                                      The Braille Spectator
                                         Winter 1993/94

               The Newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland


                                MTA "ACCOMMODATIONS", TQM AT DOE:
                                   27th CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 

                                          by Al Maneki

       Signs of a great NFB state convention: something new,
something unexpected, something spectacular, something
accomplished, giving one the impression that conventions are
getting better. By these measures, the twenty-seventh annual
convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland,
October 29-31 in Ocean City, was an excellent one. There was the
first-time-ever Halloween party on Friday nightchildren and adults
parading in costumes with prizes given out for the best costumes,
and everyone having a grand time. There were many excellent door
prizes of merchandise and cash including the grand prize of a VCR
at the banquet. Another first was the group of 12 teenagers
attending on convention scholarships from the Parents Division to
interact with and learn from successful blind adults. Convention
attendance points to continued growth of this NFB affiliate267
registered, a record, and 229 at the banquet, also a record.
       In her annual message, Sharon Maneki took the Maryland State
Department of Education to task for failing to carry out Governor
Schaefer's mandate to institute the practices of total quality
management in their operations, and urged Blind Industries and
Services of Maryland to adopt TQM as well. She criticized the mass
transit administration for wasting its money on truncated dome
tiles. She pledged our continued support to Maryland's blind
vendors in their struggle to protect vending machine revenues, to
continue to help blind shop employees at BISM to resolve their
disputes with management, and to locate more volunteers to produce
braille books for children. Among the accomplishments of the past
year, president Maneki included the resolution of a case of housing
discrimination, assistance to a parent with an IEP problem, the re-
assignment of rehabilitation counselors at DORS, and the hiring of
a full-time braillist in the Montgomery County school system.
       There were interesting presentations by first time convention
speakersTammy Jones, Christopher Kuczynski, Scott LaBarre, Leon
Rose, Jim Shacochis, and the directors of the Maryland Commission
on Human Relations, the Mass Transit Administration, and the
Technology Assistance Program. The students in the rehabilitation
program at BISM gave moving personal accounts of their problems
with blindness and the valuable help that they were receiving from
BISM's program. Delegate Virginia Thomas spoke about health care
reform in Maryland and promised to help us to secure insurance
coverage for medical devices adapted for use by blind and visually
impaired persons. Then, there were the splendid and inspiring
speeches by national representative Sam Gleesewhat a valuable
asset he is to the NFB and the NFB of Mississippi!
       At a special luncheon on Saturday, the Merchants Division was
reorganized and expanded to the Business Division to include all
persons who are self-employed and those who wish to go into
business for themselves.
       The membership adopted six resolutions which, among other
matters, called on DORS to require its rehabilitation teachers of
the blind to pass the NLS Braille competency test, again urged LBPH
to build its collection from the excess books of the Library of
Congress, and condemned MTA's issuance of bus route placards.
(Resolutions are reprinted elsewhere in this issue.) 
       At the banquet, Esther Layton (Baltimore) was recognized as
the Distinguished Educator of Blind and Visually Impaired Students
in Maryland for 1993. Joyce Hall (Baltimore) received the Anna
Freysz Cable Award for acquiring the skills of blindness as an
adult. In addition to these two new awards, Charles Bieble
(Baltimore) received the Shirley Trexler Media Award, and Judy
Rasmussen (Kensington) received the Kenneth Jernigan Award. Latonya
Phippes (Baltimore), a freshman at Spellman University in Atlanta,
and Justin Feagle (Trappe), a freshman at Frostburg State
University, received McCraw Scholarships of $1400 and $800
respectively. We congratulate these award recipients and
scholarship winners for their outstanding accomplishments. 
       We wish to thank the convention speakers and exhibitors for
their presentations, the Federationists who served on the many
convention committees, and everyone who donated door prizes.
Finally we thank the members who gave up their valuable weekend
time to attend this convention and made it such a huge success.
       The convention was brought to a close in the now familiar way
with the president's announcement of the site and date of next
year's conventionCumberland at the Holiday Inn, November 4-6. Join
us then for our twenty-eighth annual convention and a gala
celebration of our Greater Cumberland Chapter's twenty-fifth
anniversary. 


THE STATE OF THE AFFILIATE: 1993

By Sharon Maneki

(Delivered at the twenty-seventh annual convention, Saturday,
October 30, 1993.)

