Al Maneki, Editor
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:
NFB of Maryland
9736 Basket Ring Road Columbia, MD 21045
phone (301)992-9608
Please send donations to:
NFB of Maryland 11909 Coronada Place
Kensington, MD 20895
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.
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, Treasurer Kensington, Maryland
Members of the Board of Directors:
Leroy Bagwell, Salisbury, Maryland
Fred Flowers Baltimore, Maryland
Al Carter, Annapolis, Maryland
Carleen McKenzie, Frostburg, Maryland
Pat Winebrenner, Frostburg, Maryland
Brenda Williams, Baltimore, Maryland
Al Maneki, Editor
The Braille Spectator 9736 Basket Ring Road Columbia, MD 21045
9736 Basket Ring Road Columbia, Maryland 21045
(301) 992 9608
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
Shopping Spree!!!
Sharon Maneki President
Add to your wardrobe! Help the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland! Brand name quality women's apparel at discount prices!
WHEN: WHERE: HOW:
DONATION:
EXTRA PASSES:
Saturday, March 31, 1990. 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.
Apparel Associates, 7111 Windsor Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland.
Percentage of sales will be donated to the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. The pass at the bottom of this page is required for admission to Apparel Associates.
$1.00 donation per pass used is requested. Send donations to NFB of Maryland at the above address. If you cannot join us at Apparel Associates,
. please help us with a contribution.
Each pass admits one. Extra passes may be obtained by calling Sharon Maneki: (301) 992-9608.
We thank you for your help. We hope to see you at Apparel Associates.
By special arrangement, A. A. Wholesale, the largest wholesaler of women's fashions in the country, will open its doors to members and friends of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. A. A. Wholesale features over 300 name brands including Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, Evan Picone, Cos Cob, JH Collectibles, Leslie Faye, Bonnie & Bill, Breckenridge, Personal, Rafaella, Jones of New York and many more.
The inventory at A. A. Wholesale consists of suits, dresses, pants, jeans, blazers, skirts, blouses, sweaters, knits, coordinates, jackets, and raincoats made by the country's leading manufacturers. The sizes range from 3 to 15 in Junior fashions and 4 to 20 in Misses and Petite fashions. The merchandise is discounted by as much as 70% off the retail price. A. A. Wholesale carries only first quality merchandise that is currently being shown in major department stores.
Checks with proper I.D. are accepted. MasterCard and VISA charge cards are honored.
DIRECTIONS: Turn off Baltimore Beltway (695) at Exit 17. (From Washington, follow signs to Belmont Avenue. From Pennsylvania, follow signs to Rolling Road.) Turn right at McDonald's (Belmont Avenue). proceed about 3/4 mile to Bill's Carpet (Rutherford Road) and turn right at the dead end (Windsor Blvd.). Turn right 100 yards to A.A. Wholesale.
Please contact Sharon Maneki at (301)992-9608 for additional shopping passes. NO ONE
WILL BE ADMITTED WITHOUT A PASS.
CALENDAR
Saturday, March 24, 1990 NFB of Maryland Board of Directors Meeting, Cumberland.
March 31, 1990 NFB scholarship deadline.
April 30, 1990 NFB of Maryland McCraw Scholarship deadline.
Tuesday, May 1, 1990 Deadline for submitting articles for the next issue of the Braille Spectator.
Saturday, May 5, 1990 Seminar for parents of blind children, call Barbara Cheadle at (301)659-9314 days or (301)747-3472 evenings for details.
June 30 - July 7, 1990 NFB Convention, Dallas, Texas.
November 9 - 11, 1990 NFB of Maryland Convention, Annapolis, Maryland.
1990 Legislative Agenda: Midsession Update
by Sharon Maneki.
To date, the 1990 session of the General Assembly has been filled with excitement and challenge for the organized blind of Maryland. An unusually large number of bills, many of which we did not initiate but still affecting blind persons, are demanding our attention.
As in previous years, we were off to an early start with our Day in Annapolis on Tuesday January 16, less than a week into the new session. In the presence of our members that day, both the House and Senate adopted separate resolutions (introduced by Delegates Thomas, Taylor and Cummings, and by Senator Della) congratulating the National Federation of the Blind on the occasion of its golden anniversary.
