THE CANADIAN BLIND MONITOR VOICE OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND: ADVOCATES FOR EQUALITY VOL. 2 SUMMER 1996 The Canadian Blind Monitor is published three times a year. Members of the NFB:AE are invited, non-members are requested to cover our subscription cost with an annual fee of $10.00. Published by NFB:AE. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from the publisher. NFB:AE, P.O. Box 5058, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 8T9 Fax (604) 491-4080 E-mail: nfbcan winc.com PART I OF II Editor: Mary Ellen Gabias Editorial Assistants: Faye Harrison and Helaine Jackson Advertising Co-ordinator: 8278 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5X 3A2 (604) 482-3102 Fax (604) 482-3130 The National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality is not an organization speaking for the blind. It is the blind speaking for themselves. Please specify preferred format: Print, Braille, Cassette, or Computer disk. This Braille edition contains the entire text of the Inkprint edition, except for advertising. Questions regarding advertisements should be directed to NFB:AE headquarters. Produced in Grade Two Braille for the NFB:AE by AJS Braille Service, 707 East Garland Avenue, Spokane, Washington U.S.A., 99207-3027. TEL: (509) 487-8959. FRONT COVER ILLUSTRATION The front cover of the Summer 1996 issue of THE CANADIAN BLIND MONITOR shows a representation of the Information Superhighway along which are insets of technologies available shown as roadsigns. The images include: the CD Rom, computers, headphones, cassettes and Braille. The NFB:AE logo occupies the upper right hand corner. The logo is a set of scales with a sword in the centre and a maple leaf superimposed on the blade of the sword. The Twenty Second Annual Dog Guide Conference New Westminster October 17, 18, & 19, 1996 REGISTRATION FORM NAME: ADDRESS: CITY: PROVINCE: POSTAL/ZIP CODE: PHONE: There will be a dinner banquet and entertainment on Thursday, October 17th, from 6pm to 10pm at the cost of $35.00 (Cdn) per plate. Will you be attending? Yes No My payment of $35.00 (Cdn) is enclosed: Yes No Plus additional guest(s) at $35.00 each. My payment of $80.00 (Cdn) for the combination banquet/conference Special is included A special rate of $89.00 (Cdn) per night for single/double occupancy has been arranged at the Inn at the Westminster Quay, New Westminster. Individuals will be responsible for reserving their own accommodations. Toll free reservation number: 1-800-263-2001 Reservations must be confirmed with the hotel no later than September 15, 1996 All possible efforts will be made to ensure that your individual needs are met. Please list, in detail, any areas that we can assist you with: Please indicate below whether you are: Dog Guide User; Dog Guide School Representative; Future Dog Guide User; Health Care Professional; Family Member of Dog Guide User; Teacher; Mobility Instructor; Member of the Media; Government Official; Student; Other (please specify) For more information, please call Lori Sheppard at 1-604-522-9222 or Nat Armeni at 1-604-522-7102. Please mail completed form including payment to: P. A. W. S. Public Awareness Without Sight 106 - 1250 Quayside Drive, New Westminster, B.C. V3M 6E2 Space is limited so please register early! Editorial: Access to Information: Our most basic right and most complex challenge There has been so much written about the age of information and the information superhighway that most of us "tune out" the trite subject. However, the acquisition of information which is provided to most people visually is profoundly important to blind people. In fact, more than any other single factor, our ability to get needed information determines whether blindness will be an annoyance or a tragedy for us. The physical disability of blindness -- the inability to see or see adequately -- becomes a devastating handicap when information is not available in nonvisual forms. Fortunately, much information is provided, in whole or in part, in ways which we can access. In practice, and with a little instruction, most of us can figure out the general layout of a room, a home, a neighbourhood, or a city. Simple alternative techniques work well and require no modifications. For example, if one wishes to know the name of the store one is passing, it's generally quite easy to walk in the door and ask the proprietor. Most of us have learned, to the detriment of our pocketbooks, how quickly a simple question can lead to an unplanned purchase because we have been intrigued by what the proprietor had to say about his or her merchandise. This issue of "The Canadian Blind Monitor" is devoted largely to discussion of those situations in which informal means of gathering information are not adequate. Literacy through Braille is a cherished part of our heritage. Without the ability to read and write, blind people could not have emerged from dependence and isolation to march together toward equality of opportunity. Sadly, at a time when new technology is making the production of Braille faster, easier, and less expensive than ever before, Braille literacy among blind Canadians appears to be falling. In this issue, we will explore some of the complex reasons for this trend and look at what we can do as a people to safeguard our heritage. What about consumer electronics? How has the advent of touch screens and other digitized programmable devices affected our ability to function on a daily basis? Have you programmed your V.C.R. recently? How does the government of Canada fit into the picture? Strides have been made in the provision of documents in accessible format. At the same time, copyright laws are structured in a way which tends to decrease our access to the printed word. Whether we are in school, on the job, or just trying to get a little cash from the bank machine, the way in which our information needs are met can make the difference between success and failure. Because the quality of our lives is at stake, it will be up to us to teach, encourage (and where necessary) push to have our needs and aspirations considered as an integral part of information delivery. We are no longer willing to be a charitable afterthought. Mary Ellen Gabias P.S. We welcome the newest member of the Gabias family! Philip Kenneth was born on September 5th, at 3:25am, weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz., and 19 inches long. He is a brother to Joanne, 6 and Jeffrey, 3. It's My Life And I'm Responsible for It! One of the most pernicious misconceptions about blindness is the notion that we are unaware of our surroundings and therefore incapable of protecting ourselves from danger. Most of our sighted friends, when pressed, will admit that we seem to manage, but that they are not at all sure how. Most people are so accustomed to gathering information visually that they have never developed alternative non-visual techniques. They may notice that their living room echoes differently after the furniture has been moved into it, but they rarely think of this difference as a useful tool for getting around. When a blind person moves from the confines of home to the public streets, those around us often replace curiosity and incredulity with fear. For some people, the thought of a blind person maneuvering safely through traffic is nothing short of terrifying. One of the most uplifting aspects of being human is our capacity and willingness to reach out in loving concern to those around us. Helping those who cannot help themselves is a hallmark of a civilized society. Unfortunately, when the thoroughly positive desire to be of service is combined with the generally negative lack of information about blind people and the way we function, the results can be extremely uncomfortable for everyone concerned. The experience of one blind student at Okanagan University College in Kelowna demonstrates the problem. Janet Erikson has always enjoyed outdoor recreation. She does downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, swimming, and a variety of other very physical things. She also uses a guide dog as an aid to mobility. Not surprisingly, when she gets the chance, Janet loves to run with her dog. She has learned how to judge traffic and avoid other potential hazards without breaking stride. One morning, Janet was on her way to class at Okanagan University. It was a fine morning, she was feeling energetic, and she realized she hadn't allotted enough time for a sedate stroll to class. She took off running. Her residence was at the top of a long hill and her classroom building was at the bottom. The main campus roadway--a roadway marked clearly to give pedestrians the right of way--was between the two buildings. There was no curb to distinguish the roadway from the rest of the sidwalk, but there were enough other cues to make it easy to find. On the morning when Janet took her noteworthy run, she listened for traffic, determined it was clear, and simply kept going. A driver came down the road much too quickly and passed within a few feet of Janet. No one was hurt. No accident occurred. It was one of those little incidents that is noted at the time and almost instantly forgotten. At least, that's how it should have been. But attitudes about blindness run deep and none of us can count on anonymity. Another student observed what was happening and became frightened. Rather than talk to Janet directly, she took her fear to a student committee assigned to making the campus accessible for the handicapped. Clearly, this must be an accessibility problem. Major modifications must be made, and professional advice must be sought. The head of the barrier-free committee at the college--a woman who uses a wheelchair for independent travel, but has no background in blindness--went to the "experts". She called the local offices of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), and related her secondhand account of the problem, although she did not give Janet's name to the staff member. Faced with such an inquiry from the public, an employee from an agency for the blind must maintain a difficult balance. On one hand, the caller's concern is genuine and must be treated with respect. On the other hand, the caller's observations and perceptions may be filtered through an unreasonable level of fear, and the caller's conclusions must, therefore, be treated with healthy skepticism. Above all, the agency representative must remember that the first duty is to the blind person involved, and that nothing should be said which would in any way undermine that person's ability to be in charge. One very useful response in such circumstances, is: "We'd be glad to act as a resource for this blind person. Feel free to give him or her our number." Another possible question is: "What was the blind person's assessment of the situation when the two of you discussed it?" Those answers make it clear that it is the blind person whose knowledge and perspective should be sought before professional intervention. Only after these things have been said, it may be appropriate for the agency staff member to talk in general terms about possible solutions for a particular problem. Janet first heard about the conversation between the barrier-free committee and the CNIB when the committee head called her after the fact. Because Janet's understanding of the conversation is only second-hand, we will never know whether or not the staff member took the basic precautions outlined above. We do know, however, the part of the conversation that was relayed to Janet. On the basis of her understanding of their conversation with the CNIB, the barrier-free committee offered to advocate that the College administration install a roughened surface at the edge of the driveway to make it possible for Janet to know where it was. They also let her know that a mobility instructor could be made available to help her solve her problems. They even went so far as to suggest that she might want to consider calling the guide dog school which she had attended to request refresher training for her dog. If the CNIB staff member had suggested that things might really be fine and someone was just overreacting, the person from the barrier-free committee had been unwilling or unable to entertain that possibility. Janet's reaction was predictably angry. In very plain but courteous language, she informed her would-be saviour that she did not appreciate unrequested intrusions into her life. To paraphrase her comments: "If you have something to say about me, please begin by saying it to me." There may be some debate about whether Janet was acting prudently in the way she crossed the campus that morning. She believed she was; some others did not share her belief. It's really beside the point. No matter how much we all wish that everyone would follow the safety standards we feel are appropriate, we all must recognize and respect the right of other adults to make their own decisions. If Janet had been sighted, chances are no one would have thought her behaviour the least bit unusual. Because she is blind, and because of the prevailing myth that blind people are unaware of their surroundings, others felt it was completely appropriate to take charge of her life for her. No doubt they felt she was being unreasonably defensive when she stood up for herself. Janet could have simply felt annoyed and hurt, spoken her mind to the head of the barrier-free committee, and let it go at that. Instead, she took the time to put her concerns in writing. She wrote to the head of the barrier-free committee, the disabled students services office, the college president, the residence and campus newspapers, and the NFB:AE. She received an overwhelmingly positive response. The letter from Okanagan University president, Dr. Bill Bowering, said it best: Ms. Janet Erikson OUC North Kelowna Residence North Kelowna Campus (December 6, 1995) Dear Ms. Erikson: I have discussed the concerns raised in your letter of 95-11-30 with Ms. Valerie Best, Disability Services. While the efforts of the people that you mentioned in your letter are probably motivated by good intentions, I agree that you have a right to conduct your life as you see fit. Ms. Best will be discussing your concerns with the Barrier Free group. I hope that there will be no further recurrences of this kind. Yours truly, W.D. Bowering, President That's the kind of simple but profound respect we are all trying to achieve. Grab Bag From the Editor: This article by Zena Pearcy of Austin, Texas, is reprinted from The News, a publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas (Summer 1996). We are including a new feature in this issue of "The Canadian Blind Monitor". As you can see, it is called Grab Bag, and the idea of this feature is to provide our readers with helpful tips on how to accomplish all sorts of tasks using alternative techniques. Some of the tips we present will come from professionals who teach such techniques. Others, we hope, will come from our readers. So, if you use alternative techniques that you would like to share with others, please, send us detailed information about them. We will present as many of these tips and hints as we can in each edition. With this kind of help we can all become more independent. To submit items for Grab Bag, write to: NFB:AE, P.O. Box 5058, Station A, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 8T9 Our first Grab Bag tip will assist you in labeling canned food and in maintaining a grocery list. We hope you find it helpful. For many years, blind people who use Braille have labelled cans using dymo tape and various other methods, but I have found that thin, flat magnets work very well for this purpose. Many companies use these magnets as advertising giveaways. So, you may be able to obtain some that way, and they are available for purchase from Easier Ways, 1101 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Their phone number is (410) 659-0232. These magnets are small enough to put on the top of a can, and it is easy to emboss them with Braille by simply using a slate and stylus. You can also make up magnetic labels for other items, such as produce, meats, juices, and anything else you buy on a regular basis. Obviously, they won't stick to lettuce or ground beef, but you can put them in a drawer near your refrigerator, and when you use up the item in question, you can grab the appropriate magnetic label and stick it on the fridge. You can also take the magnets off your cans as you use them and do the same. Using this technique you can maintain an accurate grocery list, which you can transcribe onto paper before going to the market. Then, you can simply clear off your refrigerator list, and start all over. The great thing about this labelling and list-making method is that you can reuse the magnets, which is a real time saver. Art Lesson Plans for Blind Children by Paul Gabias From the Editor: Canadian Blind Monitor readers know President Paul Gabias for his work within the organized blind movement. He is less well known for his psychological research on tactile pictures. The following lesson plans were developed for two conferences of special education teachers. Pictures have always been considered part of the visual arts and therefore, inaccessible to blind people. As a result, blind children have generally not been encouraged to experiment with tactile pictures in any systematic way. These lessons cover some basic drawing concepts such as point of view and perspective. We are reprinting them here with the hope that teachers will find them useful and the belief that Federationists will be interested in learning more about the subject. A number of museums and galleries have developed programs to increase the accessibility of art to blind persons. Art Education for the Blind is one of the leaders in this area. They have developed some very exciting materials based in part on this research. LESSON I A given drawing can stand for the same object considered from different points of view. A child can be shown a raised line drawing of a table. The table can be drawn as a square with a line coming out from each corner at a diagonal. This table could be called a "star table". The child can be asked to point out each leg on the drawing of the table. He could also be asked to point out the sides of the table. Then questions about point of view can be introduced. The teacher can ask, "Do you think this drawing shows the table drawn from any particular point of view? Do you think it was drawn from above, from underneath, or from no point of view?" Research suggests the children will give two kinds of answers depending on their age level. Younger children are likely to say that the drawing has no particular point of view. It is simply a table with legs. Older observant children may say that the table was drawn from underneath. They may comment that if you draw the table from above you can't really show the shape of the top and all four legs, too. From here on, the lesson can continue in two directions. The Younger Child: For those children who said that the table is drawn from no particular point of view, a suggested course of action is as follows: You might agree with the child and say that certainly one way of thinking about this drawing is that, indeed, it was not drawn from a particular point of view. But there is another way of looking at the drawing. This second way requires that you be quite literal about the table and how the legs are connected. You can ask the child to imagine herself sitting on top of the table. Have the child try it out, if necessary. The child should agree that from the top of a table, the legs are not visible nor reachable. Then you might ask the child to imagine herself underneath a table. You can ask the child if the legs, from underneath, are visible or reachable. Again, you can have the child actually sit underneath a table. The child should agree that from underneath the table the legs are visible and reachable. Now you can ask the child to draw a table from above, as seen from a plane, and a table from underneath, as seen from the floor. The child should offer a square corresponding to the shape of the top of a table viewed from above. Legs should be added for a table viewed from underneath. The Older Child: Recall that the question at hand was: Is the "star table" drawn from any particular point of view? We saw that younger children are likely to answer that the "star table" was not drawn from any particular point of view. A particular lesson plan was suggested for these children. But what about the older children? What about those clever children who say that the star table is the drawing of a table from underneath? They can be asked to demonstrate how the table might be drawn from above. If they draw a square corresponding to the shape of the top, and tell you that the legs are not visible nor reachable from above, you can go on to the next step. You can ask them to draw a table from the side. On the other hand, if they draw a table with legs attached to it, then you can go back and continue with the lesson that was suggested for younger children. Recall that these are children who said that the "star table" showed a table drawn from no particular vantage point. LESSON II A given object can be drawn from different points of view. Recall that the purpose of the previous lesson was to show that a given drawing can stand for an object considered from different points of view. The purpose of this lesson is to show that a given object can be drawn from different points of view. You can start by showing the child the "star table" again. Remind the child that the star table can be considered in two ways. It can be considered as having been drawn from no particular point of view. It can also be considered as having been drawn from underneath. Then tell the child, "Now we want to consider a table drawn from the side." Recall that here, only part of the table is drawn. The side view of the table allows us to show the ta's length or its width, but not both. It also allows us to show the height of the table and its thickness. The child should be encouraged to draw a table from the side. One way of proceeding, for the more adventurous child, is simply to let the child draw what she considers to be a table as well as the lines corresponding to the edges of the table. The edges are the top edge and bottom edge of the side, and the two connecting edges at each end. The child may only have drawn one line to stand for both edges, the top and bottom edges of the side. If that is the case, you can ask the child to produce another drawing. The drawing can show how thick the table is. Then ask the child to point out which lines correspond to which edges. For the more cautious child, you can start by showing the child a drawing of the side view of a table. Ask him to point out which lines stand for which edges. It may be helpful here to have an actual table at hand, to which the child can refer and compare with his drawing. LESSON III Through convergent perspective, a drawing can show what is near and what is far. Suppose you wanted to draw a top front view of a table. It would be important to distinguish the near front edge of the top from the far back edge of the top. Two oblique lines, corresponding to the side edges of the table could connect the front and back edges of the table. The two front legs of the table could be shown by dropping two