       Fellow Federationists: President Clinton often speaks of the
need for changethe need to remake government, the need to
restructure our society, and the need to reinvigorate our economy.
Even before the presidential election of 1992, many of our nation's
institutional and corporate leaders were seriously thinking about
the changes which needed to be made if their organizations were to
prosper in the coming decades. And what about the National
Federation of the Blind? Is this affiliate a up-to-date and
relevant organization? Lacking in financial resources as we are, I
am not referring to our use of the latest telecommunications
technology or office gadgets, but I am referring to our ability to
adapt to changing political and social conditions. Are we in tune
with the significant trends of the 1990s? Let us consider the
answers to these questions at this, our twenty-seventh annual,
convention. 
       One of the management practices in vogue today is "Total
Quality Management," better known as TQM. The basic principles of
TQM are an emphasis on serving the needs of customers, an approach
to solving problems by examining the processes involved, and the
empowerment of workers with decision-making responsibilities. It is
a premise of TQM that the managers and leaders of an organization
should not make decisions by only talking among themselves. 
       The National Federation of the Blind has always operated under
the principles of TQM, although we have never adopted its jargon.
We know our customers, and we provide them with the products and
services that they need. The National Federation of the Blind's
customers are not the rehabilitation agencies, not the schools for
the blind, and not the sheltered workshops. Our customers are our
members, students, the elderly, the newly blind, parents of blind
childrenin short, the blind men and women of the nation and their
families. Our products and services may be described as
informationour philosophy and understanding of blindnessand
assistancethe advocacy and encouragement we offer to those who
desperately need it. We have always looked for the solutions to
problems by examining the processes involved, and as anyone who
attends our meetings and conventions is well aware, our leaders do
not make decisions by talking among themselves. We do not need to
adopt the TQM terminology. Yet I believe that it would be useful to
examine the National Federation of the Blind's accomplishments and
activities of the past year in the context of TQM to see just how
up-to-date and relevant an organization we are. 
       In the last twelve months, the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland engaged in a number of innovative efforts to
distribute information. Since diabetes is the leading cause of
adult blindness, providing information to diabetics is an important
aspect of our customer services. When President Maurer announced
late last year that the "Voice of the Diabetic" would be circulated
free of charge, he challenged us to increase the circulation of
this valuable quarterly publication dramatically. In Maryland, we
responded to this challenge by creating a network of local
distributors, one from each local chapter, who receives 50 to 100
copies each quarter, and distributes them throughout the community
with the assistance of fellow chapter members. We will continue to
expand the circulation of the "Voice of the Diabetic" so that
friends, relatives, and diabetics themselves may learn that
independence can be maintained in spite of the loss of vision. 
       We have all heard the lament: "If I had only learned about the
National Federation of the Blind earlier, I would not have retired
from my job because of blindness"; or "I would not have sold my
house because I thought that I could not take care of it"; or "I
would have pursued the career that I really wanted, not the one
that my rehabilitation counselor said that blind people were
capable of". Reaching out to newly blind persons has always been a
difficult task. Ophthalmologists could perform a valuable service
to their patients who are faced with the prospect of blindness by
referring them to the National Federation of the Blind. We could
then help newly blind persons to put blindness in its proper
perspective of characteristic rather than handicap early in their
periods of adjustment. Thanks to the success of the 1992 Greater
Baltimore chapter art auction and to the mailing list that Ronald
Coleman was able to obtain, we were able to mail our literature to
all ophthalmologists in Maryland. An ophthalmologist who reads one
of our Kernel Books, or shares that book with his patients, will
not only have a different picture of blindness himself, but will
also spread our message to his patients. 
       Reaching out to blind and visually impaired students is
another priority. All students, even those who do not receive one
of our national or state scholarships, can benefit from our
information and gain an understanding of blindness that can
liberate them for the rest of their lives. This year, for the first
time, we were able to mail scholarship applications to every high
school and university in Maryland. 
       Consider also the work of Maryland's Parents of Blind Children
Division to disseminate information to parents and professionals.
This year, for the first time, members of the parents division
attended the Maryland Infants and Toddlers conference to exhibit
our literature. The division also sponsored a special seminar on
blindness for Infants and Toddlers professionals in Frederick
County. 
       The customer services that the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland offers continues to evolve and expand. When
considering what services to offer, we are guided by our philosophy
of equal rights and equal opportunities. The children's white cane
bank is an excellent example. The use of the long white cane for
independent travel is an accepted practice for blind adults. In the
1980s, we in the Federation introduced the idea of putting canes in
the hands of young blind children. Blind children who use a white
cane for independent travel have a unique problem. They outgrow
their canes. The White Cane Bank solves this problem by providing
a free exchange of canes to parents who register and purchase their
first cane. As blind adults, we can take great pride in the blind
children who have the opportunity for independent travel that we
did not have, thanks to the National Federation of the Blind. 
       Another customer service that we initiated this year was the
children's Braille book project. Children, especially those in the
kindergarten through third grade age group, have very few Braille
books to read. Children who participate in the Braille Readers are
Leaders contest are frequently forced to re-read the same books for
credit because no other Braille books are available. through the
efforts of our members and other volunteers, fifteen books were
transcribed into Braille for children to read during the 1993-94
Braille Readers Are Leaders contest. We will continue to search for
the volunteers to transcribe children's books into Braille. 
       The primary type of customer service that we have provided is
service to individuals. We offer encouragement, hope, and support
to blind individuals through monthly meetings, parties, picnics,
and other gatherings of our local chapters. We encourage each other
to extend ourselves beyond the stereotypical limits that society
imposes on us. We laugh or cry together over the humiliating
experiences that we encounter because of the public's ignorance and
misconceptions of blindness. We build on our failures, and we
applaud our successes. By serving as advocates, we solve many
problems for individuals. As in previous years, we assisted blind
persons who were having problems with their Social Security
benefits, and we assisted blind persons who were having problems
with the Division of Rehabilitation Services. I want to share three
examples of advocacy from the past year which particularly
illustrate the benefits of collective action. 
       It is hard to believe that discrimination in housing still
occurs in the 1990s. On a Saturday morning in late February, I
received a call from Ruth Stewart. Ruth was at the management
office of Abundant Life Towers, the apartment complex that she had
just moved into that morning. The problem was that Ruth's dog guide
had to be left at her old apartment because Abundant Life Towers
insisted that Ruth should pay an additional fee for her dog guide
and would not allow Ruth to bring her dog onto the premises until
that fee was paid. The National Federation of the Blind is not a
Monday to Friday, nine to five organization. By Saturday afternoon,
the managers at Abundant Life Towers not only knew about the
Maryland White Cane Law, but also had a copy of that law in their
possession. Ruth and her dog guide were re-united in the new
apartment. There would be no Maryland White Cane Law without the
collective action of the National Federation of the Blind. This
incident also reminds us that we must remain vigilant. Even though
the Maryland White Cane Law was passed over twenty years ago, there
are still elements of society that try to infringe on our rights. 
       In October, 1992, parents from Montgomery County asked for our
assistance. Blind students were not able to complete their
assignments because they were not getting their course materials in
Braille. During the previous school year, the part time Braillist
employed by the school system passed away. Although funds for the
Braillist position were in the current year's budget, and a
candidate was ready to apply for the position, the position
remained unfilled. On October 26, I wrote to Catherine Hobbs, the
president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, asking her
to advertise the position immediately and fill it as soon as
possible. Members of the Sligo Creek chapter and the Parents
Division took turns attending board of education meetings to speak
about the blind students needs for Braille materials. I received a
letter dated December 1, 1992, from Alan Cheung, acting president
of the Montgomery County Board of Education, stating that the
Braillist position was upgraded to a full time position and that
this position should be filled in two weeks. Today, blind students
of Montgomery County have a better opportunity to compete with
their sighted peers and receive a quality education because a
Braillist is at work providing them with their course materials. 
       Marylou Lanham of Charles County, a parent of a blind child,
came to the National Federation of the Blind for help. The Charles
County school system told Mrs. Lanham that she could not record her
daughter's IEP meeting on audio cassette, and her daughter's
individualized education program was changed after she had signed
it. When Mrs. Lanham asked education officials why the IEP was
changed without first consulting her, they claimed that the board
of education denied some of the requests. Knowledge is a powerful
weapon. Barbara Cheadle gave Mrs. Lanham copies of the appropriate
law and regulations. Parents clearly have the right to record a
meeting if they wish to do so. An individualized education program
cannot be changed after it has been signed unless all parties agree
to the changes. Mrs. Lanham went back to the education officials to
tell them that she had consulted with the National Federation of
the Blind and was now aware of her rights. They said that a due
process hearing would not be necessary. The original services were
restored to her daughter's individualized education program. 
       The practitioner of TQM achieves efficiency by examining the
process by which functions and tasks are performed. This emphasis
on process is a useful approach to solving problems, even in
programs for the blind. We in the Federation have been studying the
processes in programs for the blind for many years. Some agencies
for the blind accept our recommendations. In these situations, we
have been able to bring about improvements harmoniously. Other
agencies ignore us or have been hostile towards us, and we have
used alternative techniques to make improvements. 
       Blind Industries and Services of Maryland needs TQM. In the
spring of 1993, BISM dissolved its industrial relations committee.
The National Labor Relations Board considers such committees as a
violation of employees' rights, since a mixed committee of
management and employees can be too easily manipulated by
management. Instead of examining the process, president Richard
Brueckner's initial reaction was to sit back and wait for Congress
to amend the National Labor Relations Act to legalize joint working
groups of management and workers. The NFB was not content to wait
for Congress to act. Only when we began to talk seriously with the
shop workers at BISM to explore their options, did Mr. Brueckner
devise a new channel of communication between management and
workers. We will continue to work with BISM to improve the
communications with its industrial employees, and we will make sure
that their rights are protected. 
       Despite Governor Schaefer's announcement that TQM will be used
in the management of state government, we have seen little evidence
of a customer service philosophy put into practice at the Maryland
State Department of Educationparticularly at the Maryland State
Library for the Blind (LBPH), the Division of Rehabilitation
Services (DORS), and the Division of Special Education. 
       The restriction of the hours for patrons to call in their book
orders from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM is hardly a recommended practice
under TQM. This restriction excludes patrons who work or attend
school during the day. For the first time, however, the possibility
exists for better library services. With the opening of its new
building, LBPH has space to hold more books then it has ever had.
LBPH now has the equipment and the space to produce books to
augment the National Library Service's offerings. Will LBPH use TQM
to bring these new opportunities to fruition? We will continue to