During the Day and at our evening reception, we met with our elected representatives to argue for stronger requirements for teachers of Braille, for the new library building, for additional library staff, for clarification of the right of way for pedestrians, and against the "ROMP" recommendations. Governor Schaefer did not introduce the ROMP recommendations this year.
Also from our efforts on the 16th, many delegates and senators wrote to Superintendent Shilling to ask that the State Department of Education take immediate steps to upgrade the certification requirements of Braille proficiency for special education teachers. While there are too many to list here, we thank all of the delegates and senators who wrote to Dr. Shilling on our behalf.
As of February 27, neither the House nor the Senate budget subcommittees have voted on the $7.45 million appropriation for the new building for the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It is important for all of us to continue with our letter writing to the members of the General Assembly to ensure that this appropriation receives favorable consideration this session.
HB 991, introduced by Delegate Scanello, provides for a fund of $500,000 to be used by the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for the purchase of books, materials and equipment (see related article in this issue), is pending in the House Ways and Means Committee.
HB 1040, granting the right of way to blind pedestrians on all streets and highways, was sponsored by Delegate Flanagan at our request, after the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee declined to reintroduce a copy of the administration's bill for pedestrians in areas adjacent to crosswalks, which his
committee defeated in the last session. In explaining his action, Chairman Long told me that he would consider alternative language. Unfortunately, the more nit-picking members of this committee have again prevailed, this time with foolishness over blind pedestrians attempting to cross interstate highways. HB 1040 has already been defeated in committee. Another bill, HB 785, concerning pedestrian right of way, suffered the same fate at the hands of Chairman Long's committee.
HB 17, introduced by Delegate Cummings, allowing local school districts to grant academic credits in secondary schools for learning Braille, was defeated by the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee. The General Assembly is extremely reluctant to dictate policy to local school districts.
The House and Senate bills on the constitutional amendment prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities (see the related article in this issue), four bills concerning public access for mobility impaired persons using service dogs, and a bill to delay the start of the state income tax exemption for the elderly and blind, a bill creating a $600,000 state debt for the Maryland School for the Blind for air conditioning and asbestos removal--bills not of our making--complete the long list of bills that we are tracking in the 1990 session of the Maryland General Assembly.
TESTIMONY FOR HB 991
Presented by Sharon Maneki before the House Ways and Means Committee, Maryland General Assembly, February 21, 1990.
MEMORANDUM
To: From: Re: Date:
House Ways and Means Committee
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland Support of HB 991
February 21, 1990
HB 991, if enacted into law, will establish a special fund of $500,000 (and a board of directors to manage this fund) for the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. This fund will be used to purchase or produce Braille, recorded, and large print books which are not available through the
U.S. Library of Congress' program for the blind and physically handicapped.
Since the Library of Congress' program provides a very limited number of titles, many states, excluding Maryland, supplement the Library of Congress' offerings through additional funding. It is estimated that, in this country, 40,000 books are published annually. The Library of Congress is able to transcribe only 2,000 of these into recorded or Braille media.
By enacting HB 991 into law: blind children and blind seniors will have more books to read; blind students will get their course textbooks in a timely manner; blind adults will have work-related reading materials on demand, increasing their productivity; the collection at the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped could be enhanced with books on Maryland history and other topics.
None of these needs are being adequately met at this time. Many blind persons, after frustrating encounters with the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped's inability to provide needed books, have ceased using the library's services altogether. The experience of one elderly borrower, requesting a cassette book of microwave recipes to confront a radical change in his life because of a medical emergency, and finding that no such cassette book was available, is typical. Since the library has a very small collection of children's books, children must often resort to reading books already read in the previous year to meet their reading quotas for the current school year.
How do library services for the blind and visually impaired in Maryland compare with library services for the blind and visually impaired in other states? Maryland comes up short.
For example, according to the Library of Congress, although South Carolina's library serves the same number of readers as Maryland's library does, South Carolina's state appropriation is considerably greater. In 1988, South Carolina appropriated $513,202, in comparison to Maryland's $374,355.
Alabama's library serves the same number of Braille readers as Maryland's library. Yet, Alabama has five times as many Braille books in its collection--21,600, compared to Maryland's collection of only 4,500.
Our neighbor state of Virginia has many more books in its library for the blind. Books recorded on disc: Virginia 70,000; Maryland 38,300. Cassette books: Virginia 94,700; Maryland 91,000. Braille books: Virginia 10,500; Maryland 4,500. Other statistics furnished by the Library of Congress give an equally dismal view of Maryland's library profile for blind and visually impaired readers.