vertical lines from each corner, perpendicular to the front edge. You would have a trapezoidal shape for the top, and two lines coming down for the legs. The back legs need not be drawn, because they would not be seen from a top front view of the table. A child who has mastered the first two lessons can be shown a drawing of this sort. The child can be asked why the back edge of the table is shorter than the front edge. If the child replies, "Because the back edge is further", you can go on to probe more deeply. You can ask why it makes sense to show the back edge of the table shorter than the front edge, just because it's further away. Most people, blind or sighted, would find it difficult to give a straight answer to this question. Here are some exercises which may help blind children understand this principle. Ask the child to place each palm on the near left and near right hand corners of a table. Then ask the child to reach forward to the back of the table. You will find that it will be necessary to narrow the angle between the two arms. Ask the child if the space between his left and right hands in smaller, when touching the back of the table, versus the front corners of the table. The child should agree that it is necessary to narrow the space between his two hands in order to touch the back edge. Another example rests on the same principle. Ask the child to point to two imaginary trees. From left to right the trees are ten feet apart. The child is between the two trees. In effect the trees are on each side of the child, in line with each shoulder. The child is asked to point to both trees. The child should extend his arms on each side at shoulder height. Then the child is asked to imagine that the trees have moved forward, not sideways but only forward in the direction the child is facing. (If the child understands compass directions you may position him so that he is facing North, and then explain that the trees are moving North.) The child should narrow the angle of pointing the further away the trees are imagined to be. Another exercise along the vertical plane may be helpful as well. You can ask the child to imagine herself standing in front of a building. Any inside wall will do for these purposes. Ask the child to point to an imaginary bird on top of the building, perched at the edge just above the child. The child should extend her arm above her head. Now ask the child to imagine that the building is further and further away. Pick some arbitrary distances and ask the child to point to the bird sitting on top of the building. As the building is imagined to be further and further away, the child will progressively lower her arm toward the horizon. The same principle can be demonstrated with respect to space between the ground and the horizon. You can ask the child to imagine she is, once again, standing right in front of a building. You can ask her to point to an imaginary ball on the ground. The ball is at the edge of the building. The child should point straight down toward the ground. As the child is asked to imagine herself further and further away from the building, her arm will progressively raise toward the horizon, with increasing distance. These examples show that principles of perspective are dependent on a geometry of direction. Vision is not the sole means by which these principles can be understood. So far we have shown that a given drawing can stand for the same object, considered from different points of view. We've also shown that a given object can be drawn from different points of view. We've also seen that, through convergent perspective, a drawing can show what is near and what is far. The types of drawings we have considered so far are based on principles of projective geometry. That is to say, they are based on the same principles as those which govern the way outlines of forms are projected on a screen. But these principles will not do when the artist wants to draw events such as objects moving and states such as pain. LESSON IV Metaphor may be used as a way to show movement in drawings. A metaphoric device is a technique which alters the structure of a drawing deliberately in order to suggest an idea which is difficult to portray in a static picture. The drawing is metaphoric because certain aspects of it are not to be taken literally. As was shown earlier, there are several drawing devices that blind people have invented to show movement. Research has shown that these devices are meaningful to the sighted. As we saw before, these can be classified into context devices, postural devices, and additional graphics, as well as shape distortions. The reason why these devices work is because they rely on principles of communication in addition to principles of projection. An apt device may work because it takes something of what we know of language and the world and applies this knowledge to the drawing in an imaginative and systematic way. These devices are individual inventions created on the spot for very specific communicative purposes. They are not so much based on drawing skills but rather based on clever uses of communicative skills. They are based on the ingenuity of the artists, his own knowledge of the world, and his ability to predict what others are likely to understand from his communication. Blind people are taught principles of communication from the time they learn to speak. There is no reason why blind people should not be encouraged to apply these skills in drawing. It is not easy to teach children how to use metaphoric devices in drawing. This is because metaphoric devices rely so heavily on individual inventiveness. The same problem arises when trying to teach children uses of metaphor in language. There are a few common ones which most children have heard or read by high school. Examples are, "she has a heart of stone" and "He's a real snake." But, for the most part, good metaphors must be invented and the more clever they are the more apt they are likely to be. The best that can be done here is to suggest a few which have been tested and seemed to work fairly well, with both blind and sighted adults alike. Blind and sighted adults were shown drawings of five wheels. In each wheel the spokes were either curved, bent, wavy, dashed, or sticking out beyond the rim of the wheel. They were also given the following motion options for the wheels: spinning, jerky rotations, wobbling, too fast to make out, and brakes on. The task was to match each option with each drawing. Fifteen blind and fifteen sighted subjects responded as follows: The subjects agreed that the curved spokes were best at suggesting spin. The bent spokes were best at suggesting jerky rotations. The wavy lines were best at suggesting wobbling. The extended lines were best at suggesting "brakes on". You can try this exercise with blind and sighted children. With younger children it may be necessary to restrict the number of options. Alternatively, you might want to ask children to invent their own metaphoric devices. For example, you may ask children to invent drawing devices for depicting a hand in pain. Or, you may ask them to try their hand at drawing bad-smelling garbage or imaginative solutions for these problems. These explorations in graphic communications will prove to be excellent catalysts for creativity and endless sources of excitement and wonder, both for you and your students. Concluding Remarks The purpose of Lesson I was to show that a given drawing can stand for the same object, considered from different points of view. We saw that the drawing of the star table could be considered as having been drawn from no particular point of view, or as having been drawn from underneath. The purpose of Lesson II was to show that a given object could be drawn from different points of view. A table could be drawn from the top, from the side, or from underneath. A different drawing would result in each case. The purpose of Lesson III was to show that, through convergent perspective, a drawing can show what is near and what is far. We saw that principles of perspective could be easily understood by blind children, based on their own experience. Lesson IV showed that when blind people are asked to draw events in a static picture, several types of devices are invented depending on the particular event. We saw that the devices are metaphoric because they are not to be taken literally. We saw that, although the devices are not literal, they are nonetheless effective. They are effective because they are based on principles of perception and communication. These principles use to advantage our common knowledge about the world. They are understood by the blind and the sighted alike. Not much, so far, has been said about what to expect from children at different ages. It is difficult to specify exact ages at this point. All that can be said is that research suggests that the order of the lessons presented follows a developmental progression. Seven to eleven year olds would likely be more interested in Lessons I and II. Eleven to fifteen year olds would be interested in Lessons III and IV as well. One final comment is in order here. The lessons that have been suggested here are simply guides. Use them as fruitfully as you can but do not be bound by them. Let your imagination interact with that of the child. The children are likely to teach you much more than you could even imagine. They will be proud of their accomplishments. They will also be particularly happy to realize that drawing can be, for them, just as much fun as it is for sighted children. For the younger children this will be enough. The older children will also be motivated by the problem solving aspects of drawing. Drawings can be considered as problems to be solved. Just as many children enjoy working on models of toy cars, children can be encouraged to draw objects. The objects can be drawn from different vantage points or in different states over time. Objects can undergo different kinds of motion and these can also be challenging to depict. Tactile Pictures: Ideas For Lessons by M. A. Heller Basic Questions: 1. Can touch inform us about the vertical? 2. Children can draw objects, but do blind children understand the concept of a straight line? How will they draw simple geometric shapes if asked to copy them? 3. Blind children are likely to be able to draw such things as people, animals, flowers, etc. How are they likely to draw them if asked to make drawings on the side of a mountain? Introduction: Background Information for the Educator According to Piaget, the sighted child can feel geometric shapes and then draw them (with ink on paper) at about ages seven or eight. Sighted children can copy simple shapes like a square or circle via the sense of sight by the age of five. The earliest spatial relationships that can be understood involve topology, namely whether one is "near something", "inside", or "outside", "etc". Geometric shapes are usually understood by the age five, and children can coordinate topology and geometry by the age of seven or eight (e.g. the rhombus). The understanding of the vertical appears at about the same time, as does the child's ability to understand the concept of a straight line. There may be a slight developmental lag in the blind child, either because of the sensory modality, or perhaps because of a lack of much experience with drawing. The proposed drawing exercises are appropriate for older children after exposure to earliest drawing skills. The blind child can be taught to draw common geometric shapes, and understand complex spatial arrangements. It might be fruitful to start by showing children drawings of simple shapes and name them. One could then provide multiple-choice recognition games using raised-line drawings. Specific information for these lessons: Sighted children's demonstration and understanding of a straight line by using a method of "sighting". They look between two points. For the blind child, a length of string can be substituted. The child can be taught that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points by showing the child what happens when string is pulled tight. We all learn the difference between standing upright and having one's body tilted. Children learn that walls are upright and so are trees. They are asked to draw people, trees, and animals on a slanted surface represented by a raised line. Motivation and Content: Just as sighted children enjoy using templates to draw letters and shapes, the blind child is likely to learn a great deal from producing raised line drawings by copying, by using plastic templates, and by using drawing aids. "Art" is frequently used as a reward for sighted children in classrooms. We should stress that drawing is fun. Blind adults enjoy drawing and it should be a pleasure for both younger and older blind children. Drawing Geometric Shapes: Children can learn to draw geometric shapes freehand by using raised-line drawings or cardboard cutouts as models. They might then play at drawing with templates, plastic triangles, and rulers. Blind adults have requested these aids in the past. Drawing Maps: The child might be encouraged to draw a simple map of a well-known pedestrian route. It can be fun to draw one's room or another very familiar spatial layout. Drawing a Mountain: The child is given a raised-line drawing of a mountain (side view, inverted "V") and asked to draw a house, people, animals, trees, and flowers on the mountainside. It might help if the child were given small models of these objects. The child is asked to draw these things so they are upright and not tilted. Summary: 1. Blind children can draw straight lines and geometric forms. 2. It is important to keep track of starting and endpoints when making outline drawings. 3. Drawings can be used to make maps of routes and places. 4. Objects can be vertical, tilted, or horizontal. It is important to note the orientation of things and keep the drawing material horizontal. Special pointers on issues likely to arise: The suggested drawing lessons should follow the earlier drawing experiences and would be most useful to older children. We don't have normative data on these tasks for the blind, but we do know that drawing simple geometric shapes can be accomplished much earlier (seven or eight) than more complex arrays. Drawing maps and objects on the mountain can be attempted earlier, but distortion is likely for the younger child (e.g. seven through eight). Older children (eight through ten) are more likely to succeed in producing accurate drawings of spatial layouts. It is important to avoid criticism and to maintain an encouraging tone. One should not expect absolute accuracy. Remember, sighted adults may produce grossly distorted line drawings when making maps of familiar layouts from memory. Follow-on: Further discussion with children can focus on other uses for raised-line drawing kits. For example, the children may wish to learn letter or number shapes, if they are unfamiliar with them. Their writing can be both seen and touched, and this will help them communicate with the sighted. They might wish to play tic-tac-toe with raised lines. The children should be encouraged to generate other uses and subjects for drawings. They could draw pictures of beep-ball fields, bowling alleys, homes, and other large-scale objects. Touch Pictures: Ideas For Lessons by J. M. Kennedy Basic Questions 1. A picture can be made of raised materials, with raised lines. Can a picture of an object make sense if we only know about the picture from touch? 2. A picture could be very detailed, too complicated to explore quickly via touch. Are some of the simplest pictures possible, that would make sense to the blind child? 3. Drawing materials usable by young blind children are now available. How would a blind child be likely to draw simple objects on first attempt? Introduction: Background Information for the Educator. There is now good evidence that raised-line pictures of common objects and arrangements of a few objects in a scene make sense to the blind child and adult with no previous exposure to pictures. The research is from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, not from one locale or school, so it is likely to be of general application. Blind children with no previous experience with pictures via sight or touch can recognize simple pictures or objects, in raised-line form. Some of these simple pictures can be objects with distinctive silhouettes, familiar to touch. Such objects include wire forms, like a coat hanger, rounded solid forms like balls, eggs and cups, and rectangular solid forms such as knives, forks, tables and chairs. Some forms include internal detail, like a cup which has a hole in its handle. Some forms are merely boundaries of parts of an object such as a hand or profile of a nose. Drawing simple objects is a task congenitally blind children can accomplish. The blind child can often be considered to be like a young sighted child in understanding some shapes better than others, and often produces drawings that are like those of young sighted children. Just as young sighted children are imaginative, tolerant of approximations and informal in their criteria for drawing objects, so too are young blind children in many respects. The young sighted child draws objects following very broad guidelines and principles, so that their drawing is often difficult for the adult to decipher and recognize. Nevertheless, the child progresses from one principle to another, developing in technique and sophistication. The young blind can also be expected to draw sketchily at first, and to progress in the sophistication of their principles. Specific information for lessons: Blind children can use lines to stand for wires, corners and edges of rectangular objects and boundaries ("profiles") of rounded objects. There are objects made of wires, flat surfaces and rounded surfaces that have distinctive shapes, e.g., coat hangers, knives, and faces. In this lesson, simple objects with these features are given as raised-line drawings, and also children are asked to draw them. Motivation and content: How is the material to be introduced to the children? How can the child's motivation be engaged? There are several possible ways to engage interest. Each one may suit a particular child. A different method may need to be invented for a specific child. Some children are immediately taken by pictures and drawing. They enjoy the task. They need little or no inducement to engage in drawing. They may invent new variations without exterior hints or suggestions. In the long run, this is the autonomous state many children can reach. At this point, the child learns and progresses on his or her own initiative. The materials should be shown, a suggestion can be given, and the child will discover on its own how successful he or she can be immediately with the materials. The educator with the autonomous child can simply offer the issue: "Here are some drawing materials. Children can draw objects with these. You can draw a coat hanger, or an egg, or a nose (profile) of a person." Reaction from the educator to the drawing is likely best kept warm, and to the point, rather than dramatic. Effort should be made to keep the child's motivation centered on his or her own activity. The warmth will help keep the child feeling confident that there is approval and interest, without the child feeling that a particular requirement is to be met. The child, it is thought, can discover some of the fundamental principles of drawing. Clever and unexpected tricks: Pictures as information. Some children may require some useful or "game" quality to the materials. This can be done in various ways: The picture can be a label on the lid of a canister. The child can be deciphering the message of the picture, which can show "what is kept here", in a canister or cupboard. The pictures can be practical, as labels. (Sighted children quite readily notice the purpose of pictures, because they have pictorial labels by the hundreds.) Labels for bananas, grapes, pears and apples can be put on boxes with lids. The reward is in deciphering the label and opening the box. The labels can also act as instructions about what goes where, like toy animals or trucks or sailboats. Sailboats can make interesting games. A profile as a single line can readily do something a solid plateau-like form can only do with difficulty. It can face two ways. A blind child can be asked to feel a line with a small curve to the left and a large curve to the right. The child can be asked to take the small curve as the nose, and the large curve as the open mouth. On the next excursion, the small curve can be the brow and the large curve a huge nose. The difference in the faces, and the change in their expression, can be of great interest to children. Recognition games: Drawing one's own likeness can be extremely appealing. At an early age, there is a line to distinguish faces, but hair can be very changeable from day to day--wet and slicked down by rain, or fluffy and dry. One child can have short hair, another long hair, another has bows and another has braids. Adults have beards, mustaches, set hair. A familiar person concentrating on a remarkable distinctive feature can be rewarding for children. Drawing interesting foods: Foods have distinctive shapes--the triangles of pizza, the rectangles of French fries, the round hamburger bun. Children can order their food by drawing what they want. They can tell what they had for lunch to a friend with a picture. Summary: The content and the format of a lesson can be inherently interesting. But the point should be made clear occasionally, and it may be helpful to make the point explicit. The points to be made explicit for young blind children using pictures include: 1. Blind children can use pictures. 2. The raised-lines in pictures stand for boundaries of objects. 