prod, cajole, or do whatever else is necessary to improve the
services from LBPH. We look forward to other innovative reading
programs such as the August story hours for blind children jointly
sponsored by our parents division and the Friends of LBPH. Blind
children not only enjoyed the pleasure of reading stories but also
learned from the blind adults who read the stories that reading
Braille is respectable and fun. 
       Throughout my tenure as president, I have never been able to
report any progress toward better services for blind persons at
DORS and its predecessors. During the past year, there was a little
progress in two areasthe assignment of counselors and the
provision of accessible materials. In 1991, DORS reorganized from
six regional offices to four regional offices. Region 2 consists of
Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert
counties. DORS assigned only one counselor for the blind to this
large territory, and one who knew nothing about blindness. Not
surprisingly, we began to receive complaints from blind clients in
region 2. I discussed these complaints, by phone and by letter,
with the director of client services, Patrick McKenna. Mr. McKenna
took action. The case load was divided and new counselors were
assigned to blind clients in this region. 
       At last year's convention, we passed resolution 92-05, urging
DORS to provide rehabilitation information on client rights and
appeal procedures, and documents such as the individualized written
rehabilitation program, to blind and visually impaired clients in
Braille, on audio cassette, or in large print. Assistant State
Superintendent James Jeffers' first response to our resolution was
to send me a letter stating that DORS already provided information
in accessible media. We published Mr. Jeffers letter in the Braille
Spectator, and urged everyone to ask for accessible information.
Only after the publication of this letter did DORS arrange for the
Technology Assistance Program to set up a system to provide Braille
or large print materials. We must continue to test this system.
DORS did not provide its state rehabilitation plan in Braille to
those of us who wanted to submit comments. Today DORS would not
have a process to provide accessible materials if the National
Federation of the Blind did not insist on it. 
       The Maryland Vending Program for the Blind suffers from a lack
of TQM. The issue of vending machine income festers and remains
unresolved. When the Maryland State Department of Education asked
for public comment on regulations to implement SB 770, the most
recent bill on the vending program to be adopted by the General
Assembly, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland said in
part: 
       "The vending machine income section (.05) of these regulations
should be strengthened by adding language which mandates the
Department of General Services to provide the Maryland Vending
Program for the Blind with accurate and complete records on all
vending machine income generated on the properties controlled by
the Department of General Services. Control mechanisms should be
required to enable the Maryland Vending Program for the Blind to
determine that it has received all of the vending machine income to
which it is entitled. The regulations should also specify the date
by which vending machine income should be paid to the Maryland
Vending Program for the Blind." 
       It is well known that the process for collecting vending
machine income is not clearly articulated. The operations of six
blind vendors were threatened because DORS did not have a well
defined process for the disposition of vending machine income from
state facilities that are not controlled by the Department of
General Services. In late June, the Department of Budget and Fiscal
Planning ruled that vending machine income did not belong to the
blind vendors in the buildings where the machines are housed. This
decision not only affected the livelihoods of the individual
vendors, but also represented a loss of revenue for the entire
vending program. Upon our recommendation, the department of budget
and fiscal planning retracted this order on September 2. The issue
of vending machine income is now under study. Blind vendors may be
assured that the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
remains committed to maintaining the viability of the vending
program. 
       Once the National Federation of the Blind identifies the
source of a problem in a given process, we vigorously pursue a
course of action which leads to the solution of the problem. We
addressed the problem of illiteracy among blind and visually
impaired students by working for the passage of the Maryland
Literacy Rights and Education act for Blind and Visually Impaired
Students. This law went into effect on October 1, 1992. Laws are
effective only if they are publicized and enforced, and if the
proper regulations are written. During the past year, we publicized
both this law and the excellent guidelines on the selection of
reading and writing media for blind and visually impaired students
which was prepared with our assistance. 
       We did not wait for the department of education to get around
to enforcing other aspects of the literacy act. On October 1, 1992,
we submitted a proposal to strengthen the certification
requirements for vision teachers to the Professional Standards and
Teacher Education Board. This certification board established an
advisory committee to develop recommendations to satisfy the
requirements in the literacy act to strengthen teacher
certification requirements. I served as the NFB's representative on
this advisory committee. The committee had a difficult task, not
only because of the diverging opinions of its members, but also
because the certification requirements for all teachers in Maryland
are in transition. The Department of Education is moving away from
a regulatory role to an advisory role, and moving from rigid credit
count requirements to options and flexibility in course
requirements. 
       On October 7, 1993, the advisory committee presented its
recommendations to the certification board. If these
recommendations are adopted, they will give the public greater
assurance that vision teachers have the essential knowledge and
skills to teach blind and visually impaired students. If these
recommendations are adopted, vision teachers in Maryland will be
required to have knowledge of Braille if they wish to be certified,
and vision teachers will be required to demonstrate the maintenance
of their Braille skills at every step of recertification.
Unfortunately, the committee recommended the certificate of Braille
competency from the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically handicapped as only one of several options that vision
teachers may use to demonstrate competency in Braille reading and
writing. If we find that these options are loopholes to achieving
competence, we will attempt to eliminate these options. Although we
will work to have these recommendations adopted immediately, the
outcome remains uncertain, since the Department of Education is
currently thinking of changing the recertification requirements for
all teachers. We will continue our battle to ensure that blind and
visually impaired children receive the quality education to which
they are entitled. 
       During the coming year, we will make a special effort to
promote the use of Braille by both children and adults. At our
banquet this evening, we will present 2 new awards. To recognize
the outstanding vision teacher who promotes Braille and the other
alternative techniques of blindness, we will present the
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award. We have presented
this award at our national conventions for the last 5 years, but
this is the first time we will present such an award in Maryland.
The Anna Freysz Cable award will be presented to the outstanding
person who became blind as an adult, but continues to lead a
productive life by learning and using the alternative techniques of
blindness. It is most appropriate to name this award in honor of
Anna Cable, who learned Braille in her 60s. After becoming blind,
Anna continued to cook, type, and pursue community interests. At
age 100, Anna is still living a productive life. By using a variety
of approaches, we will win the fight for literacy and adequate
training for all blind persons. 
       The final element in TQM is empowerment. The Americans With
Disabilities Act is supposed to foster a shift in disability policy
away from paternalism to empowerment. Since our inception in 1940,
the National Federation of the Blind has practiced empowerment. At
this convention, just as at all of our state and national
conventions, the membership will determine the policies of this
organization. We set our goals by voting on resolutions. We elect
our own leaders. As we are reminded in each issue of The Braille
Monitor, "the national federation of the blind is not an
organization speaking for the blind; it is the blind speaking for
themselves." During the past year, we used empowerment to dissuade
a number of elected officials and bureaucrats of their notions
about the accommodations that blind persons need. 
       In February and March, we joined federationists across the
country in commenting on questions and proposals from the
Architectural Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. This board
suspended its rules on the installation of detectable warnings and
truncated dome tiles until 1995, and called for further study of
these matters. In Maryland, we had to remind state officials of the
suspension because they were rushing to install these
accommodations. The arguments are now familiar. We do not need an
irregular and hazardous surface to tell us that we are at the edge
of a platform or a street crossing. We can get that information
from the proper use of a long white cane or a dog guide. Under wet
and icy conditions, both sighted and blind persons will slip and
fall on these surfaces that were supposedly designed to make the
environment safe. If studies are to be conducted, let us hope that
such studies will be more objective and reasonable than the study
designed by Dr. Billie Louise Bentzen, and administered to several
members of our Sligo Creek Chapter by Donna Sauerberger. We are sad
and angry about the accident that took the life of Chris Buchanan
of Newport News, Virginia, who was killed at the MARC platform in
New Carrollton, Maryland. Warning surfaces will not prevent the
needless loss of life. Instead of wasting time and money on a
futile effort to change the environment, give us the tools that we
need to take care of ourselves! Let us have decent mobility and
adjustment to blindness training!
       The Baltimore City Mayor's Commission on Disabilities will
more accurately represent the true spirit of empowerment because of
the efforts of Eileen Rivera and our Baltimore chapter. As
originally proposed to the City Council, the commission would be
dominated by service providers rather than consumers; only the
disabled members would have to reside in Baltimore City; and there
was no stipulation that this commission would be chaired by a
disabled person. Because we practiced empowerment ourselves, the
City Council was persuaded to amend the commission's structure. The
commission will be chaired by a disabled person; all members of the
commission will reside in Baltimore City; and the commission will
have true consumer representation. 
       Today, the art of persuasion is a major industry. With modern
technology, armies of spin doctors and image makers are employed to
sway public opinion. Even the president of the United States relies
on a host of professionals to sell his ideas and maintain his
image. We have our spin doctors and image makers in the National
Federation of the Blind, too. They are not of the professional
variety, but they are our membersall of us. We create a public
image of blindness through our everyday activities. Our spin
doctors are active parents like the Maurers and the Lowders, as
they shop for groceries and shepherd their children to athletic
events; devout persons like Lloyd Rasmussen, an elder in his church
who uses an alternative technique to serve communion to his
parishioners; and well-adjusted students like Charles Cheadle who
was recently elected to the Order of the Arrow, a select group of
Boy Scouts. We cannot control the public's thinking on blindness.
We can only cultivate the public's understanding of blindness by
our individual and collective activities. 
       Let us return to the questions that I posed at the beginning
of this report: Are we in need of reform? Are we a relevant and up-
to-date organization? Are we in tune with the most significant
trends of the 1990's? Our esteemed leader, the late John McCraw,
would chuckle over the jargon of Total Quality Management and the
doings of the spin doctors. But he would instantly recognize the
work of the National Federation of the Blind in the 1990's. He
would tell us that we are not in need of reform, that we are
relevant and up-to-date, and that we are in tune with the most
significant trends of this decade. He would urge us on to ever
greater accomplishments. 
       Finally, I appeal to our newer membersthose attending their
first conventionand to the studentsespecially those in our youth
scholarship program and in the rehabilitation program at Blind
Industries and services of Maryland. We must believe in the
capabilities of blind persons in our own hearts and we must
eliminate the myths and fears of blindness in ourselves before we
can expect to change the public's image of blindness. We want you
to have the freedom that the rest of us have never had. Use it to
take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, and use it
to better the condition for all blind persons. We need your
enthusiasm, energy, and fresh ideas. The time will come when the
torch of leadership will be passed on to you! The future is bright
with promise. Let us continue in our grand march to freedom and
opportunity.