Blind and visually impaired persons will never have the same access to the printed word as sighted persons have. With appropriate funding, however, we can have greater access to the printed word than we currently have. The passage of HB 991 will enable the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to provide a greater variety of reading materials. With additional funding, the library can take advantage of existing technologies to produce special materials, or it can purchase those books which have already been recorded or transcribed into Braille.
The passage of HB 991 will be most helpful to blind, visually impaired and other physically handicapped persons in Maryland. The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland urges you to give favorable consideration to this important piece of legislation.
(For further information, call Sharon Maneki, President, National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, phone 301-992-9608.)
$10M LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND TO BE BUILT NEAR ENOCH PRATT
by Brian J. Couturier
Reprinted from The Baltimore Business Journal, December 11-17, 1989. The plans described in this article are contingent on funds being appropriated by the General Assembly. Contrary to the view presented in this article, the major portion of the $10 million appropriation is still waiting approval in this session of the General Assembly.
The state plans to build a $10.3 million library next to the existing Enoch Pratt Free Library in downtown Baltimore that will provide the first full service library in Maryland to the blind and physically handicapped.
The planned 43,500 square-foot library will more than double the size and significantly increase the collection of the existing Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which is in rented space that was once a bowling alley.
The proposed 5-story building, located behind Pratt Library, will feature two elevators, a conference room equipped for the physically disabled, a public reading room, a children's room and a shipping/receiving area.
"It's rare in the country to have a children's center in a library for the blind," said Lance C. Finney, the state's regional librarian for the blind. "The greatest goal is to give (the blind and physically handicapped)
a library of their own that's a full-service library. It will improve the quality of their lives considerably," Finney said.
Ayers/Saint/Gross Inc., a Baltimore architectural firm, is working on the design.
The building will be constructed of masonry and glass, with much of the glass on the side facing Franklin Street, said Fritz Read, the project's architect.
The original design for the library was "considerably" over budget and was sent back to the design team from the General Services department, Finney said. And as a result, the project already is behind schedule. Design work was scheduled to be finished in August and will probably not be done until Friday, Finney said.
The working drawings for the project should be completed in three to six months, and construction may begin next September. Construction is expected to last 12 to 18 months, which would bring the opening date to mid-1991 or 1992.
The new library also will allow two new services to be introduced: a print-to-Braille service that translates printed words into Braille and a recording studio for producing audio cassettes.
"There's a lot of services we can't provide simply because we don't have the space," Finney said.
The library will be located behind the Pratt library and fronting Park Avenue. Two city-owned townhouses, at 113 and 115 W. Franklin Street, will be razed to make way for the library. One of the townhouses is owned and used by the Pratt Library and will be vacated. The city will be leasing the land to the state, Finney said.
The library probably will be constructed of stone and will be compatible with Pratt, although not similar. The top two floors of the library will be open to the public while the bottom three floors, which will be below grade, will be used for storage and staff.
The state is picking up the entire project cost, which includes $8.5 million for construction; $191,000 for capital equipment; $666,000 for design; and $943,000 for site preparation and utilities. The General Assembly has appropriated $8.5 million for the project.
Finney said he expects the new library to double the 7,000 people who now use the existing special library. About 60,000 in the state are eligible to use the library.
The state is responsible for providing the staff and building for the blind while the federal government, under the auspices of the Library of Congress, provides reading and other materials, said Maurice Travillian, assistant superintendent at the division of library development and services.
Travillian said the new library could help shift the work the staff performs. Currently, 95 percent of the library's users are served through the mail. "We hope to function more as a library and less like a mail-order service," he said.
LOCAL MAN IS MENTOR FOR THE BLIND
by Carolyn Hakes
Reprinted from The Frederick Post, Monday, February 5, 1990.
"We've got a lot of wonderful junk here," says the proprietor of O'Leary's Emporium, motioning to a miniature Dalmatian dog wearing a little red fire fighter's helmet, surrounded by an impressive selection of T-shirts and memorabilia.
Donald J. Morris, 51, owner of O'Leary's Emporium, is a friendly, warm man with a good sense of humor. He is also legally blind. Mr. Morris grew up in Colorado, but was working for the telephone company in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1967 when he began having problems with his sight.