3. There are different kinds of boundaries (wires, corners and rounded borders in this instance) that lines can show. 4. Pictures understood by blind children are understood by the sighted. Special pointers on issues likely to arise: When sighted children draw at first, they do not draw realistically, in perspective, as though tracing a photograph. One should not expect the blind child to draw realistically at first. Likely, the first drawings of the young child age 3, 4 or 5 may include, mostly, a mark with no relevant shape. The mark stands for any desired feature, e.g. the noise of a truck, the truck itself, the number of trucks, or the driver in the truck. A mark may be added each time a new feature is added. Or the child may simply switch the meaning of the mark from time to time: The rule is one of "fiat": At will, the mark is given a reference. The blind child of perhaps age 5, 6 or 7 may use some fiat marks, but the child may also add relevant shapes. A curve may indicate a single leg. The parts of the object are not merely indicated by marks, by fiat, but rather share some similarity of shape with the object. A slightly older blind child, likely one of age 8 and older, not only makes line drawings where parts of the object are outlined, rather vaguely, but also draws the parts connected. This is a kind of drawings often made by blind and sighted adults. The parts each have a definite shape similar to the real object, and also the end of each part joins to another part. The connections are shown accurately, in that legs are attached to bodies, not to heads, for example, and generally, they are not left disconnected, without an explanation. The angles made in the real object where parts connect to bodies are often irrelevant to the drawing. A table leg is at right angles to the table-top, in the real object, but it may be at any angle in the freehand drawing. As a cautionary note, we emphasize that the child's drawing does contain principles, even if the principle of realism is not apparent. The child typically can describe what parts of the drawing stand for. Typically, the child can touch the relevant part of the drawing and a related part of the real object. The child can be asked to explain the drawing to adults or peers and will likely give the same explanation to both. A child often will draw at one level, meaning following one set of principles such as fiat, but can use some other principles that may be developmentally more advanced. A child who draws by fiat can recognize a realistic silhouette form of a simple object. A child can also show an advanced format when drawing with "dictation". For example, the child can be asked to draw the head, then the body, then the legs, then the feet, and only then the arms and hands. A child who draws by fiat, at his own discretion, often puts marks at random on the page, in the order they happen to occur. But the marks may be distributed using a body schema, and appropriate positioning on the page, if drawing to dictation. Follow-on: The topics raised as children initially prepare outline drawings or try using them may lead to questions about more involved uses. Notably, the blind child may want to be aware of when and how sighted people use pictures. In schools, sighted children typically have drawings on the walls for everyone's inspection. This is an immediate instance where the blind child's work can be displayed in a format some schools previously reserved for pictures by sighted children. A drawing on the child's own cupboard may be helpful in being available for incidental inspection, not connected to a particular game, or an object being sought. The child could send pictures to friends and relations by mail. Pictures can be taken home to show family what subjects the child is studying, so the picture acts as a message about a subject such as history, not just an attractive item in its own right. A newspaper can be read and its front picture (of say, an airplane) translated. The classroom loudspeaker for the radio in school could have a picture of the principal put on it, drawn by the child, after inspecting the principal's profile. Favorite characters in books--"Winnie-the-Pooh" or favorite toys in catalogues (of lambs or Lamborghinis) can be drawn. Information for Perception Does it Exist in the Environment or is it Just a Product of the Nervous System by Paul Gabias, PhD From the Editor: The following article is somewhat technical, but it lays out the scientific foundation for a different way to think about perception in general and the way the blind perceive the world in particular. We reprint it here because we believe it is important to spread our message to the entire community. In this article, I want to make two general points about perception. The first point is that information pickup involves the isolation of invariants in dynamic stimulation. This means that information pickup is much more than the output of particular sensory nerves at any given moment in time. The second point is that because the pickup of information involves the isolation of invariants in dynamic stimulation, there is equivalent information for different perceptual systems. I believe that an understanding of these two points will increase our understanding of perception and our understanding of blindness and its impact on perception. One of the most persistent fallacies about blindness in popular culture and science is the notion that blind and sighted people perceive different worlds. The idea here is that what we perceive is a product of the sensory channels involved in perception. If the visual channels are not active, the assumption is that the perception of many physical attributes such as layout, size, distance, detail and salience is necessarily always incomplete because the products from the visual channels are absent. The assumption is that there is nothing a blind person can do to mitigate against this situation. The assumption is that the incompleteness in perception is a necessary consequence of the physiological deficiency and it affects almost every aspect of perception. Much research in perception stems from this erroneous assumption. However, through the pioneering ideas and research of Dr. James J. Gibson and the more recent research of Drs. John M. Kennedy, Morty Heller and Paul Gabias, to name a few, an alternative view of perception is gaining acceptance in psychology. This view is called the ecological approach to perception. According to this approach, perception is not a product of the output of sensory channels to the brain. The brain does not construct the world out of sensations from the sensory channels. Instead, the brain, sensory and motor systems operating as an entire unit isolate invariants in dynamic stimulation which correspond to the physical properties of the world, as we know them. According to the ecological position, information is not the output of sensory nerves to the brain. Information is not to be considered the neural building blocks of the world for the brain. Instead, information is what the world has to offer. It is directly related to the physical properties of the world and not the physiological properties of nerves. This is because information pickup involves the isolation of invariants in dynamic stimulation, it is not restricted to the output of particular sensory nerves. Because the pickup of information involves the isolation of invariants in dynamic stimulation, there can be equivalent information for different perceptual systems. This is an extremely important point. It is in fact a tenet of the ecological approach to perception. Support for the tenet is abundant. All you have to do is to observe blind people who have had training and opportunity going about their lives and competing with sighted people on absolute terms of equality. I will return to this point later, after I describe the properties of the different types of information available in the environment, appropriate for each perceptual system. Information about the world exists at the surfaces of rigid and nonrigid substances, and within nonrigid substances. Information about the world is inherent in the layout, and change in layout of rigid surfaces. Information is also inherent in the texture and pigment of surfaces. Visual information about the world is embodied in structured light. This structured light is called the ambient optic array. It consists of nested sets of solid angles, each projecting to a point of observation. Of course, the environment is made up of an infinite set of points of observation and at least theoretically, an observer can be stationed at any point of observation and can move through multiple points of observation. The invariants in the structured light are directly related to the layout of surfaces in the environment including the surfaces of the observer's body. The changes in structured light correspond to changes in surface layout caused by displacements or changes in surface composition. Displacements of the observer's body are specified to the observer at points of observation within the field of view. Displacements in the environment which do not involve the observer's body are also specified as changes in the structured light. Yet, within these changes, there is still persistence of structure which specifies the permanent shape of objects moving through the environment. Auditory information is embodied in wave fronts with frequency trains specifying particular auditory events, and different arrival times and intensities of wave fronts at the two ears specifying location in space. With auditory events far away, head movements cause little change in intensity and arrival times of the wave fronts at the two ears. Practically speaking, this means that it is harder to localize a sound event in the distance. However, when auditory events are close by, they are much easier to localize. This is because head movements cause much larger changes in intensities and arrival times of the wave fronts at the two ears. The fact that differences between inputs to the two ears are much more detectable the closer the sound event is to the observer, and the fact that they are harder to detect the further away the sound event is from the observer, gives rise to what can be called auditory perspective. This auditory perspective is governed by the same geometrical principles as visual perspective. So, perspective is not just a visual principle, as is commonly thought. This is surprising to many people. It makes the point that there are often multiple sources of equivalent information. Olfactory and gustatory information is embodied in the molecular structure of substances. Olfaction is carried through air. Our sense of smell is not at all bothered by the dynamic flow of air caused by wind, or of the flow of air caused by inhaling and exhaling. If anything, wind helps olfaction and so does sniffing. This reinforces the point that perception is best under dynamic conditions. Here again, with smell, the perception of odors involves extracting nonchange from change. Haptic information, that is, information perceived through active touch, is embodied in the substances of solids and liquids and the layout of surfaces and the changing layout of surfaces. This haptic information is best picked up through active exploration of the substances and surfaces of the world. Active exploration can be accomplished through direct contact with substances and surfaces, by means of the hands. Other body parts can also be used but they are somewhat less efficient at information pickup, unless the person has no hands and the feet are used as substitutes. Active exploration can also be accomplished at a distance by means of instruments such as a white cane. Using a cane, a blind person can explore a large array of cluttered objects in complete safety. This can be a room, a home, a yard, an acreage, or an entire city. The important point here is that the perception of large layouts can occur despite and because of large changes in stimulation. The invariants in structure are perceived despite and because of dynamic stimulation to the perceiver. This fact is the riddle of perception. This is what makes perception so fascinating to study. I will take up this point again, later. Now, I want to return to the idea that there can be equivalent information across several different perceptual systems. Perceiving a fire involves isolating nonchange from a myriad of chemical and ecological changes and this occurs across the different perceptual systems. As Dr. James J. Gibson writes in Chapter 6 of his book, "The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception", "A fire with flames, considered as an ecological event, instead of an abstract chemical event, consists of complex motions and deformations, fluctuating luminous surfaces, reddening and blackening of the opaque surfaces, billowing smoke and finally, a disappearance of the solid surfaces." This nonchange can be picked up by animal and human visual systems. A fire is also specified to the skin, the ears and the nose in addition to the eyes. Regardless of which perceptual system is used to pick up the presence of fire, it means warmth, comfort, a means of cooking food, or danger, depending on the situation. A fire is specified to the ears by characteristic rumble and puff sounds along with snap, crackle and pop sounds. In English it is called fire, in French, feu, in German, feuer, in Spanish, fuego, in Portuguese, fogo, and in Russian, pozhar, but it means the same thing to everybody no matter what the language. In French, the term for a large fire is incendie. There are similar sounding words in English such as incinerate and incendiary. Notice the fricative "f" sound, the plosive "p" sound and the sibilant "s" sound in the words for fire in different languages designed to mimic the puffs, pops and hisses in the sounds of fire. It is likely that somebody at the Kellogg Company decided to apply the "snap, crackle and pop" expression to describe the sound of Rice Crispies in a bowl of milk because of pleasant associations with listening to the sounds of wood burning in a fireplace. To the skin, fire is specified by a gradient of heat which is inversely proportional to the distance between the fire and the skin. Notice the similarity between hot and hiss. The smaller the distance, the greater the perception of heat. There is also a gradient of pain which is inversely proportional to the distance between the skin and the fire. The closer the skin is to the fire, the greater the perception of pain. Beyond a limit of comfort, fire will burn the skin. Notice the plosive sound in "burn". A person can perceive the existence of flames by touch because flames cause the perception of intense heat at great distances from the source of the flames. Notice the fricative sound in "flame". It is not hard to understand how fire is specified to the nose through the smell of smoke and the smell of burning substances such as wood, fabric or rubber. Even the smell of smoke and burning involves isolating nonchange from change. As we breathe the air in and out there is a flow of air molecules in and out of the nose and yet despite and perhaps because of this changing flow of air molecules, we are able to detect the constancy in the molecules which specifies burning. The fact that we can perceive fire through the eyes, ears, skin and nose makes the point that there is equivalent information across different perceptual systems. Some might argue that this point is rather obvious and somewhat trite. However, the point applies in more complicated situations, as well. Some have argued quite strenuously that blind people are at a great disadvantage because they do not see people's faces. They have suggested that blind people are less able to perceive people's emotions and motives because they are not aware of people's facial expressions. This line of argument has been used to keep blind people from entering several professions. It has been argued that because a blind person cannot perceive facial expressions directly, he or she will be less effective in teaching, counseling, the practice of law, as a juror or witness, as a parent and in almost every other human endeavor which involves social interaction. While this line of argument may seem appealing on the surface, it is pure nonsense when you consider how absolutely devastated our society would be if it were suddenly required to function without telephones, radios and written information. Although some important business is conducted in person, much important business is conducted on the telephone or by written correspondence. The rise in the popularity of talk radio in the last twenty years is a striking example of the fact that faceless communication has become extremely important in our society. For better or for worse, we have adapted to the telephone and we use it to full advantage. Think of the many advice call-in programs on the radio today. The most recent spiritual and psychological advisor to have become extremely popular in the United States and Canada is Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Because of her expertise and training, Dr. Laura can usually figure out the dynamics of the social situations described to her by her callers within a matter of minutes, sometimes even seconds. She never sees her callers, yet she can pick up their emotional states by what she hears over the telephone. She is using information about people's emotional states available in the auditory signal and she can do it to the great envy of some of her professional competitors who work in social obscurity face to face with their comparatively small clientele. Thus, there is equivalent information across the perceptual systems. This is just one of the many marvels of the world and the animals who live in it. Speaking of marvels of the world, some people have agonized over the fact that I will never see the faces of my children. They assume that because I cannot see their faces, I am not able to experience the full extent of their beauty and preciousness. How can they presume to know what I feel? How can they stand in judgment just because they can see? I try to explain that I am not fixated on the children's faces. As I touch my children through the normal course of parent-child interactions, I find beauty in many parts of their body, not just the face. The texture of their skin and hair is pleasant and beautiful to the touch. The shape of their head, arms and legs distinguishes them from any other children. The shape of their hands and feet and the intricacies in the actions of the joints in the fingers and toes are a tribute to our creator. They are so perfectly put together and I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the lives my wife and I have been able to produce. At this time, our marriage has been blessed with two children; Joanne, 6 and Jeffrey, 3. We are expecting a third child any day now. I now want to return to a point I made earlier, which is that invariants in structure are perceived despite and because of dynamic stimulation to the perceiver. This fact has bedeviled conventional sensory and perceptual psychologists for years. This is because most of them only study vision, and only vertebrate vision. They ignore the complexities of the vision of insects and mollusks which relies on compound eyes. In compound eyes, no chambers are present, there is no lens and there is no retina, so no image can be formed on the retina to be sent to the brain. These psychologists regard the eye as a camera which sends pictures to the brain, and they compare the retina to a film in a camera. Their theories of vision ignore the fact that, in many animals, vision occurs without a retina. Comprehensive theories of vision must take this biological fact into account. Pursuing the camera analogy, the retina receives images from the lens. Nerve fibers from the retina conduct the image to the brain. The nerve fibers may sharpen the image through neural coding, but these fibers, nonetheless, are generally considered to be communication cables between the retina and the brain. The brain is supposed to make sense of these pictures so that the mind can see a coherent congruent world in a sea of changing stimulation. But how is this to be accomplished? To answer this basic question, the traditional psychologists have taken refuge from the complexity of a world swarming with dynamism by studying static displays. By experimental design, they often deliberately prevent their subjects from moving their eyes. Subjects are forced to keep their head immobile. How can we learn anything about normal perception in abnormal situations like these? If perception is considered to be a passive process, the static approach makes sense. You project an image to the static eye, the eye sends it to the brain, and the brain spontaneously displays a perception to the mind through the miracle of physiology and neural networks. After 130 years of psychology, many perceptual psychologists haven't left Alice in Wonderland, despite the fancy laboratories and the big grants. How are the principles associated with this static approach to perception going to tell us anything about normal vision or other perceptual systems such as touch and hearing which rely heavily on dynamic stimulation? Perception through the skin, joints and muscle tendons relies almost exclusively on dynamic stimulation. There is no way that principles derived from the study of static vision can ever apply to haptic perception of layout. Since most psychologists still study static vision and generalize their findings to other perceptual systems, which they consider minor in importance, how can the principles derived from conventional perceptual studies have any application to the way blind people perceive and function in the world? The answer is that they can't and yet the way we function in the world is laden with fruitful avenues of research, if only the research psychologists would bother to look. I believe that research in haptic pictures for blind people affords ground-breaking theoretical possibilities as well as practical applications for psychology. This type of research allows us to study the pickup of invariants over a wide range of textures and representational systems. Just think of the many techniques available for producing tactile displays and all the resulting textures. The textures must become background and the invariants of structure across textures must be isolated as foreground. In addition, this research allows us to study the pickup of invariants which are constant in arrays of information differing in energy characteristics. For example, for a picture to be seen, an array of structured reflected light is necessary. For a picture to be available to touch, a tangible structure affording significant deformations to the skin and joints must be available. For picture perception to occur, invariants of structure must be isolated from the change in energy flow, regardless of the energy characteristics. Also, this research allows us to study the pickup of invariants which are not affected by differences in receptor characteristics, differences in structures along different afferent and efferent nerves, and differences in cortical afferent and efferent areas associated with specific afferent and efferent nerves. For example, seeing a picture and touching a picture involve different receptor characteristics, different structures along different afferent and efferent nerves, and different cortical afferent and efferent areas associated with specific afferent and efferent nerves. For picture perception to occur, it is the process of isolating invariants of structure in the changes necessary to obtain stimulation which is key, not the particular pathways or brain centers involved. Finally, this research allows us to study the pickup of invariants within a constantly changing flow of stimulation. In order to perceive an extended array by touch, the observer must continuously change the points of observation under the fingers. Thus, the pressure changes under the skin are constant. The changes in the joint angles in the fingers, wrists, elbows, and shoulders are also constant. Yet, from all of this changing stimulation, perception occurs. Isn't this remarkable? We, as blind people, have an enormous amount to teach science and the public. As members of the National Federation of the Blind, we are in a good position to present the scientific and lay public with an understanding of the world, as we know it, which is often beyond their ken. Let's go ahead and do it! THE QUESTION BOX From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the Buckeye Bulletin (Summer 1996), a publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. Q. I am fairly new to the world of computers, and right now I have a DOS-based system. All of my sighted colleagues are using Windows. Is it possible for a blind person to use Windows? A. Several of the major producers of screen-reading programs have had Windows-access programs on the market for some time now. I am using Artic Winvision to operate within a Windows environment. JAWS and GW Micro also have Windows screen-reading programs available. Blazie Engineering also has a product called Windows Master. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic has tutorials for Windows available in an ASCII format. There is no charge for the disks, but you must pay the cost of shipping. I have obtained tutorials for Windows 3.1, and MS Word. The choice of which screen-reading program is yours to make, but one thing is certain--blind people do Windows. Commercial Technology for the Blind From the Editor: The following article is reprinted from the June, 1996 edition of "The Braille Monitor", the publication of the National Federation of the Blind in the United States. Access to information means access to far more than books in a library. These common sense guidelines for making commercial technology usable by blind people point out one of the subtle, but extremely serious, information access problems we face. From the Editor Emeritus: As Monitor readers know, Curtis Chong is the President of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science. He is employed as a designer consultant by American Express Financial Advisors of Minneapolis. As a member of the World Blind Union's Committee on Technology, he recently prepared a paper concerning guidelines for designing modern technology that can be used by the blind. Very few subjects have more importance to the blind than this one, and Mr. Chong's straightforward approach is refreshingly understandable. Introduction Although there will always be a need for some specialized technology designed especially for the blind (for example, the Braille writer), it is preferable for people who are blind to be able to operate the same technology that is commercially available to the general population. The problem we face is that, more often than not, commercially developed technology is designed in such a way as to preclude efficient and convenient use without sight. It is not that manufacturers deliberately set out to prevent blind people from using the technology they develop. It is simply that they haven't considered the possibility that a blind person might want to use their product. Moreover, even if some developers wish to ensure that blind people can use a specific device, they face the problem that there are no easily obtainable guidelines which they can follow to meet this goal. In other words, their design efforts are likely to be conducted on a hit-or-miss basis. The ideal goal is to have electronic appliances usable by everyone, including people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. However, in attempting to achieve this goal, it is important to recognize that features that make the appliance usable for one disability group may cause the device to be unusable for another. For example, replacing printed labels with raised pictographic symbols may be beneficial to people with learning disabilities, but they are useless to blind people who may read Braille or raised print. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that this paper focuses specifically upon the access requirements of persons who are blind. This paper will attempt to establish broad principles and suggest some specific practices that may be followed by developers of commercial technology so as to ensure that the products they develop can be operated by a blind person without sighted assistance. It should be viewed as a guide that can be used to stimulate thinking on the subject--not as the definitive solution to the problem. This paper will not address the problem of access to computers and the graphical user interface. Many organizations have devoted substantial time and energy to this problem. However, relatively little thought and effort have been devoted to the question of how modern consumer electronics can be designed so as to be operated by those of us who happen to be blind. As a growing number of these devices use digital controls and computer technology to carry out basic functions, our ability to use them steadily diminishes. Guiding Principles Before making specific design recommendations, I would like to suggest a few principles that should be used to shape the design effort. These include operability, integration, usability built-in, and accessible documentation. Operability in this context means that a specific appliance is designed in such a way that a blind person can exercise all of its essential functions without sighted assistance. A good example of this concept is the television. We may not be able to see the picture while enjoying our favorite movie, but we are able to turn the television on and off, adjust the volume, and select the desired channel without asking a sighted friend to help us. (At least, this is the case with most televisions available today.) The principle of integration is aimed at ensuring that features necessary to operate an appliance without sight are an integral part of the design and benefit everyone who uses the appliance--not only the blind. A telephone with buttons that can be operated by touch is an excellent example of this concept. The fact that the buttons can be felt is beneficial not only to the blind user but also to everyone else. Other examples include the talking clocks and calculators formerly manufactured by Sharp and the talking answering machines currently available from such companies as AT&T and Panasonic. With regard to these latter devices, the speech generated is sufficient to enable full control and operation without sighted assistance. Usability built-in means that ideally a peripheral (and often expensive) piece of assistive technology is not necessary for a blind person to operate an appliance. Although in some cases necessity may force us to use assistive technology (e.g., a Braille 'n Speak equipped with an infrared transmitter) to operate some equipment with infrared or other connection schemes installed, this is not the preferred method of controlling an electronic appliance. It makes no sense for us to have to use a piece of equipment costing a thousand dollars simply to operate an appliance that may at most cost a few hundred. One method for accomplishing this goal would be to provide speech output, either built into the appliance or available as a low-cost accessory. Given the increasing sophistication of digital technology, this may well become a necessity for the appliances of tomorrow. Accessible documentation refers to the concept of making instruction manuals available in a medium other than print. For manuals prepared using a word processor, it should be possible to make ASCII-text versions available (for a nominal fee) so that the manual could be transcribed into Braille or read on the blind person's own computer. Guidelines for Physical Controls and Labels Physical controls usually take the form of knobs, dials, switches, slide controls, and buttons. In digitally controlled devices, they have sometimes taken the form of switches activated by light, pressure, heat, or capacitance. Usually these switches are located on smooth control panels that are totally unusable by the blind. Moreover, these switches often provide only visual cues to indicate that they have been activated. In some cases remote controls with tactile buttons are available, but the user is presented with only visual cues to indicate what the appliance is doing. Physical controls should not depend upon sight alone for operation. Consideration needs to be given to the use of other senses (e.g., touch and hearing) to manipulate controls. This would be of benefit to all users, blind and sighted alike. Sighted users will appreciate not having to divide their visual attention between two activities and will also enjoy the ability to operate the appliance--even when lighting is poor. Blind users will appreciate the ability to operate what would otherwise be an unusable appliance. Here are some suggested guidelines. Bear in mind that other approaches are possible if sufficient creativity and motivation are brought to the design effort. 1. Push buttons should be discernible by touch. The button can be indented, raised, or contained within a raised boundary that can clearly be detected by touch. 2. Push buttons should never be touch-activated. Some minimal pressure should be required to activate the control, and the appliance should provide tactual or audio feedback to indicate when the button has been pressed. 3. The shape of a push button can provide important clues to its function. Consider using texture or other tactually detectable changes (such as a raised symbol) to identify buttons for unusual or important functions. 4. Small, closely clustered controls are often difficult to negotiate by touch. Consider spacing controls so that each one can be detected easily by touch. Ideally, spacing between controls should be no less than one-half the control's width or height. Crowding controls together to provide what appears to be a seamless surface makes them difficult to operate by touch. 5. Buttons that turn modes on or off should provide tactile or other nonvisual means to indicate the on or off state. These might include: Leaving the button in when a mode is on and causing it to pop out when the mode is off, or generating a high tone when the mode is turned on and a low tone when the mode is turned off. 6. Slide controls can be made more useful if they have notches, clicks, or tactile markings indicating normal settings. 7. The use of a continuous rotary selector (as in a radio tuning knob) will be enhanced for everyone if a notch, dot, or raised pointer is placed on the knob. Also it is very helpful if the selector has a detent for every possible setting so that individual settings can be selected by touch. 8. Tactile labels should be built in to supplement visual labels which the blind cannot use. These may consist of raised sans serif upper-case characters made of thin lines. Tactile labels should not use pictograms or other non-textual symbols. This assumes that the controls being labeled are not dynamic in nature--that is, that the controls always perform the same function. 9. Braille labels and overlays should be made available upon request. Guidelines for More Sophisticated Digital Devices Appliances which use digital technology pose a more complex problem for blind people. Individual buttons do not perform the same function consistently. Modes change automatically, without notice. Often, the operator is required to select an item from a menu displayed visually. Although for some devices a remote control with tactile controls may be available, the blind person may be unable to perform any control or selection functions because the choices to be made are displayed visually with no verbal prompts. In other words, many appliances have today become dedicated computers, with all that the term implies. Although many digital devices with relatively simple control systems can be operated without sight, it is often necessary for the blind person to spend considerable time and effort memorizing numerous sequential procedures. The control of these devices is made more difficult when they memorize settings--even when turned off. Sometimes these devices will shift from one menu to another after a predetermined amount of inactivity time has passed, making it difficult for the blind operator to determine what function is being selected. The guidelines presented here are at best a preliminary attempt to deal with the digital appliances of today. It should be understood that, as digital appliances become even more sophisticated, these guidelines will need to be adapted. Here are some suggestions that can enable blind people to operate digital appliances independently with the maximum possible efficiency. 1. There should be a way for the user to return the appliance to a state where all mode settings are known. This is different from the "Reset" function that many appliances have to restore factory settings. The intent here is to enable the operator to predict what will happen when specific procedures are executed. If the operator makes a mistake in executing the procedure, he or she should be able to return to a known starting point to try again. In addition, the operator should be able to perform any desired function from this known state with a minimum number of keystrokes. 2. If the design calls for displayed menus to change automatically after a certain amount of inactive time, there should be a way to lock the display so that it doesn't change, or, failing that, an audible cue should be provided to alert the operator to the fact that the display has changed. In this latter instance the design should be such that the user can predict what the display will change to, without having to see it; and it should be possible to turn off the audible cue when it is not needed. 3. The design of the digital appliance must be such that a blind operator can memorize a sequence of events that can be executed consistently to perform a specific function or set a desired state. If for any reason the sequence of events needs to be aborted due to an error in execution, the appliance should provide some means of letting the blind operator know that the error has occurred and return the device to a known state. A simple beep will suffice for most situations. Other audible cues should be provided to indicate, for example, when data are to be entered (as in the security code for an automatic teller machine); when an automatic sequence is beginning and ending; and when the appliance will no longer accept input. Audible cues may not always be desired; therefore, there must be a method for turning them off. 4. If speech output is built in to the appliance or provided as a low-cost accessory: A. There should be a way to turn the speech on and off. This mechanism should not require sight for use. People who do not need the speech may find it a novelty at first but will quickly find it an annoyance if they cannot disable it. B. Speech should be responsive and interruptable. This means that it can be stopped and started almost instantly, simply by pressing a key which causes new speech to be generated. C. A button should be provided which causes the speech to speak the entire display, if it is one line, or the entire list of menu choices, if the display consists of multiple lines. If a choice is to be selected from a list, a method should be provided to speak each choice individually so that the operator will know what is being selected. D. Speech output does not need to carry more information than the visual display unless it is essential to the operation of the appliance. E. A headphone jack should be provided for private listening. This will enable the blind person to hear confidential information as in the case of an automatic teller machine. Conclusion The principles and guidelines set forth in this paper should not be viewed as the total answer to the question of how technology can be made usable by people who are blind. For one thing we cannot possibly know all of the forms that future technology will take and the problems that such technology will pose for the blind. Moreover, technology is changing at an accelerating rate. Solutions that may work for today's technology will certainly not solve the problems that will arise with the technology of the future. We can hope, however, that designers, engineers, and marketers will make a conscious effort to ensure that the products emerging from their work can be used by those of us who are blind. If they will consider that technology will be used by everyone--blind and sighted alike--and plan their work accordingly, we stand a better chance of maintaining parity with our sighted peers in our ability to use electronic appliances. THE CANADIAN BLIND MONITOR VOICE OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND: ADVOCATES FOR EQUALITY VOL. 2 SUMMER 1996 The Canadian Blind Monitor is published three times a year. Members of the NFB:AE are invited, non-members are requested to cover our subscription cost with an annual fee of $10.00. Published by NFB:AE. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from the publisher. NFB:AE, P.O. Box 5058, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 8T9 Fax (604) 491-4080 E-mail: nfbcan winc.com PART II OF II Editor: Mary Ellen Gabias Editorial Assistants: Faye Harrison and Helaine Jackson Advertising Co-ordinator: 8278 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5X 3A2 (604) 482-3102 Fax (604) 482-3130 The National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality is not an organization speaking for the blind. It is the blind speaking for themselves. Please specify preferred format: Print, Braille, Cassette, or Computer disk. This Braille edition contains the entire text of the Inkprint edition, except for advertising. Questions regarding advertisements should be directed to NFB:AE headquarters. Produced in Grade Two Braille for the NFB:AE by AJS Braille Service, 707 East Garland Avenue, Spokane, Washington U.S.A., 99207-3027. TEL: (509) 487-8959. FRONT COVER ILLUSTRATION The front cover of the Summer 1996 issue of THE CANADIAN BLIND MONITOR shows a representation of the Information Superhighway along which are insets of technologies available shown as roadsigns. The images include: the CD Rom, computers, headphones, cassettes and Braille. The NFB:AE logo occupies the upper right hand corner. The logo is a set of scales with a sword in the centre and a maple leaf superimposed on the blade of the sword. Changes In Canada's Copyright Laws In late April, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps announced a new tariff on blank casette tapes. The tariff was proposed to help reimburse artists for the revenue lost by illegal copying of their recorded work. It is estimated that illegal copies of musical recordings cost artists millions each year. This proposal is part of an overall review of Canada's copyright legislation. It is one of two provisions in the proposed law which could have a serious impact on blind people. The other is a proposal which would require copyright fees to be paid to authors whenever more than one copy of their work is produced in alternative format. Since libraries would need more than one copy for circulation, and since the cost of production for alternative formats is considerably higher than the cost of print production, these copyright proposals would pose an extreme hardship on producers of books for the blind. At this writing, the copyright bill has passed second reading and been assigned to committee. The NFB:AE has prepared the following position statement and submitted it to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Chairman. Chapters and individual members have been asked to send their comments to the NFB:AE national office. The statement, along with the comments we receive, will be the basis for NFB:AE testimony at parliamentary hearings later this Fall. The chairperson of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (the committee to which the Canadian Bill has been assigned) is Clifford Lincoln of Montreal. Other committee members are: Vice-Chairmen: Gaston Leroux and Pat O'Brien Jim Abbott, Guy H. Arsenault, Hugh Hanrahan, Janko Perie, Jack Iyerak Anawak, Mauril Belanger, Jean-Paul Marchand, Beth Phinney. Associate Members: Robert Bertrand, Simon de Jong, John English, Georgette Sheridan, Jan Brown, Pierre de Savoye, Rey D. Pagtakhan, Monte Solberg, John Bryden, Stan Dromisky, Louis Plamondon. You can help by contacting members of this committee and your own member of parliament and letting them know that the information needs of blind persons must be taken into account in any amendments to the copyright law. Brief on Proposed Copyright Amendments Introduction: This is a brief concerning the proposed copyright legislation from Heritage Canada and Industry Canada. I am writing as President of the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality (NFB:AE). The NFB:AE received its Articles of Incorporation from Ottawa in June of 1992. It became a nonprofit charitable society on January 1, 1995. The National Federation of the Blind is not an agency for the blind. We are the blind speaking for ourselves. Our membership is comprised of blind persons and sighted friends and supporters. The majority of the membership is blind. The Objects of the NFB:AE are as follows: June 13, 1996 1. To serve as a vehicle for self-improvement by the blind and for public education about blindness throughout the Dominion of Canada. 2. To function as a mechanism through which the blind and interested sighted persons can come together in local, provincial and national meetings to plan and carry out programs to improve the quality of life for the blind. 3. To provide a means by which blind adults can share their experience and act as mentors for blind children and support parents in their efforts to improve educational opportunities for blind children. 4. To create a climate through public education to increase opportunities for blind people in employment and social integration. 5. To take any other action which will improve the overall condition and standard of living of the blind. At this time, there are NFB Chapters in Vancouver, Kelowna, Winnipeg and Toronto. The leadership on the national and local levels is elected by the membership. At the national level, all the Board Members must be blind. At the local level all Chapter Presidents and Vice Presidents must be blind. We publish The Canadian Blind Monitor, a magazine which stresses positive attitudes about blindness for blind Canadians and the public at large. For your information, the most recent copy is enclosed. The purpose of this brief is to provide suggested changes to Section 32 of the amendments to the Copyright Act, which were tabled in parliament on April 26, 1996. In order to ensure equitable access to literary, scientific, artistic, musical and dramatic works for blind persons or other persons with disabilities who cannot read print and must use materials in appropriate alternate formats, the amendments for the first time specifically permit the making of copies in alternate formats without copyright infringement. However, subsection 32.(5) only allows one such copy. Given that most blind persons or persons with disabilities are not in a position to make their own copies and must work with agencies and libraries which produce materials in alternate format for a majority of their reading material, Subsection 32.