THE MARYLAND TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MD TAP)

by Mary Brady

From the Editor: Mary Brady, Executive Director of the Maryland
Technology Assistance Program asked to address the convention.
Since she made her request after the agenda was set, we were unable
to give her the time that she had requested. She submitted this
article at Sharon Maneki's invitation.

       The Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP) is a grant
funded program of the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research. MD TAP is governed under the provision of
Public Law 100-407. The purpose of this Act is to assist states in
developing and implementing consumer responsive, state-wide
programs of technology-related assistance for individuals of all
ages and all disabilities. MD TAP is provided as a cooperative
service of the Governor William Donald Schaefer's Office for
Individuals with Disabilities. MD TAP provides information on
available products, devices, services and other resources to assist
individuals with disabilities. More specifically, MD TAP offers
information and referral, regional technology assistance centers,
equipment demonstration and loans, assistance in obtaining funding
for assistive devices, and training and coordination with other
state and federal programs involved with assistive technology.
Assistive technology is used in every facet of life, including
work, education and recreation.
       In Baltimore, MD TAP operates an equipment demonstration
center, including a Sensory Aids Lab at the Maryland Rehabilitation
Center. This facility is fully equipped and accessible. There the
public has a chance to learn, borrow and try assistive devices. In
three other regional centers, located in Salisbury, Hagerstown and
Cumberland, technology loans and consultation services are provided
locally by the project's Regional Technology Specialists.
       Hundreds of calls come in monthly with questions ranging from
"How can my son obtain an adapted computer for his classroom?" to
broader questions such as "How can MD TAP assist employers with
issues which may arise in hiring blind individuals?" An employer
may be concerned as to how the individual will travel to and from
work, or how the individual will carry out the daily tasks of
preparing documents, retrieving information, or even performing
mathematical calculations.
       The Maryland Technology Assistance Program can help find
solutions to these and other pressing issues of employer and
employee needs. First, MD TAP maintains a database (Abledata) which
accesses over 17 thousand products available for individuals with
disabilities. This database is updated on a semi-annual basis.
Second, MD TAP maintains an extensive library of resources
available on high and low tech strategies and devices. Third, MD
TAP can assist employers with information about what technology is
available, where they can get it and how much it costs. Fourth, MD
TAP can also provide the employer with resources to educate them
about working with blind individuals and the rights and
responsibilities that blind individuals have under the American
With Disabilities Act. Once an employer has a better understanding
and awareness as to how a blind individual can perform the job
effectively and independently, a positive outlook occurs in hiring
the individual. Fifth, Maryland TAP also provides information about
other resources in the State of Maryland and around the country.
This can assist in developing solutions to specific needs whether
they are recursive or rare instances.
       MD TAP is dedicated to systems change. This means that it
works with a vast variety of agencies and organizations in an
effort to assist them in better serving their members. MD TAP can
assist in working with individuals who are not currently using or
aware of available technologies.
       MD TAP is in a position to provide employers with information
and hands-on demonstrations of technology based solutions. As the
first federal program specifically mandated to be "consumer driven
and consumer responsive," MD TAP employs blind and visually
impaired individuals in key professional staff positions, as well
as on its Advisory Committee. All materials published by MD TAP are
available in alternative formats, and all training sessions are
free and open to the public. A recent seminar, entitled "Let's Do
Braille" has drawn diversified audiences of secretaries, rehab
counselors and others interested in learning how to produce Braille
documents. MD TAP is anxious to work with you to find an answer,
product, or solution which will meet the needs of both employer and
employee.
       For more information or to receive the current Training
Calendar and quarterly newsletter, please contact MD TAP at
1-800-TECH-TAP V/TT. (1-800-832-4827)


MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION AND THE RADIO READING
NETWORK OF MARYLAND ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

       Baltimore, MD (October 1, 1993)Maryland Public Television
(MPT) and the Radio Reading Network of Maryland announced a
partnership today to make the reading network more available to
visually and physically-impaired Marylanders.
       Beginning October 1, the Radio Reading Networka daily service
where volunteers read current newspapers and magazineswill be
broadcast on MPT's Second Audio Program (SAP) channel. The SAP
channel is an option available on most stereo television sets.
       "Since 1979, we've probably been one of Maryland's best kept
secrets," said Mary Jo Pons, Chairman of the Board of the Radio
Reading Network. "Now, thanks to MPT, the word will be out. It's
exciting to know that the voices of our volunteers will at last be
heard across the state."
       The broadcasts will be available on all six channels of MPT,
reaching 98 percent of the population of Maryland. The only time
the reading service will be preempted is when a program contains
the Descriptive Video Service (DVS)additional audio information
and narrative to make programs more enjoyable for the visually
impairedor when the SAP channel is used for broadcasts of sessions
of the Maryland General Assembly.
       "Maryland Public Television prides itself on helping to make
media more available to people," said Norm Silverstein, Senior Vice
President of Administration.
       "We look forward to this partnership with the Radio Reading
Network, and we hope it will result in more Marylanders having
access to this valuable service," he added.
       The Radio Reading Network of Maryland is an independent, non-
profit agency based at the Baltimore City Community College. Its
broadcasts are carried on subcarrier frequencies of WBJC Baltimore,
WFWM Frostburg, and WESM Princess Anne. Listeners can hear the
reading service by leasing a special receiver for $35 per year.
       By adding the reading service to the SAP channel on Maryland
Public Television, the broadcasts will have a statewide reach. In
addition, if a visually or physically-impaired Marylander has
access to a television set with an SAP channel, it would not be
necessary to lease a special receiver to hear the broadcast. 
       Volunteers for the Reading Network of Maryland daily read both
The Morning Sun and The Evening Sun, The New York Times and The
Wall Street Journal. Other offerings include Time, People, and The
New Yorker and many more current publications of general and
special interests.