"That year, I had an eye exam, not because I couldn't see, but because I was sometimes tripping on this, running into that," Mr. Morris said.
"The doctor told me I had retinitis pigmentosa, but said that I shouldn't worry about learning Braille or using a cane. Of course, I never questioned him whether he meant that I wouldn't have a problem learning to read Braille, or whether I was actually going blind." Retinitis pigmentosa is a disease marked by night blindness in the early stages, atrophy and pigment changes in the retina, constriction of the visual field and eventual blindness.
"The angle of vision for normal vision is about 170 degrees," says Mr. Morris. "To be legally blind it's 20 degrees. My angle of vision was 8 degrees."
"Well, there I was, with a wife and three kids and as many financial obligations as anyone else with a wife and three kids. So I took a leave of absence from my job and learned how to read braille, how to use a cane, and also the philosophy that it's OK to be blind."
Returning to the telephone company in 1968, Mr. Morris resumed his job in the marketing department. While his job performance in the department was excellent, Mr. Morris discovered that being blind severed his chance of climbing the corporate ladder at the company.
"Sometimes people don't think of blind people as having careers," said Mr. Morris. "Blindness is no great bargain, but it's not all of my life. When I realized I wasn't going to get a raise, I let them know that if I don't run the risk of failure, there's no way that I'm going to succeed. So I left."
After leaving the telephone company in Des Moines in 1970, Mr. Morris was president of Creative Communication Consultants, a Des Moines business, from 1971 to 1975.
Mr. Morris and his family then moved to Baltimore in 1976 when he was asked to move to Maryland and serve as vice president of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM). Mr. Morris and his wife, Shirley, 51, now live in Emmitsburg, with Shirley's mother, Carol, "Noni" May. The Morris' have three children; Kirk, 32, Kristi Kraus, 30, and Kathy Efland, 30; and seven grand children. Earlier last month, the Frederick County businessman was appointed to the Board of Trustees of BISM. Under the recommendation of Governor William Donald Schaefer, the appointment was approved by the Senate.
BISM employs blind men and women in manufacturing plants in Baltimore, Salisbury and Cumberland. The Baltimore headquarters includes a comprehensive program that is free to all Marylanders and offers support services such as referrals, Braille transcribing, and sale of blind aids and appliances.
January 9, 1984 marked the day that Mr. Morris opened the O'Leary Emporium at the Fire Academy in Emmitsburg. The gift and convenience store opened a few weeks ahead of the scheduled opening date.
"For the first couple of weeks, it looked like a giant garage sale!" said Mr. Morris. "It was real chaos. But it's really been a good experience, and the customers here are just superb."
Downstairs in room 010 of the "D " building at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Mr. Morris and his son Kirk, run the emporium. O'Leary's is a combination gift shop, laundry/dry cleaners, coffee shop, and supply store for students at the facility.
The gift shop is named after Mrs. O'Leary's mythical cow. According to legend, the great Chicago fire of 1871 is said to have started when the O'Leary cow kicked over a kerosene lantern in the barn, in protest of an evening milking. Supposedly the O'Leary house ·remained unscathed from the flames while the rest of Chicago suffered the inferno.
O'Leary's Emporium is filled with T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, pins and books geared towards firefighting. There are also stuffed animals, cast iron figurines, clocks, and other momentos devoted to the profession. On the same shelf as the Dalmatian is a music box in the shape of a wooden firetruck, which plays "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" as the ladder on the truck slowly raises.
"One reason we carry music boxes is because I happen to like them," said Mr. Morris. "They also tend to sell well, too."
"God bless the collectors," Mr. Morris said. "They keep us in business!"
AN EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN MARYLAND
Fact Sheet
Produced by Association for Retarded Citizens/Maryland, Inc. This fact sheet supports HB 879 and SB 475, an Act to amend the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution of Maryland, to add new Article 47, to state that equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged or denied because of a person's physical or mental disability. The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland supports this constitutional amendment since it is consistent with our purpose of securing equal rights and opportunities for blind persons.
- (Q) What is the principal purpose of the constitutional amendment?
- The amendment is a positive statement to persons with disabilities, their family members and to all Marylanders that persons with disabilities are entitled to the same treatment under the law as all other people in Maryland. A central purpose of the Maryland Constitution is to state the principles and policies that direct government action. This Amendment states explicitly that it is the policy of the state of Maryland to prohibit discrimination against people because of their disabilities.