(5) will in fact prevent equitable access to alternate format works. In effect, what the Act provides for in law, will deny access to copyrighted printed material to those whose main access to print is through Braille and materials in audio or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind persons or other persons with disabilities. Background: On April 25, 1996, the Honourable Sheila Copps, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage tabled longawaited amendments to the Copyright Act in the House of Commons. According to press releases distributed at the time, the amendments include: ". . . exceptions from copyright laws for . . . people with perceptual disabilities." We understand that the term "perceptual disability" is defined in the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act as follows: "perceptual disability" means a disability that prevents or inhibits a person from reading a literary, musical or dramatic work in its original format, and includes such a disability resulting from a) severe or total impairment of sight or the inability to focus or move one's eyes b) the inability to hold or manipulate a book, or c) an impairment relating to comprehension. Parenthetically, the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality deplores the avoidance of the term "blind" in government correspondence, publications and legislation. We suggest that the proposed term "people with perceptual disabilities" be changed to "blind persons and persons with disabilities". Our position supports Resolution 93-01 which was passed by the National Federation of the Blind in the United States. This Resolution is enclosed for your information. The Resolution states that "We believe that it is respectable to be blind, and although we have no particular pride in the fact of our blindness, neither do we have any shame in it. To the extent that euphemisms are used to convey any other concept or image, we deplore such use. We can make our own way in the world on equal terms with others, and we intend to do it." Because blindness is a print handicap and alternate formats to print are preponderantly used by the blind, we feel that it is important that the legislation recognize this fact in its usage of the term "blind" to represent the class of people which is most likely to be affected by Section 32 of the legislation. The tabling of this legislation is the culmination of a consultation process that has lasted over 15 years. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), through the CNIB Library for the Blind and Government Relations Department, has participated in this process in order to ensure that the legislation meet the needs of blind persons and all other Canadians who cannot read print, and who must therefore read material in alternate formats. Alternate format means Braille, audio or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind persons or persons with disabilities. We understand that the intent of the CNIB has been, as it has been the stated intent of the government, to ensure that the legislation provide equitable access to literary, scientific, musical or dramatic materials for those who depend on alternate formats (such as Braille and materials in audio or digital text) for culture, education, and life-long learning. On May 5, 1996, we were told by Dr. Euclid Herie, the Chief Executive Officer of the CNIB, that as recently as one month before the legislative tabling of the amendments, the CNIB received assurances from both government officials and political staff that the specific exemptions requested were in the proposed legislation, and that there was no reason to believe that this situation would change. Under Section 32 the proposed amendments for the first time do indeed specifically permit the making of reproductions in alternate formats without copyright infringement in order to meet the needs of persons with perceptual disabilities. Yet, even there, there is no reference to digital text, which is an important method of transmitting newspapers in synthesized speech by telephone. Our assumption is that blind Canadians would be prepared to buy books in digital texts that have been formatted appropriately for speech synthesizers, refreshable Braille displays and Braille printers. However, at the moment, Canadian publishers do not sell and have no intention of selling books in digital text which is formatted appropriately. Appropriate formatting of digital text means tagging major headings, subheadings and sub-sub headings in such a way that the blind person can find the structural breaks in the text, using programs that drive speech synthesizers, refreshable Braille displays and Braille printers. Programs that convert print to Braille using digital text must take into account the fact that Braille is contracted. Thus, there is not a one-to-one correspondence between print letters and Braille letters. The average publisher is not in a position to deal with the specialized programming involved in dealing with the exigencies of the contracted grade two Braille code. Appropriately formatted books in electronic text are now available for sale from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexics, an agency which is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexics and any other agency for the blind which formats digital text especially for the blind, should not have to pay copyright fees because the authors and publishers do not make any financial contribution for the alternate formatting of this digital text. The same standard applies for the provision of newspapers for the blind with digital text through speech synthesis. A service called "Newsline for the Blind" which is available from the National Federation of the Blind in the United States is a unique service of this type. We would like Canadian newspapers to be available to blind people in Canada through digital text without the imposition of copyright royalties to the service provider in Canada. The National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality intends to provide this service in Canada. A description of the Newsline program provided by the NFB in the U.S. is enclosed. Some of the changes to the legislation mark significant progress in providing equitable access to information for those who cannot read print. However, Subsection 32.(5) of the Act only allows a person to produce a single copy of a literary, scientific, musical or dramatic work without copyright infringement. Subsection 32.(5) will prevent a charitable organization such as the NFB:AE or the CNIB, which are persons under the terms of the Act, from producing, distributing, and circulating alternate format copies for individual blind persons or persons with disabilities who, though they technically benefit from the legal exception provided by the amendments, do not in most cases have the means, the time nor the technology to make a copy themselves. In effect, what the Act provides for in law, will deny access to copyrighted printed material to those whose main access to print is through Braille and materials in audio or digital text. We see no purpose in restricting the exception provided by Section 32 to the making of a single copy of a work, given that: Agencies and libraries which produce materials in alternate formats for blind persons and persons with disabilities do not propose to compete with publishers and other copyright owners, but to serve a market which is not commercially served and which cannot easily read works in any other way. In any case, the amendments restrict the production of alternate format copies when a commercial product is available in a format that would accommodate the needs of blind persons or persons with disabilities. People who are not blind or disabled have no incentive to obtain books in alternate formats, and would prefer to read print versions. In operating as lending libraries, agencies and libraries which produce materials in alternate formats for blind persons and persons with disabilities operate substantially like any other public library. In fact, at the present time, they collectively purchase and, thereby, pay copyright on more print copies of works than the average Canadian public library. In a sophisticated recording lending library for the blind, two texts must be purchased for the original recording of one. One text is used for the reader making the recording and the other text is used for the monitoring of the reader making the recording, to minimize the possibilities of text errors on tape. Therefore, to have a text recorded, a blind person or an agency will have paid a copyright fee on two texts. It is unfair to ask the agency or the blind person to pay an additional copyright fee for each recorded text, given that the publishers and the authors are not involved in the production of the audio text for the blind. Agencies for the blind can ensure that the audio text is used solely for the blind and other persons with disabilities by recording the material on four-track cassettes at a slower than normal speed (15/16 inches per second). Using these recording modifications, the recorded material can only be played on special machines adapted for the purpose, not generally sold to the public. The availability of these recordings to blind persons and other persons with disabilities does not constitute a significant decrease in profit for Canadian publishers and Canadian authors. However, the availability of these recordings does constitute a significant advantage to blind persons and other persons with disabilities in terms of their access to print materials, at no cost to the publishers and no cost to the authors. Payment of a per copy royalty over and above the first copy made forces the establishment of administrative and auditing mechanisms which will not be cost effective. It also opens the door to ongoing representation before the Copyright Board; and is inconsistent with sections of the Act which specifically permit individuals to make and authorize the making of copies of works under the fair dealing exception for purposes of research and private study. A consentual approach to resolving these issues has been adopted in the United States. Specific language has been proposed to Congress by the American Association of Publishers and the National Federation of the Blind which represents over 50,000 members of the organized blind in the United States. This language has been published in the April 1996 Braille Monitor (copy enclosed), an official publication of the National Federation of the Blind. The National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality which represents the organized blind in Canada and whose leadership is elected by the blind at the local and national levels, also supports this approach and the ideas in the proposed language to Congress. The CNIB, the largest agency serving the blind in Canada also endorses this consentual approach. In its discussions with groups representing both the creators and producers of the works under consideration, we are told that the CNIB has been led to believe that they would not oppose the elimination of the single copy restriction in Section 32. In order to ensure that the Act provides equitable access without copyright infringement to copies of literary, scientific, artistic, musical or dramatic works for blind persons or persons with disabilities who cannot read print; and to ensure that the Act meets the intent of the government, we propose the following modified version of Section 32. Proposed Levy on Recordable, Blank Audio Media According to a News Release from the Government of Canada dated April 25, 1996, a levy on recordable, blank audio media such as cassettes and tapes, is proposed. The purpose of this levy is to remunerate creators for private copying of their musical works. While the NFB:AE supports the idea of remunerating creators for private copying of their musical works, it does not support the proposed levy on all manner of cassettes because blind people use cassettes for the purposes of reading and writing, to a very large extent. While the proportions of people who copy artistic works are probably comparable in the blind and sighted populations, it is certainly true that the proportion of blind people who use cassettes for storing and disseminating information is much larger in the blind population than in the sighted population. Typically, blind people do not purchase cassettes at agencies for the blind. They buy cassettes where cassettes are normally purchased by the sighted. Using cassettes to take and disseminate notes already costs blind people much more than pen and paper does for the equivalent purpose for the sighted. Adding an extra tax on cassettes may benefit the composers of Canada, but over the long run, it adds a financial burden to the blind. At a 90 percent unemployment rate of the blind in this country, blind people cannot afford an extra tax involving simple activities of daily living such as reading and writing. This tax would particularly affect the members of our population who have the least amount of money, seniors and students. Seniors depend on cassettes because, by and large, they are not taught Braille. Even the simple act of taking down telephone messages involves the medium of cassettes, for a large majority of blind seniors. Students depend heavily on cassettes for recording books which are not already available in Braille, on cassette or in digital text formats. For the blind, cassettes are as essential for daily living as the paper and pencil, the book, the magazine and the newspaper are for the sighted. For the blind, an additional tax on cassettes is like an additional tax on tapwater. Cassettes are that vital for the blind. Requiring the blind to purchase cassettes at agencies for the blind in order to avoid the levy, will necessitate that blind people frequent agencies for the blind on a regular basis. For most blind people, once training and rehabilitation is accomplished, the visit to an agency for the blind is a rare occurrence. Further, agencies for the blind have enough to do and enough to pay for as it is. Imposing an extra bureaucracy to deal with the levy on cassettes adds to the costs for the agency. There is no doubt that this cost will be passed on to the blind consumer. We, in the National Federation of the Blind, do hope that the Government of Canada will take into account the way most blind people run their daily lives. We are against an imposition of an extra levy on cassettes. We propose that the levy be restricted to higher grade cassettes which are used for the purposes of recording music. Recommended Changes Blind Persons and Other Persons With Disabilities Reproduction in alternate format. 1. It is not an infringement of copyright to copy material in Braille, audio or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind persons or persons with disabilities including literary, scientific, artistic, musical or dramatic works, other than cinematographic work. Limitation. 2. Subsection (1) does not authorize the making of a large print book. Limitation. 3. Subsection (1) does not apply where a copy or sound recording of the work is commercially available in a format that would accommodate the needs of blind persons or persons with disabilities. Destruction of intermediate copies. 4. If a person must make an intermediate copy in order to make a copy or sound recording under subsection (1), the person must destroy the intermediate copy as soon as it is no longer needed. Royalties, etc. 5. (Deleted: It is not an infringement of copyright for a person to make more than one copy or sound recording under Subsection (1) if the person has paid the royalties and complied with any terms and conditions fixed under this Act.) Use of copies. 6. No person who makes a copy in Braille, audio or digital text under Subsection (1) may, without the express consent of the owner of the copyright, use copies of the Braille, audio or digital text for any purpose other than for which the making of the copies was authorized by this section. The Problem with Simulated Blindness by Mary Ellen Gabias As we struggle to convince the average member of the public of the real capabilities of people who are blind, we are often told "I can't imagine what your world is like." The world is simply the world. Blind people do not inhabit another planet. Obviously, we get our information about the world without the use of sight or with the use of very limited sight. Still, our world is not a different world. Curiosity about what blindness must really be like is almost universal. One sighted toddler I know was found walking down the hallway of her home with her eyes closed, swinging a mop from side to side to simulate the movement of a long white cane. When someone asked her what she was doing, she said she was playing at being her blind aunt. My own children are reaching the age where the blindness of their parents is no longer taken for granted. It has become a matter for questioning. "Mommy, how do you know I'm in the refrigerator when I'm not supposed to be?" One would think that the musings of immature children would be different from the thoughtful curiosity of mature adults. Surprisingly, it often is not. Many seemingly intelligent people have told me that they have gained new understanding of my life after a late evening power outage. They seem to feel that their disorientation while searching for a candle and matches in a darkened house is similar to my daily life. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. I also find power outages disorienting and annoying. No one likes to have their regular routine disrupted by circumstances beyond their control. But my daily life as a blind person is not disorienting and frustrating. My lack of eyesight sometimes imposes problems. It often encourages the development of creative problem solving skills. It does not keep me from leading a full and active life. All of this leaves us with the problem of devising a way to satisfy the legitimate curiosity of our sighted neighbours. Everyone committed to good public education about blindness wants to take the mystery away and replace it with constructive thought and genuine understanding. So why not use blindfolds to teach people "what it's really like?" After all, we function without sight. Isn't blindfolding the sighted nothing more than creating a level playing field? The answer depends on the context in which blindfolding is used. Progressive rehabilitation programs for the blind use blindfolds for students with some remaining vision in order to teach them the skills of blindness. Often these students are afraid of the consequences of losing more vision. They wonder if their life will become more limited every time their visual acuity drops or their field of vision narrows. By simulating total blindness in a controlled training environment, these students can face and conquer their worst fears. Instead of clinging desperately to every shred of remaining vision, they learn to develop alternative, nonvisual methods for leading their lives. When the blindfold comes off after approximately nine months of training, the remaining vision is actually of much more use to them. Instead of using it in desperation as a primary, but insufficient, means of functioning, they use it as a backup to supplement the effective alternative techniques they have learned. What about blindfolding sighted rehabilitation workers? Again, the use of blindfolding as part of a long term training program for sighted staff members can be extremely beneficial. As blindfolded sighted people learn the skills of blindness and gain confidence in those skills, they become genuine advocates for the capabilities of blind people. They can tell their future clients with certainty "I know these techniques work because I've used them myself." For both blind rehabilitation students and sighted staff members, the key to the successful use of blindfolding is its use in combination with solid training and candid discussions about the attitudes surrounding blindness. Both of these things take time--at least three months in the case of staff members and longer for blind students. This brings us to the question of simulation exercises. Many organizations, believing they are acting in the interests of raising awareness, run programs in which participants simulate blindness and other disabilities for an hour or a day. Participants are not given rigorous instruction in the alternative techniques of blindness. They may be guided by a sighted person with some knowledge of blindness skills. But the purpose is not to "rehabilitate". It is to "raise awareness" about the problems faced by blind people. Negative attitudes and misconceptions about blindness are deeply ingrained in our society. Good will is present in abundance, but it is usually coupled with misinformation. It takes a long time to provide accurate information about blindness. "The fear of the dark" is so much a part of most people's lives that it requires emotional courage to face and overcome. It takes longer than an hour or a day to work through the process. Unfortunately, the use of a blindfold in the guise of "creating awareness" often has the effect of reinforcing the deepest emotional fears and worst negative stereotypes about blindness. Do I exaggerate? The Kelowna District office of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) conducted an "awareness" program in which they blindfolded sighted community leaders for part of an afternoon. The program received extensive publicity on CHBC, the local television station and in the Kelowna Capital News. Read the transcript of the television news report and the newspaper article and judge for yourself. CHBC News Wednesday, February 7, 1996. Anchorman: But most of the time, they don't have much more than a white cane to guide them. Well today, several people in Kelowna walked a few steps in the shoes of the visually impaired. Our reporter, Mohini Singh, was one of them. She filed this report. Mohini Singh: It's a world that only a visually impaired person knows. It's a struggle only a person who can't see faces each day. Imagine if you went from being able to see all this, to this! CNIB Employee working with a Blindfolded Man: Put your hand down the front . . . to the . . . in front of . . . Blindfolded Man: Oh! This is a fire hydrant! CNIB Employee: Good, good! (Audible traffic signal begins to beep) Mohini Singh: But the visually impaired want those who can see to know what they go through on the street. So today, eleven Kelowna residents, including politicians and the media, attempted to find out. (End of audible traffic signal) CNIB Employee Guiding a Blindfolded Person: OK, that's great! You're doing well! Reporter Mohini Singh: The blindfolded people were taken through the streets, shopping centres and back alleys of Kelowna. (Blindfolded Man Groping a Mail Box) Blindfolded man: Mail box CNIB Employee: OK Mohini Singh: And those who did the walking say it was an eye opener. Woman who had been Blindfolded Discussing Her Experience: People who have mobility problems, people who have visual problems have a hard time in the city. Acting Mayor of Kelowna: Well, I learned one thing, and that's to thank God that I'm not blind. Mohini Singh: The acting Mayor of Kelowna vows to make some changes. Acting Mayor of Kelowna: A little cut into the asphalt across the street, so that they can line themselves up and go on a 90 degree angle. Because, it's pretty hard! You know, we don't realize that! We don't realize You know you look, and you go across the street. But they don't have nowhere to . . . to . . . other than their cane. Mohini Singh: Those who are visually impaired say this little walk may have been tough for those who aren't used to it, but it is a small example of what they go through on a daily basis. CNIB Blind Employee: This is a learning experience. There's no way that we can ever simulate what it's like to be blind. Mohini Singh: In Kelowna, Mohini Singh, CHBC News. Anchorman: By the way, this is White Cane Week, right across Canada. The CNIB in Kelowna is attempting to raise $8,000 this week. Volunteers from that organization are going door