MY FIRST NATIONAL CONVENTION

by James T. Crowe

       In July of this year, my wife Roberta and I were able to
attend the convention of the National Federation of the Blind in
Dallas, Texas. Roberta and I are piano technicians, and have
attended many Piano Technicians Guild conventions, but this was our
first one with the NFB. 
       The plane! The plane! Of course, I had to assure the
stewardess that I could store my cane properly, with my folding
cane, that wasn't too hard. No argument with Roberta, she got the
window seat. Along with the plane-load of congenial fellow-
passengers, we were served a nice breakfast, after which I was able
to get an hour or so nap before we landed in Dallas. 
       Next, the hotel, which was magnificent. We were in the West
Tower, away from a lot of the commotion, near the swimming pool,
shops, and a restaurant serving the best black bean soup I've ever
savored. Another hidden advantage of the West Tower was the
quarter-mile walk over to the convention hall and meeting rooms.
Great exercise to knock off those black bean soup calories. 
       The opening ceremonies on Tuesday morning were very exciting,
like a college pep-rally, everyone cheering for their states, it
was fun, and we were proud to be there. The general sessions were
very well organized, with good communication between the podium and
the conventioneers. Frequent door prizes of merchandise, cowboy
hats, armadillo droppings, alcoholic beverages, and cash, ranging
from twenty-five to two hundred dollars, kept everyone's attention.
I became most attentive myself, after winning two twenty-five
dollar door prizes within five minutes.
       Roberta and I were impressed with the Federation's leadership.
President Maurer, Dr. Jernigan, and Texas President Glenn Crosby
gave sensible, inspiring opening speeches, setting the pace for all
who followed. There were many, each imparting his or her own
special erudition to the cornucopia of knowledge. The Texas chapter
had arranged activities and side trips that got many of us out of
the hotel, into the Texas countryside. The whole week was
delightful, the perfect blend of comradely edifying, accomplishing
meetings with enjoyable social functions.
       The NFB is our organization, and as members, we make the NFB
work. Its meetings and national conventions are where we learn how
we're progressing toward our goals. We should support ourselves,
the NFB. Roberta and I urge all who are able to attend as many
meetings and conventions as you can. 
       The Dallas convention was a wonderful, exciting, fun-packed
week. It was so refreshing to be around that many positive thinking
people. Roberta and I are looking forward to next year's convention
in Detroit, Michigan. 


                                      CYLKE ADDRESSES LBPH
                                           DEDICATION

From the Editor: We are reprinting the remarks of Frank Curt Cylke,
Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, Library of Congress, which he gave at the dedication
of the new building for the Maryland State Library for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped which was held on August 30. Mr. Cylke
has been a familiar figure at our national conventions for many
years. Here are his remarks.
       
       Distinguished speakers, guests: I am not going to go through
the litany as Lance Finney just did of introducing individuals; I
believe, however, that we should indeed recognize the individuals
for whom this building is really here.
       The small children behind me listening to this presentation,
and all other blind and physically handicapped users present,
please stand. Please, I'd appreciate that.
       This is what it is all about, after all. When you think about
it, there are more than 700,000 blind and physically handicapped
readers in the United States. Last yearthose of you who aren't one
of them might be interested in knowingthey read more than 23
million books and magazines. That's more than 30 books and
magazines by each person. That, by the way, is 29 times more
material being read by blind individuals than by sighted
individuals. 
       This library is indeed a superb library. I believe it is very
fortunate being located in Maryland with the wonderful staff. With
the National Federation of the Blindthe largest consumer
organization in the world being hereyou can't help but succeed.
       You are a cog in the wheel! When someone says that, you say
"What does that mean?" I mean that this is a synergistic network,
that we all represent and all those cogs, including ourselves, make
the system work. We, the Library of Congress, produce the machines
on which the books are read. This library represents the
distribution mechanism. The readers represent the end users. 
       You might be interested in knowing that there is about
$100,000,000 worth of equipment700,000 machinesthroughout the
United States. And each year we produce approximately 2,000
titlesaudio titlesin a thousand copies. That means we manufacture
two million copies each year. We also publish 75 plus magazines, 36
in an audio format and the others in braille. 
       What kind of books are they? They're exactly the same kind of
books and magazines that sighted people have available for them. I
will give you a few examples: Sports Illustrated magazine, cover to
cover, word for word, audio form is received in a blind individuals
house on the day that the sighted person can purchase it on the
newsstand. I find that the staff who puts it together, working with
Lance and the staff here in Baltimore, have overcome tremendous
obstacles. These obstacles include how to take something that is in
print and turn it into a form that somebody who cannot use print
can find accessible. 
       Now, I've been talking about audio, but we can also talk about
braille. There are not as many braille users, that's true. But that
makes braille even more important. For example, if you think about
the deaf blind community. The only access that a deaf blind person
has to the world that the sighted or the blind live in, is the
braille medium. And what do we have to offer there? We put out such
things for them as the New York Times Large Type Weekly. Again, it
arrives at the home of the blind at the same time as sighted
individuals receive it. The various book sections, the various
popular magazines ... I won't list them all. I think you have the
picture by now. 
       I will close by saying that we at the Library of Congress are
very proud to be working with an organization such as the Maryland
State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. We consider
ourselves as a cog in the wheel. We consider the Maryland library
a cog. All the cogs working together have provided the largest, the
oldest, andfrom my vantagethe most important library service in
the worldthe service to the blind and physically handicapped
community. And I thank all of you who support it and, more
important, I thank all the blind and physically handicapped
individuals in the audience whothrough their constructive
criticism, through their constant comments, through their constant
interactionmake it ever so much better a program year by year.
       Thank you very much for the opportunity to be here today.