- (Q) Why does Maryland need an Equal Rights Amendment for persons with disabilities?
- There are approximately 830,000 disabled persons in Maryland. These people have been subjected to persistent and unjustifiable discrimination in many areas of their lives. The following examples illustrate in compelling fashion both the rampant nature of this discrimination and the need for reform:
- Medical Care - The denial of food, water and lifesaving medical care to hospitalized infants with disabilities;
- There are approximately 830,000 disabled persons in Maryland. These people have been subjected to persistent and unjustifiable discrimination in many areas of their lives. The following examples illustrate in compelling fashion both the rampant nature of this discrimination and the need for reform:
- Education - The segregation of an elementary school student of normal intelligence who uses a wheelchair to a specialized facility away from the local public school;
- Transportation - The refusal by a driver of a public lift-equipped bus to stop for a disabled traveler;
- Housing - The existence of laws restricting the number of people with disabilities allowed to live near each other;
- Employment - The denial of a bus driver job to an individual with a prosthetic device who is capable of driving;
- Public Accommodations and Recreation - The barring of individual with hearing ear dogs or guide dogs from public libraries;
- Training - The use of zoning laws to force a long standing rehabilitation program for the mentally ill out of a community in which it had been operating without any problems;
- Access to the Justice System - The striking of perspective jurors with hearing impairments from the jury panel.
- Training - The use of zoning laws to force a long standing rehabilitation program for the mentally ill out of a community in which it had been operating without any problems;
Such discrimination victimizes not only disabled persons but their immediate families as well.
- (Q) Doesn't the federal Constitution already prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities?
- No. The federal Constitution is silent on the subject.
- (Q) Doesn't the Maryland Constitution already prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities?
- No, surprisingly it does not.
- (Q) Aren't there already state or federal laws which prohibit discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities?
- Certain statutes provide limited protection in specific areas, but large gaps remain. For example, the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination only in those programs or activities that are federally funded or tied to the federal government. The proposed Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") prohibits discriminatory employment practices, but its provisions apply only to employers with 15 or more employees. The proposed amendment fills in the gaps left by the statutes by broadly proscribing the denial of equal rights to any person on the basis of physical or mental disability.
- (Q) Will it still be necessary to have this amendment if Congress enacts the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) currently pending before it?
- While the ADA is a vital and necessary piece of legislation, it lacks the broad thrust of this amendment and, unlike the amendment, does not target state action. Rather, the ADA is a specific means of redressing private discrimination, particularly in the areas of employment and public accommodations. Moreover, it is essential that the government of Maryland issue its own statement that discrimination against disabled persons by the state and in the administration of state programs will not be tolerated. Moreover, a constitutional amendment provides greater assurance of a long-term commitment to equal rights.
- (Q) Don't Maryland courts already apply the same standards in prohibiting discrimination on the basis· of disability as is applied to discrimination based on race, religion or national origin?
- No. Laws that have the effect of discriminating against persons on the basis of race, religion or national origin are properly subjected to a high level of scrutiny by the courts. Laws that adversely impact people with disabilities are accorded a very low level of scrutiny by the courts, lower even than that applied to discrimination against aliens.
- (Q) How will this amendment change the way courts approach discrimination against disabled people in Maryland?
- This amendment will subject discrimination against people with disabilities to the same high level of scrutiny applied by the courts to discrimination on the basis of race, religion or national origin.
- (Q) Will this constitutional amendment cost the state or its citizens vast amounts of money?
No. First, the amendment would have only prospective application. Second, the future costs necessitated by the amendment would be minimal because state employers and those administering state programs would be required to make only reasonable accommodations to ensure that such jobs and programs are available to those with physical and/or mental disabilities. Significantly, the amendment is patterned after Article 46 of the Maryland Constitution which provides that equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, and there was no fiscal note associated with Article 46.
Studies have shown that the cost of providing such accommodations to disabled persons is low. For example, a 1982 study of accommodations provided to handicapped employees by federal contractors revealed that 51 percent of the accommodations involved no cost, while another 30 percent resulted in one-time costs between $1 and $500.
- (Q) Does a constitutional amendment providing equality of rights mean that blind people have the right to drive school buses?
- No. Just as constitutional amendments prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and sex do not entitle people to engage in activities that they are not otherwise qualified to perform, this constitutional amendment would not entitle people with disabilities to engage in activities they are not qualified to perform.