to door selling magnifiers in the price range of $5 - $15. Kelowna Capital News Wednesday, February 7, 1996 As part of the annual White Cane Week, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind conducted an exercise where several local people were blindfolded and led around downtown by guides to help them experience what it is like to navigate through this city without the aid of sight. Blinded by the Light (Reprinted with the permission of the Kelowna Capital News) By Alistair Waters Losing your sight, even for a short length of time, is an eye-opening experience. Up to three days ago there was no sense I took more for granted than my eyesight. Seeing the world through slightly less than perfect eyes I wear glasses, but my prescription is not strong was something I never really thought about. Seeing, for me, is part of my being. But as soon as I put the blindfold on and was plunged into total darkness, a sense of helplessness engulfed me. I gripped the arm of my guide, vision rehabilitation specialist Yvette McDonald, with one hand and squeezed tightly on a short white cane in the other. Having been instructed to use the cane to feel what was in front and to the side of me, we set off from the CNIB office on St. Paul Street, the click-clicking of the cane in front of my feet. The melting snow underfoot made traction slippery and I wondered how a visually-impaired person manages when the ground is covered in slippery ice and snow. "For blind people, snow is our version of your fog." Bill Mah told a gathering of the participants after the downtown stroll. "It masks features that we use as land marks." Walking the Kelowna streets, I was suddenly much more aware of the sounds, smells and obstacles that presented themselves, things that moments earlier I had not given a second thought. When we came to a thin alleyway I suddenly had a claustrophobic feeling, sensing the walls were no more than a metre on either side of me. Using my cane to feel, I found my other senses were correct. Sidewalk signs, fire hydrants, benches and garbage cans are of little concern to sighted people, but when you depend on a cane to feel your way, they can appear as big as a house in the middle of your path. Moving indoors also creates a different atmosphere and I found myself immediately sensing the change as we moved into the Town Centre Mall. "Someone is using varnish," said Betty Waterman, a 65-year old local woman who accompanied us on the walk. Waterman, who only has peripheral vision, uses only her cane to regularly navigate around town. My guide, McDonald, who works with hundreds of clients with varying degrees of visual impairment, said Kelowna is quite a blind friendly place, but feels more sighted people should start thinking like visually-impaired to make sure they do not inadvertently create obstacles. That point was brought home graphically, moments earlier, as we hurried to catch up with the rest of the group and narrowly missed a car coming out of a blind alleyway. For a blind person there would be no visual warning of oncoming traffic, only the sound of a car's tires on the wet pavement. After leaving the mall, we navigated steps--a nervewracking experience for me as I kept envisioning one misstep causing me to tumble to the ground twisting my ankle in the process. I was quickly discovering that fear is as big a limitation in mobility as the actual loss of sight. "Some people just don't get over it and that doesn't help them." According to the CNIB, the loss of sight has the emotional impact equal to the death of a close family member and a grieving period normally follows. But once a person is ready to learn how to deal with the loss, the CNIB offers a host of services including rehabilitation. As part of the White Cane exercise, I tried some of the tests after arriving back at the CNIB office. Continuing to wear the blindfold, I attempted to cut up vegetables, make peanut butter sandwiches, sort socks and play tic-tac-toe. The sock-sorting was one of the most difficult because with visual help signs gone, I had to rely entirely on texture and other feel related signs such as sock length. Of the 14 pairs in the basket, I matched just one. "Eighty percent of our learning is done through visuals," rehabilitation teacher Pamela Kaufman told me." (Sighted) people walk into a room and don't think anything about it but a visually-impaired person has to concentrate so much harder." "That is why they get so tired, they have to compensate by using their other senses." The CNIB hopes its annual White Cane campaign will raise awareness about issues facing the blind. Having walked just a few blocks in a blind person's shoes, I know I will look at my surroundings with a very different eye in the future. Those are the transcripts. Their tone and substance was predictable for any blind person who has observed such exercises in the past. Members of the Kelowna Chapter were made aware of the impending blindness simulation when a CNIB staff member was interviewed on a local radio station. Several Chapter members called the district manager of CNIB to try to dissuade him from this course of action. He was unconvinced by our arguments. He believed the blind community would be helped by the publicity from this event. At its February 17 meeting, the Central Okanagan Chapter of the NFB:AE discussed the issue in great depth. The following resolution was adopted unanimously: Resolution Adopted February 17, 1996 Chantal Oakes, President, Central Okanagan Chapter, NFB:AE. Whereas: Effective public education about blindness which stresses the capabilities and innate normality of blind people is essential if we are ever to take our rightful place as first-class citizens in Canadian society; and Whereas: Although good public education can certainly include discussions of the challenges faced by blind people, it should always emphasize means of overcoming difficulties and reducing the negative perception of blindness too commonly held by the public; and Whereas: Long painful experience has demonstrated that the practice of temporarily blindfolding sighted people to "show them what blind people have to go through" emphasizes and exaggerates the potential problems which can sometimes be associated with blindness when training is lacking, and reinforces the worst negative stereotypes of the helpless, hopeless blind; and Whereas: On Wednesday, February 7, 1996, the Kelowna District Office of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) conducted a session in which prominent members of local and provincial government, as well as civic leaders and representatives of the local media were blindfolded and paraded through the streets, shops, and back alleys of Kelowna; and Whereas: Several blind citizens of Kelowna, having heard in advance of this ill-conceived publicity stunt, attempted to dissuade the CNIB District Manager from this destructive course of action because of the potential for harmful publicity about blindness; and Whereas: The television coverage on CHBC TV and the newspaper article in the Kelowna Capital News, which resulted from blindfolding the sighted had the predictably negative tone in substance; and Whereas: Although one of the objectives of the CNIB is to ameliorate the condition of the blind, the actions of the Kelowna District staff in this instance had the effect of exacerbating the negative conditions the blind face by creating a climate in which discrimination against the blind, based on misconceptions about the nature of our problems, is more likely to occur; Now, therefore: Be it resolved by the Central Okanagan Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality in meeting assembled this 17th day of February, 1996, in the City of Kelowna that we call upon CNIB executives to direct all staff within the Agency to cease using temporary blindfolding of sighted individuals and to replace this public miseducation campaign with positive demonstrations of the abilities and accomplishments of real blind people; and Be it further resolved that we request that the National President of the NFB:AE communicate our feelings on this subject in the strongest possible terms to Dr. Euclid Herie; and Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution and the transcript of the CHBC television coverage and the Kelowna Capital News article be sent to all organizations and individuals deemed appropriate by the Chapter executive. At the Chapter's request, NFB:AE president, Paul Gabias, contacted CNIB president, Dr. Euclid Herie, by telephone to raise our concerns to determine CNIB's policy toward blindness simulation. The following exchange of letters is self-explanatory. Dr. Euclid Herie Executive Director Canadian National Institute for the Blind 1929 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M4G 3E8 February 22, 1996 Dear Euclid: In response to our telephone conversation on February 21, I am faxing you responses from the media associated with the fund raising efforts of the CNIB in the Kelowna District office during White Cane Week. The Kelowna office portrayed blindness as a severe disability. Its purpose was to evoke pity for the blind in the public and politicians of the Central Okanagan Region in order to increase fund raising capacity for the CNIB. I have nothing against fund raising per se, provided that the image of blindness is not damaged in the process. As you know, in the National Federation of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality, we believe that, with training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance. We also believe that it is respectable to be blind and that with training and opportunity blind people can compete on terms of equality with the sighted. We believe that the practices of blindfolding sighted people or having sighted people wear glasses which significantly distorts their vision increases their fear of blindness and gives them a very negative idea of what it's like to be blind. It makes them feel helpless and it does nothing to give them the feeling of competence and pride which blind people can achieve with training and opportunity. In our conversation, you expressed to me your strong disagreement with the practice of blindfolding sighted people for educational or pecuniary purposes. Therefore, I am enclosing a resolution from the Central Okanagan Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality, which condemns the practice of blindfolding the sighted for demonstration purposes. This resolution echoes the spirit of resolutions supported by the National Federation of the Blind in the United States. On several occasions, you have addressed national conventions of the NFB in the United States and you have often begun your presentation with "Greetings, fellow Federationists". In the United States, you are well-thought of in the Federation. You are considered a friend. We want to achieve a similar rapport with you in the Federation in Canada. I am sure that you will do your utmost to stop the practice of blindfolding sighted people by certain Divisions and District offices of the CNIB. The blind of the nation are depending on you. We are looking forward to a strong supportive response to our resolution. At your suggestion we will be publishing the resolution and your response to it in the Canadian Monitor, the publication of the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality. I am looking forward to our meeting on May 5, 1996, in Kelowna. As in Chicago, I also look forward to spending some time with you in Anaheim. Cordially, Paul Gabias, Ph.D. cc: Kenneth Jernigan Paul Gabias, Ph.D. NFB:AE P.O. Box 5058, Station A Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 7P5 March 13, 1996 Dear Paul: Further to our telephone conversation and your February 22, 1996, letter and enclosures, I have had an opportunity to read and consider several of the points raised with reference to the practice of blindfolding sighted persons. Your letter, detailed resolution, and the media extracts, pose a rather wide range of issues with reference to the onset of blindness, rehabilitation, public attitudes and awareness programs, fundraising and professional training. If I read the material even more thoroughly, there are likely additional points which would give rise to, further thought, discussion, and possible debate. From our several meetings and conversations in the past, I know for certain that the two of us, as well as our friends and colleagues throughout Canada and the United States, accept fully the principle that it is respectable to be blind, that with adequate resources and training combined with positive public attitudes and acceptance, blindness or severe visual impairment in itself ought not be a barrier to equality and full participation. However, getting from here to there, is not a simplistic notion, nor is the path free of barriers and obstacles. I am enclosing the text of three talks which I have given on rehabilitation, including Attitude Change toward Blindness/Visual Impairment -- Quebec City; Children of Minor Wives presented on my first NFB convention in Chicago; most recently my talk on Blindness and Immortality presented to the National Conference of our rehabilitation personnel this past summer. This written information is forwarded as reference, and is background on my own thoughts and approach to a number of issues raised in your letter and accompanying resolution. On February 27, 1996, I distributed the information which you forwarded to our Executive Management Group, and as it arrived just at the close of our meeting, discussion and consideration of the resolution was necessarily brief. Within our organization, there no doubt exists a wide range of views on the specific issue on the use of blindfold with reference to creating public awareness, and also as a methodology in the professional training of sighted individuals in the specialty fields of orientation and mobility, rehabilitation teaching and related daily living skills. Perhaps this response and the material you have forwarded, will broaden the discussion and serve to heighten awareness among all of us. I have taken the liberty of sharing the information more widely with a number of my colleagues within the CNIB with the encouragement that they will read, consider and comment upon the NFB:AE position. In the interim, I have given direction to all our personnel, that under no circumstances are we ever to invoke pity, ridicule or any other approach in our portrayal of blindness or awareness programs for whatever purpose, including education, training, fundraising, etc. I personally, have always felt uncomfortable, and reject the notion that a temporary blindfold can equate awareness to blindness. As I said to you, I have the same view for so called "able bodied persons" who spend an hour in a wheelchair and any other similar experiments or portrayals. The matter of professional training, however, may pose a different set of questions, and I would need to give that much further thought and research than I have done to date. Paul, the fact that you have called me and directed this information to me and the CNIB in a open and candid manner, is most reassuring in furthering the friendship and rapport which you mentioned in your letter to me. On May 5, 1996, when we meet in Kelowna, we can pursue this and other priorities more fully. Yours truly, Euclid J. Herie President and Chief Executive Officer cc: F. Gary Homer, National Chairman, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind; CNIB Executive Management Group; M. Davey, Chair, National Client Services Committee; G. Bate, Chair, National Communications Committee; E. Drover, Chair, National Fund Development Committee; Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, President Emeritus, National Federation of the Blind; Marc Maurer; President, National Federation of the Blind The issue of the use of blindfolds goes to the very heart of how we perceive blindness. If the problems of blindness are truly caused by the physical lack of eyesight, simulating blindness is a dramatic way of bringing those problems to public attention. If, on the other hand, as Dr. Herie states, ". . . with adequate resources and training combined with positive public attitudes and acceptance, blindness or severe visual impairment in itself ought not be a barrier to equality and full participation", the validity of temporarily blindfolding of the sighted to create "awareness" is called into serious question. Public education about blindness is so important to the NFB:AE that we listed it first among the five purposes of our organization in our founding documents. We will continue to do all that we can to help the public reach a new understanding of blindness. We hope that the spirit exemplified in Dr. Herie's letter is a sign that the CNIB at all levels wishes to work in partnership with us to make sure that the public receives constructive information about the capabilities of blind people. The job is so big and the need is so great that it will engage the energies of all of us for a long time to come. Education in Vancouver: Restaurant Manager Learns About Equal Access for Guide Dog Users Canadians are becoming used to seeing blind people accompanied by well trained guide dogs. Most citizens assume that the right of the blind to take their dogs into public places is universally accepted. Unfortunately, there are still occasions when that right must be asserted firmly. On Sunday, October 29, 1995, a group of blind people in Vancouver were reminded just how important assertiveness can be. They stopped into a local restaurant for a bite to eat after the Lower Mainland Chapter meeting. The manager, who was apparently new on the job, was unfamiliar with equal access laws. He insisted that health regulations prohibited dogs from entering his establishment. Fortunately, the blind people involved knew their rights and insisted upon them. Other staff members of the restaurant also helped to educate the manager and the group was able to eat its meal in peace and dignity. Maureen Martin is a member of the Lower Mainland Chapter. She was concerned that discrimination not be permitted to reoccur. Maureen contacted the Corporate Offices of the restaurant in question. The following correspondence shows what can happen when blind people politely but firmly take charge of their lives. Mr. Paul Gabias President, National Federation of the Blind 475 Fleming Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 3Z4 November 3, 1995 Dear Mr. Gabias: Please accept my sincere apologies for the unfortunate incident that took place on Sunday, October 29, 1995, at our Georgia and Seymour location. I spent some time reviewing the incident over the phone with Ms. Maureen Martin. Please find enclosed a copy of the letter which I have written to her. I want to assure you that we at White Spot are committed to meeting the special needs of our guests, and I will take appropriate steps to ensure such an incident does not occur again. Please find enclosed a guest certificate for your enjoyment at any one of our locations in B.C. Once again, please accept our apologies for this unfortunate incident. Yours truly, White Spot Restaurants (A Division of White Spot Limited) Amir Mulji Vice President, Operations Ms. Maureen Martin 5932 Nancy Greene Way North Vancouver, B.C. V7R 4W1 November 3, 1995 Dear Ms. Martin: Please accept my sincere apologies for the unfortunate incident that took place on Sunday, October 29, 1995, at our Georgia and Seymour location. We at White Spot Restaurants have built our reputation on taking care of the needs of our guests. Unfortunately, we certainly failed to do so on this occasion. I have spent some time with Mr. Henry Wong and he is extremely apologetic about the way he reacted to the situation. On the 18th of November, we have a Corporate General Managers' meeting and I assure you that I personally will take the opportunity to ensure that our managers are aware of the appropriate ways to accommodate our guests' diverse needs. I look forward to receiving the literature you will be sending us. The information will be incorporated into our existing programs and used to upgrade training materials for our staff and managers. Please find enclosed a guest certificate for your enjoyment at any one of our locations in B.C. Once again, please accept my apologies and I thank you for your call and your interest in assisting us to better equip our managers and staff to deal with the special needs of our guests. Yours truly, White Spot Restaurants (A Division of White Spot Limited) Amir Mulji Vice President, Operations cc: Warren Erhart, President Mr. Amir Mulji Vice President, Operations White Spot Restaurants 1126 S.E. Marine Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5X 2V7 November 5, 1995 Dear Mr. Mulji: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your prompt attention to my complaint re an incident that took place on October 29, 1995, at your Georgia and Seymour restaurant. I was very pleased to hear your sentiments regarding guide dogs and of the sensitivity which you and your staff wish to display to disabled clientele. I am enclosing a message from the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality in the hope that it will be of some use to you in understanding the aims of our members. We have very limited written material to distribute at this time as we are a young but growing group. I will be happy to provide you with information on an ongoing basis as it becomes available in order to help you understand our goals. Thank you for the gift certificate. It is much appreciated. I am very pleased that we have been able to resolve this incident so favourably. Yours truly, Maureen L. Martin The management of White Spot did more than the bare necessities. They made a point of educating all their managers about the rights of blind restaurant guests. They were not hostile or defensive. They were open and thankful that the matter had been brought to their attention so that they could take action. Of course, it would have been better if there had been no discrimination at all. Still, it is heartening to know how many people in our society are willing to change their behaviour when they come to understand the rightness of our cause. Good laws encourage equal treatment. Good business recommends it. And good sense demands it. Quickie Course On the Canadian Braille Authority by Mel Graham From the Editor: Mel Graham works in Winnipeg with the Council of Canadians with Disabilities as its communications officer. He is also an active member of our Winnipeg chapter. I pay $20 a year in dues to an entity known as the Canadian Braille Authority. Furthermore, in spite of its slightly intimidating name, I chair its Committee on Promotion of and Access to Braille. Am I a teacher or rehabilitation specialist by trade? A producer of Braille materials, perhaps? Do I sell high tech Braille production equipment? Or am I just a garden variety masochist? None of the above, as it happens. I am instead a totally committed, life-long consumer, which makes me much more dyed-in-the-wool on the subject. You'll know just what I mean if you are so fortunate as to use Braille every day. If you don't, it can never be adequately explained to you. Being a Braille user is a bit like being rich. The Canadian Braille Authority (CBA) represents a gathering point for a diversity of Braille interests--including