                                    PARTNERSHIP WITH MARYLAND
                                   THEATERS PROVIDES ACCESS TO
                                             THE ARTS

       Baltimore, MD (October 15 1993)Governor William Donald
Schaefer today announced the Governor's Office for Individuals with
Disabilities, Center Stage, Charles County Community College's
Theater Department, and the Morris A. Mechanic Theater will unveil
an audio description system for theater patrons with visual
impairments. The service, in which volunteers describe the
performance to persons through small headphones, will be available
beginning October 24th. 
       The three theaters, the Maryland State Arts Council, the
Baltimore Center for Performing Arts and patrons with disabilities
comprise the Task Force on Access to the Arts which is developing
ways to assist people with disabilities to enjoy the arts. The Task
Force is staffed by the Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD
TAP), part of the Governor's Office for Individuals with
Disabilities.
       "This is an extremely exciting development in the arts. No
longer will people who are visually impaired be reluctant about
going to the theater. With new technology we will eventually see
even more leisure activities available for people with
disabilities", said Governor Schaefer.
       Center Stage will debut the audio description service at its
October 24th matinee performance of The Triumph Of Love. Center
Stage will provide small lightweight radio headsets to patrons with
visual impairments. The free headsets can be reserved in advance
when purchasing tickets and must be returned at the end of the
performance. Trained volunteers will give program notes and scene
setting information before the performance. At curtain, the
volunteers, watching the performance in an offstage broadcast
booth,will describe the costumes, props, and other action on stage.
The broadcast cannot be heard by patrons not wearing the headsets. 
       "We have an excited group of volunteers who are anxious to
help make theatre a part of the lives of people with visual
impairments. MD TAP is looking forward to other exciting ways to
help expand day to day activities of people with disabilities."
said Mary Brady, Executive Director of MD TAP. 
       Audio Description will be available at the Mechanic's November
6th performance of Heartbeats. Charles County Community College's
Theater will have audio description available at the November 21st
performance of My Fair Lady. 
       MD TAP and the Arts Council provided funding for the purchase
of the audio description system and training of the volunteers who
will be describing the performances. The Task Force recruited and
selected volunteers who were trained by Metropolitan Washington
Ear, the organization which invented the audio description
technique. 
       For schedule and additional information on audio described
performances call Center Stage at (410) 332-0033, the Morris
Mechanic Theater at (410) 625-4230 and Charles County Community
College's Theater Department at (301) 934-2251.
 
                                  NAPUB PLANS NATIONAL BRAILLE-
                                       A-THON FOR DETROIT

       For the past five years, the National Federation of the Blind
of Louisiana has held a Braille-A-Thon as a pre-convention event at
its state convention as a means to both promote Braille literacy
and to raise funds for the state affiliate. During the past five
years, the NFBL has raised over five thousand dollars and has
received some excellent publicity about Braille literacy in almost
every major city in Louisiana.
       Volunteer Braille readers pledge to read a set number of
Braille pages between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before
a state convention begins. For several weeks prior to the state
convention these volunteer readers procure sponsors, and then the
volunteers gather in a large room in the hotel where the state
convention is held and complete their page goals. Some read as many
as three hundred pages, and others read just a few pages. For
example, Harold Wilson raised over $1300.00 on just ten pages the
first time the event was held. Harold, who had just completed grade
two Braille at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, pledged to read
his ten hard-earned pages during the Braille-A-Thon, and using a
sign-up sheet, he found persons in his hometown who were willing to
pay him money to see him reach his goal. "It was easy to find
sponsors. People seem to like the idea of helping us become better
readers. There is still a mystique about Braille, and the more we
promote and show people that it is not so amazing, the better off
we will be," Harold said. During one Braille-A-Thon in New Orleans
in 1989 the New Orleans Times Picayune featured a blind father and
daughter both reading Braille together, and almost every major
television station in cities like Shreveport and Baton Rouge has
covered this event.
       Because the Braille-A-Thon has drawn many volunteer readers in
Louisiana and because it is an excellent way to promote Braille
through the media in different cities each year, the National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) has decided to
hold a similar event at next year's national convention in Detroit,
and if successful, it will be continued at each national
convention. "We expect to have excellent Braille readers and brand-
new Braille readers participating on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. in Detroit," said Betty Nicely, President of NAPUB. "We
should have at least two hundred people reading Braille in one room
in Detroit, and we will try our best to have every major television
station and newspaper in the Detroit area there to cover the event.
We will be calling on our membership in NAPUB to pledge to read
their pages and to find sponsors in their home states who would be
willing to pay them handsomely for their hard work. Half of the
money will go to NAPUB and half will go to the national
organization. If Louisiana can raise two thousand for a state
convention, there is no reason why we couldn't raise over one
hundred thousand for our national Braille-A-Thon," said Nicely,
smiling. "We want to make this an annual event. I bet it will be
one of the quietest fundraisers we could ever have."
       If you would like to participate and receive some sponsor
sheets, you may contact either Betty Nicely, 3618 Dayton Avenue,
Louisville, KY 70402, (502) 897-2632 or Jerry Whittle, 101 South
Trenton Street, Ruston, LA 71270, (800) 234-4166.


                                     IEP MEETING EVALUATION
                                            CHECKLIST

(Reprinted from HCARC News, Volume 6, Number 4, May/June 1993, the
newsletter of the Howard County Association for Retarded Citizens,
Inc.)

(The following article is included as a general guide for parents.
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland frequently
provides advocates to assist parents in obtaining the specialized
training that blind or visually impaired students need.) 

       Do you ever leave an IEP meeting feeling somewhat overwhelmed?
Here is a tool you might use to help evaluate the meeting and keep
you focused on what it should include.

1. Did the team meeting planning the IEP include the following
representatives? (yes or no): a) The parents? b) The student, when
exercising the right to participate? c) A school administrator or
designee? d) A general education classroom teacher? e) Appropriate
special education personnel? f) Other support personnel? g) Upon
the request of the parent, a member of the same cultural background
or knowledgeable about the student's racial, cultural, or learning
differences?

2. Does this occur at meetings? (yes or no): a) Are introductions
made so everyone's role is known? b) Are the purpose, agenda, and
amount of time for the meeting stated? c) Are the parents given
information on their rights? d) Is privacy assured? e) Is parental,
student input sought throughout the meeting?

3. Is this process followed in developing the IEP? (yes or no): a)
Is the student's present level of performance discussed and
documented? b) Are these levels based on a variety of assessments
and progress review data? c) Did the team identify instructional
need? d) Is there a goal written for each identified instructional
need? e) Are the goals measurable and attainable in one calendar
year? f) Is there more than one short-term objective for each goal?
g) Is there a description of the special education and related
services needed to accomplish the goals and objectives? h) Are
these listed: type of service, amount of time, frequency of each
service, site and setting for the services, names and school phone
numbers of responsible personnel? i) If a related service (such as
a physical or occupational therapy) is needed, is there an
explanation given about why it is needed? j) Is the IEP developed
in accordance with the principle of least restrictive environment?
k) Does it substantiate why the proposed educational placement is
most appropriate? l) Are modifications and adaptations specified
for use by general educators (classroom teachers)? m) If the
student is in a segregated, special education program more than 50%
of the day, does the IEP describe the activities, amount of time,
and frequency in which the student will participate with students
without disabilities? n) Is there a plan and date(s) for periodic
review? o) Does the plan include the use of time out, manual or
physical restraints, the planned use of suspension or dismissal
from school, or the temporary delay or withdrawal of food or water?
Contact your local advocacy organization as special rules apply.


THE COAT HANGER SCREEN ENLARGER

by Lorette S.J. Weldon

From the Editor: Lorette Weldon is the Coordinator of the Study
Room for People Visually Impaired at the University of Maryland
College Park. Although we have no personal experience with the
screen enlarger she describes, she assures us that this screen
enlarger is installed and in use in her study room at the
University of Maryland.