- (Q) Is this amendment likely to generate an avalanche of litigation?
- No. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts have constitutional amendments which provide protection for persons with disabilities. Only one case has been found in which one of these amendments was interpreted. In addition, the absence of litigation sparked by passage of Article 46 suggests that proposed amendment will not lead to a significant increase in litigation. Only two employment discrimination cases have been brought under Article 46 since that amendment was ratified in 1972. There is no reason to suspect that persons with disabilities will be more litigious than the beneficiaries of Article 46.
- (Q) Why should we amend Maryland's Constitution now?
- Disabled persons comprise the only major insular group not provided broad protection under the Constitution or laws of Maryland. As a result, those with physical and mental disabilities are subjected to stigma, exclusion and discrimination by the very entity that should be protecting them--the State of Maryland. In the past three decades, the state and federal governments have enacted laws and programs designed to protect other politically powerless groups, but those with physical and mental disabilities in Maryland remain largely unprotected. For those reasons, an amendment declaring the rights of disabled persons in Maryland is long overdue. •
BOOK REVIEW
By Lorraine Rovig, Librarian
HANDBOOK FOR ITINERANT AND RESOURCE TEACHERS OF BLIND AND VISUALLY
IMPAIRED STUDENTS, by Doris M. Willoughby and Sharon L. M. Duffy, National Federation of the Blind, c1989, 533 pages. Illustrated, black and white photos, bibliography, appendices. ISBN 0-9624122-0-1, 371.91'1, HV1631.W54 1989.
HANDBOOK by teachers Willoughby and Duffy provides help that has long been needed in an easily read format. Blind or visually impaired students are such a small part of the student body in any school district that few classroom teachers, school administrators, or other school personnel have had any experience with them. Teachers who have gone through specialized courses at universities to obtain their state's "VI Certification" find that in the real world of working day-by-day with visually handicapped children, their college classes only began the training. The teachers, the parents, and children themselves must often "reinvent the wheel" for lack of information on how other blind or visually impaired children succeed in the many, convoluted tasks involved in a modern education.
Both authors have many years of experience and complementary backgrounds for the task of compiling the largest, most practical handbook yet written on the subject. Doris M. Willoughby taught for eleven years in a regular second grade in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before becoming certified to teach blind and visually impaired children. She then taught in the specialized field for three years as a resource room teacher, followed by fourteen years as an itinerant teacher, a profession in which she continues.
Sharon L. M. Duffy has been blind all her life. Having attended both a school for the blind and a public school, she brings the blind person's point of view to her professional qualifications. Mrs. Duffy has taught Braille and cane travel for many years, as well as other independent living skills, in Idaho, Iowa, Chicago, and now, New Mexico.
Mrs. Duffy has helped blind children and adults learn how to cope with every type of travel problem--from getting around "the back 40" cornfield to riding the downtown subway. Her clear directions on successful methods of teaching cane travel to children from preschool age on up are accompanied by black and white photographs, a sequential list of skills, an intriguing list of things not to do, and many, many suggestions for providing variety while building-in success in a series of travel lessons.
The HANDBOOK devotes 45 pages to teaching Braille. These pages are a must-read for teachers and parents. Willoughby and Duffy are outspokenly pro-Braille throughout the text.
All the topics one would expect in a book with this title are covered. There are chapters or subsections on: "Working in Partnership with Parents," methods for success in mathematics, reading, physical education, shop courses, (co-authored by John Cheadle, an innovative rehabilitation shop teacher), "Testing and Evaluation," "Fitting in Socially," science courses, geography, use of computers, handwriting, art, music, use of low vision aids, "Home Economics and Daily Living Skills," dealing with multiple handicaps, Public Law 94-142, use of sleepshades, understanding medical assessments, and so forth.
There are also. the unexpected chapters. There is a chapter of advice for the new teacher on building rapport with other school staff who work with "your" student; techniques for teaching typing; tips on organizing one's professional paperwork; and, in an appendix, a playlet to enhance the understanding of sighted classmates.
Each topic is written about in a straightforward, narrative style divided by headings, subheadings, and lists. The reader can quickly zero in on needed data. Willoughby and Duffy offer anecdotes, both positive and negative, that should save every reader from at least one mistake. Their clear directions and repertoire of ideas for each of the subjects covered will be of help even to the experienced teacher.