educators, librarians, braille producers, technology buffs, parents of sight-impaired children, rehabilitation personnel and consumers--to name just some obvious ones. Though not completely trustful of one another in every area of day-to-day contact, these disparate elements work fairly compatibly nonetheless on the single common denominator of protecting, promoting and carefully managing changes to Braille. It goes without saying that an organization composed of such diverse elements is easily criticized. There are those who have questioned the relative influence of the various groups within the CBA, and those who have wondered about the possibility of behind-the-scenes manipulation. I think much of that kind of concern is over-rated. We tend to forget that consumers are just as obliged as everyone else to keep on the watch for opportunity, and to be fast off the mark when it knocks. While I'm busy spouting old saws anyway: We consumers get no more and no less from any democratic organization than what we're willing to put into it. Whatever you might happen to believe about the motives behind its establishment, I chose to get involved with CBA because I believe its timely appearance on the scene may well be looked on by future chroniclers as one of those proverbial stitches in time. CBA not only provides the means of building the community consensus Braille will need to respond to the changes demanded of it, but it also will tend to focus needed resources on Braille in the long haul. This latter, in itself, will have represented a considerable achievement, given how dollars spent on the public good have become stretched over the past decade. One more word on this topic. All this might seem as though I am bestowing needless advance credit to what is, admittedly, still a fairly fledgling organization. But I'm sticking my neck out because I've been closely associated with CBA since its founding in 1990. Though I know there's plenty of room for improvement, I'm just as certain there's absolutely none at all for cynicism or avoidance. CBA has no headquarters. What it does have is a chronically overworked executive, and committees whose activities usually are concentrated in the geographic area where their chairs reside. An exception to that rule is Promotions and Access. I live in Winnipeg, while our secretariat consists of the International Affairs office of the CNIB in Ottawa. But otherwise it holds true; the teaching and learning committee's work centres around Edmonton, technology out of Halifax, membership is handled from Winnipeg, our newsletter is compiled in Vancouver, and the work of representing Canadian interests, in terms of the numerous committees working on the Unified Braille Code (UBC), is co-ordinated by Darleen Bogart in Toronto. The potential development of the UBC is the major event in the Braille system's dramatic career since its invention over 170 years ago in France (as far as we Anglais are concerned anyway). Its purpose is to amalgamate the current English Braille codes which include Grade II Braille and the Nemeth code for math and science. This is extremely complex, technical work, virtually unimaginable in the days before the Internet without dozens of costly face-to-face conferences. Almost all major English-speaking countries in the world are involved in every decision made, from preliminary draft reports, to the fruits of the exhaustive evaluation process. UBC encompasses several groups working on various aspects of the ultimate formulation of the new English Braille code. At any one moment (I'll arbitrarily pick one from last January), aspects of the code might be under study, ranging from contractions, interface with foreign languages, phonetics and phonemics, chemistry, alignment in mathematics, format guidelines, and transcriber rules. Things are slowly taking shape, but there is still time for genuine input, especially if you're an active, paid-up CBA member. Co-ordinating UBC here in Canada is a massive job. Darleen Bogart handles it well. In my opinion, she is probably CBA's greatest asset. In my view, she is certainly the Canadian who has given most in the service of making Braille available and keeping it viable in this country. Since it is impossible to list all of her achievements here, I'll just say that she began as a volunteer Braillist some years back, and wound up being secretary of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). She's currently taking a turn as president of CBA as well. Mind you, if I were really interested in making you feel exhausted, I would go over the numerous surveys and similar activities of our other committees over the past couple of years, such as English Braille Standards (they are just about finished with a tactile research project), French Braille Standards, Braille Teaching and Learning, and the rest. Hopefully, in the limited space provided by a single magazine article, I will have whetted your appetite to want to become a member of CBA for at least next year, and find out what it's all about in somewhat greater detail. Of our 100 non-corporate members, 30 serve either on the board or on one or more of its committees. We desperately need a much larger membership base from which to draw expertise and direction. Why shouldn't consumers move out of the veritable token category we're in now, and adopt a leadership role in regard to future CBA boards and committees? It's there for us to do. All we have to do is sign up. For a membership application, write to or call Judy Rannard, Chairperson, CBA Membership Committee, Room 206, 1181 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg MB, R3G 0T3 (Telephone: 204 945-7840). Finally, by way of conclusion, just a quick word about my own committee's work. The CBA's Promotion of and Access to Braille committee is looking for testimonials from people all over Canada who have found Braille invaluable in their lives. Our project concerns students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 who, now that they no longer attend residential schools, might not be getting the base literacy benefits of Braille that they need. This is a real problem in the U.S., as those of you who have been following the record of the NFB will know. We are taking our case to the political and administrative decision makers, of course. We also want to be sure that when we move on to plan B -- assailing the media with instances of Braille's efficacy -- we're doing so from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. We need anecdotes to prove that Braille really does represent the pen-and-pencil base literacy equivalent that we say it does. It's the sort of ammunition you have to have on hand to counter the facile argument, "But why can't they just use computers?" Imagine the ruckus if sighted kindergartners were expected to go from the sand-box to the keyboard! If you are the kind of person we're looking for, or if you are familiar with such, please contact me at: 170--14 Shelmerdine Drive, Winnipeg MB, R3R 2Y2 Telephone: (204) 832-8414. Building Braille Reading Speed: Some Helpful Suggestions by Jerry Whittle From the Editor: Jerry Whittle teaches Braille at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. The following article first appeared in The Pathfinder, the newsletter of the NFB of Louisiana. It was reprinted in the May, 1993 edition of The Braille Monitor. At first, some of his suggestions may seem a bit daunting for new Braille readers. But they work. Over the past seven years I have had the opportunity to teach over two hundred blind persons to read Braille. During that period I have timed twelve students at rates of greater than three hundred words per minute. Of course, all of these rapid readers had been reading Braille since early childhood, and none of them needed to improve speed; however, there were some interesting similarities among many of them that are worthy of noting. First of all, eleven of the twelve read with two hands, starting the line with the left hand and finishing it with the right. Meanwhile, the left dropped down to the next line to find the beginning and start reading as soon as the right hand had finished. Only one of the twelve read more than three hundred words per minute using only the right hand. In fact, he read over five hundred words per minute. One of these twelve read one hundred sixty-nine words a minute when he entered the center. At the beginning of his training he read with his left hand only, but he moved both hands across the entire line and brought both all the way back to the beginning of the next line, losing approximately one second per line because of the inefficiency of this method. We encouraged him to read the first half of each line with his left hand, then track down to the beginning of the next line while finishing the line with his right. Once he started practising this more efficient method, he no longer lost that second on each line since he could pick up the next one with his left hand as soon as his right had finished the last. As a consequence he increased his reading speed from one hundred sixty-nine to three hundred two words a minute before graduating. After years of teaching, it is absolutely clear to me that the twohanded technique is by far the superior method. I remember another student who read only sixty words per minute when she entered the center. She read with only her right hand. She also took the advice to begin using both hands, and she increased her reading speed from sixty to one hundred twenty words per minute in six months; however, I should point out that she also read over three thousand Braille pages while she was a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. The number of pages read is an extremely important factor in building speed. A large proportion of Braille readers read at a rate of fifty to seventy words per minute. In order to increase speed, once someone is reading at sixty words a minute or more, he or she should read a minimum of ten thousand Braille pages a year, two hundred fifty pages a week, thirty-five pages a day --give or take a few pages. Setting goals is another important factor in attaining good or excellent reading speeds. I would suggest that one set page goals per day. For example, I currently have a student who has just finished Grade II Braille, and she is working diligently to build speed. When she first completed the code, she began to read a short novel, setting a goal of ten pages per day. She set aside a certain time in the evening to accomplish this rather ambitious task. During her first timed test she read twenty-four words per minute. During the next month she faithfully maintained her page goal and even increased it to about fifteen pages per day. In her last timing she read forty-five words per minute. Of course, some of this speed resulted from her being able to pick up words more rapidly from context, and this ability accelerated her reading rate. Some of the improvement also resulted from her growing ability to pick up the signs more easily through constant practice and in general from her consistent hard work. I have noticed that most of the students who really work hard attain a level of about sixty words per minute rather quickly after completing the code, usually in two to three months. Then the rate of speed levels off. This observation is not based on a controlled study but merely on my observation. What usually happens is that students are able to increase speed rapidly because the faster they read, the more it makes sense to them, and the more they pick up by context. For example, "Jack and Jill went up the . . .by : it does not take a mental giant to guess that the final word of this sentence will be "hill". However, once the student has reached a speed that takes account of contextual prediction, the rate levels off, and it then takes reading a tremendous number of pages to continue to increase steadily at least ten thousand pages per year. The best readers at the Louisiana Center for the Blind who knew no Braille before entering the Center have learned to read at a rate of fifty to seventy-five words per minute in six to nine months. The student in this category who attained the greatest speed before graduation read at a rate of seventy-five words per minute. That person read over eight thousand pages during that six-month period. She actually stayed in her apartment on many weekends and read Braille diligently. In other words she approached her Braille reading as if it were a job. I would also suggest that those working to increase their reading speed work on their Braille before becoming too fatigued. If you are an early morning person, read early in the day. I know a former student who arises at five o'clock in the morning to read Braille before he begins to prepare for school at seven. Others are able to read late at night and set aside the time to do so. I also think it is important to read aloud during part of this reading time so that one does not develop sloppy reading habits. For example, when one reads aloud, it is hard to mumble through words; one must be exact. Also, by reading aloud periodically, one can begin to develop good reading techniques for delivering speeches or for reading in public places, such as church or before civic organizations. Additionally, reading aloud enables one to hear how fast he or she is picking up a line or to identify where any problems lie. I once had a student who was timed at three hundred fifteen words per minute. When she read aloud in public, she tried to read at that speed. She sounded like she was on fast forward. While she attended the center, she worked on improving her speech-making techniques. She tried to slow down to a reading rate of about one hundred twenty words per minute, and her speaking style improved tremendously. Incidentally, President Clinton's Inaugural Address was read at a rate of one hundred twenty words per minute, about the proper rate for communication of ideas without losing one's audience. Another suggestion is to set a timer for five minutes and read aloud during this interval. If you can finish a Braille page in five minutes, you are reading at a rate of forty words per minute. If you read two pages, your rate is eighty words per minute. If you complete three, you are reading at a rate of one hundred twenty words per minute. By setting a timer periodically, one can see how much progress is being made, and the timer acts as a very good motivator to read faster. In conclusion I would say that building reading speed requires hard work and consistency. It does little good to read thirty pages in one day and wait a week to read another thirty pages. The reading must be done on a consistent, day-by-day basis until a certain level of efficiency has been established. One must approach the challenge of increasing reading speed in the same way one approaches a job. Many students carry Dr. Jernigan's and President Maurer's banquet speeches around with them on trips in order to get in some reading in airplanes or in doctor's offices. These Braille speeches are lightweight and quite portable. It is amazing how much time one spends waiting, and this time can be used to increase reading speed. Most important, it is essential that one set high page goals, not necessarily time goals. Ten pages per day is a better goal than one hour. The two-handed technique is by far the best for optimum reading speed. Find something that holds your interest. If you are just beginning to read for speed, choose a book or magazine article that is not too complicated and work your way into more sophisticated reading material. Finally, read! read! read! Always read with both hands, and set ambitious page goals for yourself. If I can be of any further assistance in your quest to build reading speed, please call me at (318) 251-2891. Braille Readers are Leaders 1997 14th Annual Contest for Blind Youth Funded by Tree of Life, Inc. From the Editor: The Braille Readers are Leaders Contest has been encouraging blind students to read for 14 years now. Canadian blind students have taken part for many years. In fact, the third-place winner for the 1996 print-to-Braille category is a blind high school student from Alberta. The Canadian Blind Monitor is happy to re-print the 1997 Contest information in the hope that many more Canadian students will take part in this worthwhile project. Purpose of Contest The purpose of the annual Braille Readers are Leaders contest is to encourage blind school children to read more Braille. It is just as important for blind children to be literate as it is for other children. Good readers can have confidence in themselves and their ability to learn and to adapt to new situations throughout their lives. Braille is a viable alternative to print, yet many blind children are graduating from our schools with poor Braille skills and low expectations for themselves as readers. They do not know that Braille readers can be competitive with print readers. This contest helps blind children realize that reading Braille is fun and rewarding. Who can enter the Contest? Blind school-age children from kindergarten through the twelfth grade are eligible to enter. The student competes in one of five categories. The first category is the print-to-Braille beginning reader. This category is for former or current print readers who began to learn and use Braille within the past two years. This includes: (1) formerly sighted children who became blind after they mastered print and (2) partially sighted print readers who are learning Braille (Kindergartners and first-graders are NOT eligible for the print-to-Braille category.) The other categories are: grades K-1, 2-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Students in ungraded programs should select the category which most closely matches the grade level of their peers. Prizes for the Contest First, second, and third-place winners are selected from each of the five categories. All winners receive a cash prize, a special certificate, and a distinctive Braille Readers are Leaders T-shirt. In each category, first-place winners receive $75.00, second-place winners $50.00, and third-place winners $25.00. All contestants receive a Braille certificate and a special token for participating in the contest. Awards are also given to the top five contestants, regardless of category, who demonstrate the most improvement over their performances in the previous year's contest. To be considered for the Most Improved Braille Reader award, the contestant must enter the contest for two consecutive years and cannot be a winner in the current, or any previous Braille Readers are Leaders contest. Winners of the Most Improved Braille Reader award receive $15.00 and a T-shirt. Schools are encouraged to schedule public presentations of the certificates. Alternatively, presentations may be made in the classroom, at the local National Federation of the Blind Chapter meeting, or in some other appropriate setting. Members of the National Federation of the Blind will award the certificates and other prizes whenever possible. Schools for the Blind In addition to the individual prizes, a $100.00 cash prize will be awarded to two schools for the blind for outstanding participation in the contest. All of the schools for the blind with students participating in the contest will receive recognition in Future Reflections, the National Federation of the Blind magazine for parents and educators of blind children. Rules for the Contest Winners will be chosen based on the number of Braille pages read. The one who reads the largest number of Braille pages will be first-place winner, the second largest the second-place winner, and the third largest the third-place winner. The completed contest entry form must be received by the judges no later than February 15, 1997. Contestants must submit with the entry forms a print list of the materials read (see the last page of the entry form). Entry forms without this list will be returned to the sender. Certifying Authority The certifying authority is responsible for: (1) verifying that the student read the Braille material listed and that the material was read between November 1, 1996 and February 1, 1997; (2) filling out and sending in the contest entry form in an accurate, complete, and timely fashion; and (3) assisting the student in finding Braille materials to read for the contest. Teachers, librarians, and parents may serve as certifying authorities. The certifying authority must also be prepared to cooperate if the contest judges have any questions or need additional information about an entry. All decisions of the judges are final. For more information, contact Mrs. Barbara Cheadle, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (410) 659-9314 or (410) 747-3472. COMMON QUESTIONS What if I didn't know about the contest until after it began? Can I still enter? Yes If I enter late, can I still count the Braille pages I have read since November 1? Yes, if your certifying authority will verify that you read those pages. Can I count my Braille textbooks? No Can I count textbooks if they are not the textbooks I am now using for my regular class work? Yes What if I don't finish reading a book? Can I count the pages that I did read? Yes Can supplemental reading books to beginning reading series be counted for the contest? Yes What constitutes a Braille page? Each side of an embossed piece of paper is considered one page. If you read both sides, then you have read two pages. This is true even if there are only two braille lines on one side. Can I count title pages, tables of contents, Brailled descriptions of illustrations, etc.? Yes I have to transcribe books for my beginning reader. Most of these books have only a few words on one page. If the print book has more pages than my Braille transcription, how do I count pages for the contest? For the purposes of this contest, the number of braille pages counted per book should never be less than the number of print pages in that book. This is so even if the teacher has transcribed the entire book onto one braille page. To avoid confusion, we suggest that the books be transcribed page-for-page, one braille page for each print page, whenever possible. I have trouble finding enough Braille material for my 6th grade and-up students. Do you have any suggestions? Yes. The National Federation of the Blind has free Braille materials--stories, articles, etc.