       In the advent of online catalogs being used in libraries, many
people may have trouble seeing the print on the computer monitors.
They need a screen enlarger.
       Companies, such as Gaylord (Box 4901, Syracuse, NY 13221-4901)
and Telesensory (1-800-227-8418) sell screen enlargers, but the
prices can start from $319 to $2,800. These screen enlargers can be
an attachment to the front of the monitor or they can be a program,
like Zoomtext.
       This type of device can be developed by anyone at a cheap
price. By using a coat hanger, a clothes pin (or paper clamp), a
size 52 belt (velcro), and a magnification sheet (which can be
obtained at an office supply store like Office Depot), a screen
enlarger can be in your possession for under $2.
       In the first step, take the hook of the coat hanger and have
the curl of the hook turn so that it is facing you. Position the
coat hanger so that the body of the hanger is above the monitor's
screen.
       For the second step, place the belt over the top of the
monitor so that the neck of the hanger is under it and that the
hook hovers over the belt. Tighten the belt. The tightness should
constitute enough pressure to hold the hanger in place and allow
the hanger to be slid across the monitor.
       The third step consists of putting the magnification sheet in
the clamp and attaching both to the hanger's body (hang it on the
wire that is closest to you).
       In the fourth step, move the hanger from side to side to
adjust it to the location that you wish to look at on the monitor's
screen. Focus the magnification sheet by moving it back and forth
with your hand.
       For more information, call me (Lorette Weldon) at (301) 270-
5803.


                      ART EXHIBITION FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE

From the Editor: We were asked to print the following announcement.

       The School 33 Art Center presents a special exhibition:
"TOUCH: BEYOND THE VISUAL," from December 11, 1993 through January
14, 1994. This exhibition presents artwork that stresses the
tactile perception as a major component to the aesthetic
experience.
       Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The School 33 Art Center is located at 1427 Light Street, just
eight blocks south of the Inner Harbor.
       Two workshops will be given in conjunction with the exhibition
on Saturday, January 8, 1994 at the School 33 Art Center:
               1. THEORY AND PRACTICE: AN OVERVIEW OF ART EDUCATION FOR
       BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED ADULTS AND CHILDREN. This address
       the theories and educational methods involved in teaching art.
       Specialized materials and teaching methods which can be used
       in an art education setting will be presented.
               2. METHODS AND MATERIALS: TECHNIQUES FOR ACHIEVING
       ACCESSIBILITY FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. This provides
       participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to
       develop and produce materials such as large type brochures and
       labels, braille title sheets, labels and brochures, raised
       line drawings, and audio descriptive tapes. These materials
       will increase the accessibility of exhibition programming for
       all audiences.
These workshops are free and open to the public.
       For further information or to register, call School 33 Art
Center at (410) 396-4641.


                                   RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE
                                     27TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

                                        RESOLUTION 93-01

       WHEREAS, the Professional Standards and Teacher Education
Board is currently completing a process of reviewing the
certification requirements for teachers of the blind and visually
impaired; and
       WHEREAS, that process identified a need to create a separate
review of the certification needs for individuals teaching
orientation and mobility to blind and visually impaired students;
and
       WHEREAS, the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation
of the Blind and Visually Handicapped (AER), along with university-
based orientation and mobility training programs, systematically
discriminates against those persons they exist to serve, by
insisting that blind and visually impaired persons are as a group
not qualified to teach independent travel safely and effectively;
and
       WHEREAS, the experience of agency-trained blind and visually
impaired orientation and mobility instructors and thousands of
their students indicates that this discrimination is unwarranted;
and
       WHEREAS, the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation
of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) continues to hold itself
out as the certifying authority for orientation and mobility
instructors; and
       WHEREAS, AER refuses to certify blind or visually impaired
orientation and mobility instructors, even after the passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, NOW
       THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October,
1993 in the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland opposes any attempt by the
State of Maryland to create or adopt certification standards which
discriminate against otherwise qualified blind and visually
impaired orientation and mobility instructors, and
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland work with the State of Maryland to create fair
and reasonable certification standards for those teaching
orientation and mobility to students, if such standards are deemed
to be necessary.

                                        RESOLUTION 93-02

       WHEREAS, a bill entitled "The Americans with Disabilities
Business Development Act," has been introduced as HR 794 in the
103rd Congress by Representative Jim Ramstead of Minnesota; and
       WHEREAS, this bill would amend the Small Business Act so that
persons with severe disabilities (including blind people) would
have increased opportunities to become eligible for participation
in the program known as "Section VIII(a)," through which government
procurement contracts are set aside for minority-owned firms; and
       WHEREAS, eligibility criteria for the VIII(a) program include
showing both social disadvantage and economic disadvantage, but
members of specified minority groups (not including persons with
disabilities) listed in the law are presumed to be socially
disadvantaged, therefore only having to prove economic
disadvantage; and
       WHEREAS, the simple purpose of HR 794 is to give blind and
disabled people the presumption of social disadvantage, so that
business owned by such persons can have a fair chance to receive
Section VIII(a) contracts; NOW THEREFORE
       BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October, 1993 in
the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization strongly
urge all members of the Maryland Congressional delegation serving
in the House to co-sponsor the Americans with Disabilities Business
Development Act and to join us by working toward prompt enactment.

                                        RESOLUTION 93-03

       WHEREAS, the Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA) has
developed placards with bus route numbers, specifically designed
for use by blind transit riders; and
       WHEREAS, these placards are to be held aloft to inform bus
drivers of correspondingly numbered routes to stop; and
       WHEREAS, displaying placards with bus route numbers is
objectionable to many blind people for both practical and legal
reasons; and
       WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
mandates that public transit providers serve all passengers
equitably, without burdensome specialized requirements for blind
persons; and
       WHEREAS, MTA's planned use of numbered placards did not result
from broad-based blind consumer demand, but rather from requests
made by only a handful of blind bus riders at best; and
       WHEREAS, MTA officials have responded to the objections raised
by promising not to require mandatory use of the placards at any
time in the future; and
       WHEREAS, use of the placards could become mandatory in
practice, if not in policy, especially if drivers come to expect
the placards and then by-pass blind people who do not display them;
and
       WHEREAS, using printed numbered signs to catch buses would
make blind people more dependent and would give no assurance to the
blind transit user that the driver has seen the number; NOW
THEREFORE
       BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October, 1993 in
the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization condemn
and deplore this pitiful placard plan, and officially go on record
as strongly opposing the use of numbered bus placards for blind
transit users; and
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on matters such as this, which
have clearly significant service implications for a substantial
number of blind people, we insist that officials of the MTA contact
the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
to obtain advice before a plan is announced and implemented.

                                        RESOLUTION 93-04

       WHEREAS, the information found in newspapers can be of
critical importance for individuals interested in full
participation in work, community, and family activities; and
       WHEREAS, the technology for dial-in newspaper systems has been
developed and proven effective in several states, including New
Mexico, Michigan, California, Minnesota and the greater DC area;
and
       WHEREAS, dial-in newspaper systems provide choice through menu
selections which enable blind individuals to choose what and when
materials are read; and
       WHEREAS, newspapers are not presently made fully available to
blind people in an alternative media which incorporate choice of
when and what is read; NOW THEREFORE
       BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October, 1993 in
the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that funds be used here in
Maryland to develop and implement a statewide dial-in newspaper
system for the blind which makes the major state and local
newspapers substantially more accessible to blind citizens.

