
stones in the National Cathedral
Association bay on the south side of the
cathedral. Katharine Cornell, famed
American actress, has written a special
tribute to Miss Keller. She stated: "For
the deaf-bhnd there was never a real world
before Helen Keller. For those who could
see and hear, Helen Keller created a new
-705-
world. Helen Keller created sight and
sound and understanding among people all
over the world who reached out for the
touch of her sightless, soundless
humanity "
******
The President's Commission on
Income Maintenance Programs, originally
appointed by President Johnson, has
unanimously recommended a $2,400
minimum income for a family of four The
Commission argued that income from
work was out of the reach of most poor
people and that major emphasis should
not be given to encouragmg employment
among those with only the most hmited
vocational potential. The Commission did,
however, encourage the payment of funds
to those among the "working poor", the
nearly two million families whose heads
work at poverty level wages. The present
Nixon administration proposals are aimed
at reform of pubhc welfare, primarily that
portion of the program that provides Aid
to Families with Dependent Children. In
contrast, the Commission's proposal
would drastically do away with welfare,
substituting instead direct cash payments
to all poor people-single, aged, blind,
disabled. Food stamp programs would be
eliminated and day care centers for
working mothers would not be a part of
the program. To provide work incentives
for those able to work, the Commission
proposes that they be entitled to retain 50
percent of their earnings to $4,800, $890
more than the administration's proposed
maximum. In a supporting statement to
the Commission's report, three members
noted that the minimum income level
should have been $3,600, roughly the
poverty level as defined by the federal
government.
******
During the final two months of 1969,
Computer Systems Institute mailed a brief
questionnaire to those employers of blind
and visually handicapped graduates in
Computer Programming. The results were
both gratifying and informative. Some
24.2% of the employers rated their blind
computer programmers job performance
as excellent, 57.6% as good, 15.2% as fair,
and only 3% as poor. The blind employees
were also rated highly on such quahties as
motivation, intelligence, appearance,
attendance, punctuahty, cooperation,
attitude, quality of work, quantity of
work, compatibility with employees,
compatibihty with supervisors. The
average salary of these workers was $7,366
a year.
Mr. Ray McGeorge, President of the
Denver Area Association of the Blind, an
affiliate of the Colorado Federation of the
Blind, has sent a small pamphlet describing
the new Center for the Activities of the
Blind, housed in a building which the
Association recently purchased. The
purchase was made with the intention of
having facilities for the varied activities of
the Denver Area Association and with the
desire to provide a facility for the use of
other organizations involved with work for
the blind. In a brief period of time they
have been able to work out programs
providing facilities for "The Parents of
Blind Children", and "The Braille Teens",
"Friends of the Library for the Blind",
and "The State Library", providing
storage for seldom used Braille books, and
with the parent organization, the Colorado
Federation of the Blind. The building is a
2^/2 story structure with approximately
-706-
12,000 square feet of floor space,
occupying 2 lots. The total cost of the
property was $55,000, with the Denver
Area Association of the Blind assuming a
$25,000 mortgage. The organization is
handling the finances of its varied projects
plus the expenses of the building with a
portion derived from the rental of office
space to groups not involved with work
for the blind, plus financial support from
individual contributions. Congratulations
to you, Ray, and the members of your
group, for real movement.
:f::f::^:{:^:{:4^:{::i::t::t;^;
-707-
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