--suitable for blind youth. To request the NFB Selected Literature for Blind Youth order form, call or write: National Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314. Canadian Winner Although the Braille Readers are Leaders contest originated in the United States, Canadians have always participated and have often excelled. During the 1995-96 contest year, 8 Canadian students increased their Braille-reading skills and engaged in a little friendly competition. We are pleased to report that the third prize winner for all of North America in the print to Braille category is Kelly Hartle of Red Deer, Alberta. Kelly is an 11th grade student, who has made the transition to Braille within the last two years. She read nearly 1000 pages during the 4-month contest period. This reading was in addition to her regular school assignments. Kelly was awarded a certificate of achievement, a Braille Readers are Leaders t-shirt, and a cheque for $25.00. Her personal rewards are far less tangible and more long-lasting. Our congratulations to Kelly Hartle on her achievement. NFB Bookshelf From the Editor: This article is reprinted from The News, a publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas (Summer 1996) Care & Feeding of the Long White Cane by Thomas Bickford This small book leads the blind traveller through the process of deciding to use a cane, deciding which cane to use, and provides instructions about how to use a cane. Source: National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, Attn: Materials Center. Or call: (410) 659-9314. Cost: Print $1.00 per copy or $20.00 per case of 48. Braille $10.00 per copy. Cassette $4.00 per copy. (All prices are in U.S. funds.) The World Under My Fingers: Personal Reflections on Braille edited by Barbara Pierce This book contains personal stories from blind adults who have depended on Braille for much of their lives, as well as from blind adults who were denied the opportunity to learn Braille as children. If you are the parent of a blind child and are considering whether to ask that your child receive Braille training, we hope that you will read and consider the words of these competent, blind adults. Source: National Federation of the Blind 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, Attn: Materials Center. Or call: (410) 659-9314. Cost: $1.00 per copy or $50.00 a case. (All prices are in U.S. funds.) Talking Book Topics by Alan Neville In the last edition of the Canadian Blind Monitor, I promised readers that future Monitors would include a regular feature under the working title of Talking Book Topics. Although no longer the editor, I am pleased to note that our new editor Mary Ellen is of a like mind. Many of you will have heard the story about a sales manager who sends a memo to his staff exhorting them to submit creative ideas for a new sales campaign. He really wasn't all that good at generating these ideas himself, preferring the person to person contact he had enjoyed before becoming a manager. Thinking about this he almost immediately decided to give up his managerial position and return to the sales force. His request was granted with unseemly promptness. Delighted with his decision, he arrived early to begin his old job determined to show the world his great prowess as a salesman. "Before I get down to the real business of sales" he said to himself, "I'll wade through the correspondence the last salesman left me. OK, here's a memo from the sales manager. . . that's strange, he's got the same name as I do!" In my new position as a reader of the Canadian Monitor, I feel a little like the sales manager turned salesman. I thought perhaps I ought to check on what I had said about this subject in the third edition: This new section of "The Canadian Blind Monitor" will, therefore, be dedicated primarily to talking book topics. That is our working title but if you have a better suggestion write and let us know. Well, just to get things started, let me ask you some of the questions that have stimulated much interest and discussion at the Kelowna Bookies Club: What book has had the most dramatic effect on your life? Who is your favourite narrator and, conversely, who drives you nuts and why? Do you have a favourite author? If so, who? What's the funniest book you've ever read? Which fictional character has moved you most deeply? How and why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of authorized as opposed to unauthorized biographies? These are just a few examples of the virtually unlimited topics that stimulate lively discussion among talking book users. As this will be an ongoing feature in "The Canadian Blind Monitor," we would like to hear from any talking book user on any subject that might be of interest to others. Please send your letters to the National Office. Not having developed the outline for my article much beyond this point, I decided to record a few random thoughts on my cassette recorder to see if I could later organize these notes into some logical sequence responsive to the suggestions made in the third edition. Much later--I would rather not tell you how much later--I had more material than I could use. I normally have difficulty remembering five items on a shopping list. In this instance, my memory had become a cornucopia of remembered authors, titles and even narrators, although I was not always able to link them together. So what was I to do? Discipline was clearly necessary. Restricting my response to two or three of the suggestions in the third edition seemed unavoidable. Fortunately, one of the suggestions lent itself to a simple and unambiguous response. The book that has had the most dramatic effect on my life is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. It's a very long book, too long in my opinion. I'm not absolutely sure it would affect me in the same way if I were to read it for the first time today. I have been surprised, however, to find that this has been a seminal book for many other people, although it certainly has its detractors. From time to time I've thought that perhaps I should read "Atlas Shrugged" again. One day I probably will. Why the hesitation? Well, I don't want to risk losing the dramatic impact of that first reading, and as I said, it's a very long book. Choosing the second question to comment upon was not really too difficult. The narrators, or readers, as we often call them, are the almost indispensable bridge linking the blind and visually impaired to the printed word. I say printed word rather than written word deliberately because those blind persons who use braille do not need a bridge to link them with written language. However, since many blind people cannot use braille and relatively little is available in that medium, a bridge to the printed word is vital. I say readers are almost indispensable because there are reading machines such as the Kurzweil and Arkenstone units. Both machines utilize very sophisticated technology and produce fairly accurate voice output from scanned documents or books. Although the synthesized speech is much better than it was just a few years ago, it remains nowhere near as satisfying as the human voice. As noted in the McIntyre/Neville article entitled "The Bookies of Kelowna" in the third edition of "The Canadian Blind Monitor": "In addition to the formal and informal differences mentioned earlier, the bookies are very concerned with the technical quality of the recordings and, above all, the expertise of the narrators. The need for good quality recordings is self-evident and is generally present in recent recordings using the latest technology. Evaluating the quality of the narrator however, is rather more subjective, and one person's "favourite" might be another's "pet-hate". All the bookies agree however, that a good narrator can save a poor book while a poor narrator can ruin a good one. Fortunately there are not too many of the latter." As I said earlier, choosing this subject to comment upon was not too difficult. Evaluating narrators is much more difficult. Not only is the process subjective but there are literally hundreds to choose from. Furthermore, a reader who is magnificent with Mitchener might be mediocre reading McClellan. To be fair, however, most readers appear to be well matched to the material they are reading. Recognizing the inadequacies of memory and the unavoidable subjectivity of the process, the following are my personal choices of the best talking book narrators I have had the pleasure of listening to: Male/Female: 1. Alexander Scourby/Sandra Scott 2. Merwin Smith/Mitzi Friedlander 3. Dan Lasarre/Pat Barlow 4. Roger Norman/Jill Ferris 5. Keith Melville/Suzanne Toren 6. Lester Rawlins/Elizabeth Hamilton 7. Guy Sorell/Stephanie Taylor 8. Patrick Horgan/Aileen Seaton 9. Roy Avers/Catherine Byers 10. Gordon Gould/Elise Goldsmith 11. Bob Askey/Yvonne Fair-Tessler 12. Frank Herbert/Pam Ward The essential elements in a talking book are the author, the story, the narrator and the recording/playback processes. These elements are interdependent and the overall product is, like a chain, no stronger than its weakest link. When all pieces are of high quality and in perfect harmony, the result is magic. I call what emerges a four star talking book master work. Because tastes in authors, stories and narrators vary from person to person, my master works may differ from yours, but we might both benefit from the exchange. Almost by definition, master works are rare but memorable. Here, then, are four of mine: 1. "Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh narrated by Alan Haines. 2. "Trinity" by Leo Uris narrated by Dan Lasarre. (Note: I am not sure if this version is still available from the CNIB Library because later catalogue entries list another narrator.) 3. "Return to Thebes" by Alan Drury narrated by Lester Rawlins. 4. "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok narrated by Frank Herbert. Do you have your own personal "Master Works"? If so please send them to the editor at the National Office or to me, Alan Neville at Unit 114 - 650 Lexington Drive, Kelowna, B.C. V1W 3B6. Signals for Use With Deaf-blind People From the Editor: Communication takes on particular importance for people who are both deaf and blind. Some people who are born deaf, and become blind later in life, have sign language as their "mother tongue". Others can hear long enough to understand and learn to read English. Their preferred method of communication is often based on spelling English words -- either through the manual alphabet in which hand positions signify different letters -- or through Braille. Still others retain enough vision and/or hearing to use a primarily oral form of communication. Whatever methods are used, the basic human need remains the same. Like all of us, deaf-blind people need to gather enough information to make sound judgments and to be able to express themselves in a way which is both understood and respected. The following guidelines appeared in the Spring, 1996 edition of the "Blind Washingtonian", the official publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington State. Like most guidelines, they're meant to provoke thought and increase awareness. Every deaf-blind individual is a unique human being. A technique which works well for one person may be absolutely unworkable for another. However, if these guidelines encourage Canadian Monitor readers to approach deaf-blind people in their communities, the experience is almost certain to be rewarding for everyone concerned. 1. When you approach a deaf-blind person, let the person know by a simple touch that you are near. A warm, friendly handshake will show your friendly interest. 2. Make positive but gentle use of any means of communication that you adopt. Abrupt or exaggerated gestures might be misunderstood. 3. Work out a simple but special signal for identifying yourself, or tell your name if the deaf-blind person prefers. 4. Learn and use whatever kind of communication the deaf-blind person knows. If you know another means of communication that might be valuable to the person, offer to help him/her learn it. 5. Be sure the deaf-blind person understands you, and be sure you understand him/her. 6. Encourage the deaf-blind person to use any speech that is possible, even if it is limited to only a few words. 7. If there are others present, let the deaf-blind person know when it is appropriate to talk. 8. Inform him/her of the whereabouts of others present. 9. Tell the deaf-blind person when you leave, even if it is only for a brief period. See that he/she is comfortable and safely situated. If the deaf-blind person is not sitting, provide something substantial for him/her to touch before you leave. Never abandon a deaf-blind person in unfamiliar surroundings. 10. In walking, let him/her take your arm. Never push a deaf-blind person ahead of you. 11. Make use of a simple set of signals to let him/her know when you are about to (a) ascend a flight of stairs, (b) descend a flight of stairs, (c) walk through a doorway, or (d) board a vehicle. A deaf-blind person holding your arm can usually sense any change in pace or direction. 12. Encourage deaf-blind persons to use their own initiative and abilities. Encourage them to express their own ideas. Encourage their interest in new experiences. 13. Rely on your natural courtesy, consideration, and common sense. Avoid getting flustered or irritated if misunderstandings arise. Occasional difficulties in communication are only to be expected with all people, not just the deaf-blind. The NFB:AE The Missing Link by Joyce Mainland From the Editor: Joyce Mainland is a tough-minded, clear-thinking, and compassionate advocate. As the parent of a fourteen year-old daughter who is blind, she has experienced the joys, sorrows, and frustrations of seeking educational services. Here is her story: This summer I discovered, along with my 14 year-old daughter, Sarah (who has been blind since birth), what, for lack of a better name, I will call the "missing link". That "missing link" is: the NFB (National Federation of the Blind) or in Canada, the NFB:AE (National Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality). As a parent I have struggled over the years to learn what I could do for my child. My journey first led me to the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). Where else does one go? After all, the CNIB is the only agency in Canada that serves the blind. I naively thought that they would have the answers for me. Given their position of prominence, who should know more? I was frustrated by what I felt was often inadequate service and information. I read everything I could get my hands on. I learned to read and write Braille (tedious, but not difficult). I have advocated before government agencies and legislatures along with other parents. We expressed our concerns regarding educational services for blind children. I have gone as far as moving 3,000 miles in order for my daughter to access the only remaining school in Canada which specializes in the education of the blind and deaf/blind. (Some professionals would call this segregation, but I know better and would call it congregation!) I have seen so many families over the years both in B.C. and Ontario with children in circumstances similar to mine. They were all falling between the cracks. I have seen parents like myself, frustrated and struggling to find resources, guidance and support. I have seen both the mainstream and the congregated settings. I have experienced the vast discrepancies of services and programs for the blind across Canada. But the most frustrating thing of all is the experience of not being heard or listened to--until now. My daughter and I were fortunate to have attended the NFB Convention in Anaheim, California, along with 60 other Canadians. There were over 3,500 in attendance from across the U.S.A. Never had I seen so many white canes and dog guides in one place at one time! There were people from all walks of life, all ages and abilities. There was an overwhelming sense of family and belonging. It was the blind community. We talked about common issues and concerns. We shared strategies and solutions. We laughed and cried, sharing both joys and sorrows, and we relaxed in the company of each other. I had the feeling that I had finally found what I had been searching for all these years --"the missing link". I now believe that in the collective experience and knowledge of these people who have walked the walk and talked the talk, there is strength. While I am concerned about the whole, my focus as a parent is for the children and the future employable youth and adults. As a parent, I want to empower my child with a positive attitude about herself and her blindness. I want to provide her with a knowledge that she CAN become all that she wishes. The students at the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Visually Impaired in Brantford, Ontario, had a saying written on the wall that said something like this: "We see ourselves as differently abled . . . but without education and the skills . . . we will become disabled!" The blind have spoken. If the current and unacceptable situation is allowed to continue in Canada, what is to become of the 8,000 children affected by vision loss? Presently, the education specific to the blind/visually impaired is deemed by the Federal Government to be a provincial concern. I believe and respectfully argue that the education of the blind (which should start from the time of diagnosis) is a national concern and should receive national attention and funding. For if these children DO NOT receive an adequate and appropriate education and the needed skills, it will be the Federal Government who will support them on a disability pension! This should not be viewed as an acceptable solution. We should be doing everything we can to create opportunities that will lead them into self-sufficient lives as tax-paying Canadian citizens. But how does one go about changing and enlightening the attitudes and minds of those who hold the power that affects the outcome of the lives of our children? How does one go about educating the general public and correcting a gross misperception that the CNIB is able to do everything for the blind, without offending this agency or causing them to become defensive? I truly believe that the time has come for the blind community in Canada to unite, with the blind helping and mentoring the blind in Canada. Through the philosophy and hard work of parents and blind adults in the NFB:AE, we can empower blind people and re-educate the general public and governments. Together, we can ensure positive change. I would encourage anyone whose life has been affected by vision loss to seek out an NFB:AE chapter in your area and get involved. The blind and consumers of services for the blind must have a voice that is not only heard but listened to. Together we can find effective solutions. DOOR TO DOOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED If someone knocks on your door and asks for donations for the NFB:AE, greet them warmly. We have recently inaugurated a door to door fundraising campaign in cities throughout Canada. Our canvassers will be carrying identification and literature about our work. If you have questions about the campaign in your area, or if you would like us to canvass your community, call the National Office toll free at 1-800-561-4774. RECIPE by Maureen Martin Tipsy Laird Trifle Ingredients: 2 sponge layers 1 cup (250 ml) jam, jelly or preserves 1/4 cup (50 ml) medium-sweet sherry 2 cups (500 ml) vanilla custard (approximately)* 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250/375 ml) whipping cream, whipped and sweetened as desired. Directions: Line bottom and sides of large glass bowl with pieces of sponge cake. Cover with half of the jam, jelly or preserves. Add remaining sponge pieces and repeat with balance of jam, jelly or preserves. Sprinkle sherry over surface of the trifle. Spoon on the custard. Top with prepared whipping cream and garnish with fruits in season and flaked almonds. *Custard can be prepared from your favourite recipe or use an instant vanilla pudding prepared according to package directions. Recommended BC Wine: Late Harvest Optima. NBRS The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. Making visual media accessible to vision-restricted Canadians... Voiceprint TM Canada's 24 Hour Audio Newsstand Delivers published news and information in audio format primarily for Canadians whose access to print is limited or nonexistent. Every day volunteers read full-length articles, columns and feature reports related to news and sports, health, entertainment . . . from more than 100 newspapers and magazines. The service is available free via cable TV and/or cable FM. Audiovision Television for People Who Cannot See Produces narrated descriptions of the visual elements of film and video products, offering blind, low-vision and other Canadians the opportunity to fully appreciate these products and services at will. Alternate Media Cutting Edge Technology, Researches and develops cutting-edge technical systems and devices of benefit to blind and low-vision Canadians and the computer technology that allows Voiceprint TM and audiovision to operate and service their clients. NFB:AE Awards Grant Funding Research in Tactile and Auditory Perception At the December 1995 meeting of its Board of Directors, the Board of the National Federation of the Blind unanimously passed the following motion: That a research grant of $5,000 be made available to Okanagan University College for specific research in the areas of auditory and tactile perception by the blind. The Board directed that the research be either basic or applied. The Board further directed that the principal investigator and grant recipient must be a faculty member at Okanagan University College with a doctoral degree. The Board required that there be an open competition for the grant at Okanagan University College. The Board suggested that applications could be reviewed by the Grants-In-Aid Committee. The Board requested that the decision as to the recipient of the grant should be left to the Grants-In-Aid Committee. The Board requested that the entire grant be awarded to one recipient. The suggested deadline for the competition was March 31, 1996. The Board also requested that the recipient of the grant not be precluded from other competitions and other money available from the Grants-In-Aid Committee at Okanagan University College. Last May, the Grants-In-Aid Committee at Okanagan University College awarded the NFB:AE Research Grant of $5,000 to our President, Dr. Paul Gabias. Dr. Gabias was awarded an additional $2,000 from Okanagan University College. Dr. Gabias is currently studying Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Organization in Visual and Haptic Perception. He is comparing data for evidence of the applicability of these laws in vision and touch. The Gestalt laws of perceptual organization are classic in psychology, particularly in vision. Every introductory psychology textbook discusses them in the perception chapter. Yet, their possible applicability to the sense of touch is rarely discussed. The purpose of Dr. Gabias's research is to rectify this situation. Preliminary analyses of data from forty subjects who were presented with raised dot displays visually, suggest that the classic Gestalt predictions about perceptual organization are not ubiquitous, in other words, they are not as stable as had been presumed. They may be affected by grid orientation. Data collection from blind subjects is underway for purposes of comparison. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANADIAN BLIND MONITOR The Canadian Blind Monitor is printed three times a year. Members of NFB:AE are invited, non-members are requested to cover subscription costs with an annual fee of $10.00. The Canadian Blind Monitor is a publication where the blind speak for themselves. Yes, I am interested in receiving the Canadian Blind Monitor I am interested in receiving NFB:AE membership information. (Please specify preferred format) Print Braille Cassette Computer Disk I wish to become a member of the NFB:AE! Please check all that apply: Blind; Sighted Supporter; Active Parent of Blind Child; Name Address City, Prov., Postal Code Telephone ( ) Mail to: NFB:AE P.O. Box 5058, Kelowna B.C. V1Y 8T9 1-800-561-4774 Fax: (604) 491-4080 E-Mail: nfbcanawinccom