Few resource room or itinerant teachers have much experience teaching the Nemeth Code, the Braille code for mathematics and science. One lengthy appendix offers an "Easy Guide to the Nemeth Code" while another teaches "The Paper-Compatible Abacus."
Two sections of the HANDBOOK are specifically for the itinerant or resource room teacher who is blind or visually impaired. These chapters are not only a compendium of workable ideas for the intended audience, but would be useful reading for blind students considering a professional career in any field.
One more thing must be said. HANDBOOK is exemplary for its positive approach. The authors are pointed in their comments on educational approaches which build in defeatism. They are equally forceful in presenting techniques, tasks, and attitudes that will assist visually handicapped children toward equality in the classroom and as adults.
I recommend the purchase of HANDBOOK FOR ITINERANT AND RESOURCE TEACHERS OF BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS to every teacher, administrator, or parent who is concerned with providing an equal educational' opportunity to blind and visually impaired children.
(Publisher: National Federation of the Blind (NFB), 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. Softcover: $20.00 from NFB includes shipping. (Checks, money orders, purchase order from agencies, no C.O.D.) Phone: 301-659-9314.)
CHAPTER AND DIVISION OFFICERS, 1990
Greater Baltimore Chapter: Eileen Rivera, president; Fred Flowers, first vice president; Raymond Lowder, second vice president; Shirley Trexler, secretary; Patricia Maurer, treasurer; Kathleen Chapman, Michael Harris, Doris Johnson, Carol Smith, board members.
Central Maryland Chapter: Kay Monville, president; Brenda Mueller, vice president; Linda Davis, secretary; Charles Fultz, treasurer; Clara Andrews, Tony Fallon, board members.
Greater Cumberland Chapter: Audrey Bums, president; Gary Klat, vice president; Ronald Bums, secretary; Georgia Myers, treasurer.
Eastern Shore Chapter: Curtis Larmore, president; Benny Bagwell, vice president; Ed Cholewdzynski, secretary; Pola Bagwell, treasurer.
Mountain City Chapter: Jean Faulkner, president; Carlene McKenzie, vice president; Patty Fraley, secretary; Pat Winebrenner, treasurer.
Sligo Creek Chapter: Lloyd Rasmussen, president; Tim Forder, vice president; Debbie Brown, secretary; Tina Gormley, treasurer; Tom Bickford, Pat Gormley, Laura Havard, board members.
Merchants Division: Joseph Byard, president; Raymond Lowder, vice president; Pete Reppert, secretary; Nelson Garber, treasurer; George Fear, Clara Leatherbury, board members.
Parents Division: Barbara Cheadle, president; Loretta White, vice president; Cathy Harris, secretary; John Cheadle, treasurer; Gwen Colbert, Michael Harris, board members.
Students Division: Stephanie Brown, president; Kay Monville, vice president; Kristine Kramer, secretary; Tina Gormley, treasurer; Sandeep Kishan, Ronda Jackson, board members.
SPECS
We are sorry to report the recent deaths of Shirley Deluca, Sylvester Brown, and Dorothy Weaver. May they rest in peace.
Wedding bells will ring for Mark Plantz and Inger Smith who will be married on April 7. We extend congratulations and best wishes to these newlyweds.
Bobby Bobo received the Disabled Marylander of the year Merit award of 1989. This award is given by the Governor's Committee on Employment of Persons with Disability to honor the achievements of Maryland's disabled community. Congratulations Bobby!
Sharon Maneki received the 1989 Woman of Achievement Award, presented by the Business and Professional Women's Network, Annapolis Chapter, for outstanding community service. Congratulations Sharon!
On Saturday, February 24, the Student Division held a successful seminar at Towson State University. Students learned about the National Federation of the Blind, Social Security benefits for the blind, vocational rehabilitation services and Job Opportunities for the Blind. Students also had a chance to meet other blind students and exchange ideas. Keep up the good work.
If you have not already done so, you should be making plans now to attend the 50th annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind, to be held in Dallas, Texas, June 30 - July 7. We're looking forward to a great convention! See you in Dallas!
THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR
The Braille Spectator
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
9736 Basket Ring Road Columbia, MD 21045
Spring 1990
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. Postage Paid Baltimore, MD Permit No. 7532
Address Correction Requested
Alfred Maneki
9736 Basket Ring Road Columbia, MD 21045