                                        RESOLUTION 93-05

       WHEREAS, in 1991, several organizations asked the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library
of Congress (NLS), the recognized authority on Braille in the
United States, to develop a test to measure Braille competency; and
       WHEREAS, NLS has developed a test and is now accepting
applications from people who wish to take it; and
       WHEREAS, many states, including Maryland, are requiring vision
teachers to demonstrate competency in Braille by taking this test;
and
       WHEREAS, rehabilitation teachers have the responsibility to
teach Braille reading and writing, and should be expected to
maintain the same standards of competence as vision teachers; NOW
THEREFORE
       BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October, 1993 in
the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that this organization urges the
Division of Rehabilitation Services, Maryland State Department of
Education, to require all of its rehabilitation teachers to obtain
a certificate of Braille competency from the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped by passing this
competency test; and
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urges the
Division of Rehabilitation Services, Maryland State Department of
Education, to establish standards to insure that rehabilitation
teachers maintain competency in their Braille skills.

                                        RESOLUTION 93-06

       WHEREAS, the Maryland State Library for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped (LBPH), is the main source of materials in
alternative formats for blind and visually impaired people in this
state; and
       WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland has
long been concerned with the quality and scope of services offered
by LBPH; and
       WHEREAS, LBPH now has facilities available to store Braille
books from the XESS collection; and
       WHEREAS, most patrons' access to the Library is via the
telephone; and
       WHEREAS, since the Library moved to its new location, patrons
have been requested to only call the Library between 10:00 AM and
4:00 PM; and
       WHEREAS, in the fall of 1991, a committee was formed to
develop priorities for expansion of existing services and write
timelines for their implementation; and
       WHEREAS, technology is now available to produce Library
material in alternative formats requested by individual patrons;
NOW THEREFORE
       BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland in convention assembled this 31st day of October, 1993 in
the city of Ocean City, Maryland, that:
       1) within the next three months, LBPH begin to acquire Braille
and other materials from the XESS collection, and that these
materials include classics and other popular books; 
       2) LBPH re-institute its policy allowing patrons to request
materials during normal Library hours; and
       3) the Services Enhancement Committee complete its report in
a timely manner and take steps to implement its recommendations.


                                             SPECKS

THANKS. We wish to thank the following companies for their
convention donations: Frank's Cross Street Market, Milton Franklin,
Vanessa's Vintage Treasures, Claridge Casino Hotel, Starboard
Restaurant, Oneida Factory Stores, Chesapeake Knife & Tool, Glass
Resort Outlets, Vacarros' Italian Pastry Shop, Inga's Gallery &
Gifts, Pizza Hut of Maryland, Morrison Restaurants, C. Crane
Company, A&W Restaurants, Silver Diner, Chick-fil-a Restaurant,
King's Court Restaurants, Bob Evans Restaurants, Comfort Inn Gold
Coast, Horn & Horn Cafeterias/Horn & Horn Smorgasbord, Friendly's
Restaurants, Long John Silver's, XTEKS Investments, Grand Prix,
Goddard Employees Welfare Association Council. 
CONGRATULATIONS to Carlene McKenzie, who was named as the 1993 BISM
Employee of the Year. Carlene was recognized for her achievements
and productivity with an expense-paid trip to the National
Industries for the Blind convention in Baltimore in October.
BIRTH. Congratulations to Tim and Dawn Forder on the birth of their
daughter, Ellen Christine, on November 10th. Parents and infant are
doing well.           
WEDDING. Belated congratulations to Carole Dobak and Christopher
Kuczynski, who were married in Philadelphia on July 17th.
BRAILLE MENUS. We have been asked to carry the following
announcements: Braille menus are now available at Henry and Jeff's
Restaurant and Catering, 1220 North Charles Street in downtown
Baltimore, 727-3322. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, pizza,
pasta, mexican food, breakfast fare, and luscious desserts. Turf
Valley Hotel and Country Club offers Braille menus at its
Alexandra's Restaurant (fine, continental dining), and at its more
casual Terrace on the Green (sandwiches, salads, etc). Call Turf
Valley at 410-465-1500
ELECTIONS. The following officers were elected at the luncheon of
the new Business Division, National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland: Barry Hond, president; Ken Canterbery, vice-president;
Ray Sewell, secretary; Don Morris, treasurer; Raymond Lowder and
Leon Rose, Board members. We look forward to great activities from
this new division. 

                                       SEASON'S GREETINGS

       The president, officers, and members of the Board of Directors
of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland extend Happy
New Year's greetings and their best wishes to all of you for a
prosperous 1994. May the coming year be as successful to the
organized blind movement as the past year.








                                            CALENDAR


January 27
Day in Annapolis

January 30-February 2
Washington Seminar

February 1 
End Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest

March 1
Deadline for submission of articles for 
next issue of Braille Spectator

March 31
Deadline for National Scholarship applications

May 15-21
National White Cane Week

May 31
Deadline for McCraw Scholarship applications

July 1-8
NFB Convention in Detroit
                       CHAPTERS AND DIVISIONS OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION

                                    OF THE BLIND OF MARYLAND



Baltimore County Chapter
Hilda Cullison, president (410)284-2575
Monthly meetings second Thursday

Greater Baltimore Chapter
Eileen Rivera, president (410)433-5176
Monthly meetings third Saturday

Central Maryland Chapter
Brenda Mueller, president (301)551-7057
Monthly meetings third Tuesday

Greater Cumberland Chapter
Gary Klatt, president (301)777-0131
Monthly meetings first Tuesday

Frederick County Chapter
Gerald Schultz, president (301)662-6803
Monthly meetings fourth Tuesday

Sligo Creek Chapter
Lloyd Rasmussen, president (301)946-8345
Monthly meetings second Saturday

Mountain City Chapter
Jean Faulkner, president (301)729-8942
Monthly meetings third Thursday

Southern Maryland Chapter
Ken Silberman, president (301)552-2839
Monthly meetings fourth Saturday

Parents of Blind Children Division
Barbara Cheadle, president (410)747-3472

Business Division
Barry Hond, president (410)484-7041

Diabetics Support Network
Donna Goodman, chairman (410)730-9430
Monthly meetings fourth Tuesday
                                      THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR

                                        Al Maneki, Editor

                                         Winter 1993/94

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, an affiliate of
the National Federation of the Blind, is a non-profit organization
of blind people whose purpose is to promote equal opportunities for
the blind.  We provide advocacy services for the blind, special
training programs for parents of blind children, job referrals and
placements for the blind, public  education programs, scholarships
to blind students, and help the newly blinded to acquire special
techniques for maintaining productive lives.

Please address inquiries to:                                      Please send donations
to:

NFB of Maryland                                                          NFB of Maryland
9736 Basket Ring Road                                             11909 Coronada Place
Columbia, MD 21045                                                Kensington, MD 20895
phone (410)992-9608

The Braille Spectator is published quarterly for members of the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and others who share
an interest in the work of this organization.  The recorded
edition, available on cassette, can be obtained from the editor
upon request.  Cassettes may be returned to the National Center for
the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.

Changes of address and additions to the circulation list should be
sent to the editor.  Address all news items, articles and letters
to the editor.

Al Maneki, Editor                                  
The Braille Spectator
9736 Basket Ring Road
Columbia, MD 21045

Officers:                    
                             
Sharon Maneki, President
  Columbia, Maryland                 
Eileen Rivera, First Vice                   
  President                          
  Baltimore, Maryland                
Barry Hond, Second Vice              
  President                          
  Baltimore, Maryland                
Debbie Brown, Secretary              
  Rockville, Maryland                
Judy Rasmussen, Treasure
  Kensington, Maryland               

Members of the Board of Directors:

Ken Canterbery
  Essex, Maryland
Ronald Coleman
  Silver Spring, Maryland 
Jean Faulkner
  Cumberland, Maryland
Fred Flowers
  Baltimore, Maryland
Blanche Payne
  Baltimore, Maryland
Brenda William
  Baltimore, Maryland