








               MINNESOTA

                         BULLETIN









Quarterly Publication of the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.
100 East 22nd Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
(612) 872-9363


Volume LXI, Number 1, Summer 1996


WE ARE CHANGING
WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE BLIND



Table of Contents


Les Affaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

75 Years:  Dealing with the Minneapolis Society for the Blind.  3

75 Years:  Rehabilitation and the Birth of BLIND Inc.. . . . .  9

How SSB's Communication Center Can Serve You . . . . . . . . . 11

Cooperating Fund Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The NFB Changed My Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Ninety and the Nine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A Letter From a Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

There Is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Parents' Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Metro Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Services for the Blind Store Now Open Saturday . . . . . . . . 20

Students Hold Seminar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Action at the 1996 Semiannual Convention . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Convention Alert!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29



Send articles and comments to:

Tom Scanlan, Editor
Minnesota Bulletin
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota
100 East 22nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55404

                          Les Affaires
             The Twenty-seventh National Convention
                   By Joyce Scanlan, President

What is it like when you do the same thing time after time after time?  Does it become boring
or so "old hat" that you come away wondering why you went or vowing never to go again? 
Certainly it depends upon what the occasion is or how many times you've participated.  What
about the twenty-seventh time?  Is it possible that after so many times, an event can stir up as
much deep feeling and excitement as it did the very first time?

Yes, it most certainly is possible, and especially if the event is the National Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind.  1996 in Anaheim, California, was my twenty-seventh NFB
National Convention experience.  I don't know how it happens, but it always does.  This year
was every bit as uplifting and inspirational, with its own unique flavor, as that very first
National Convention in 1970.  While the outstanding aspects of that first convention can never
quite be equaled, each successive year has provided its own particular reason for a cherished
spot in my now-extensive collection of convention memories.

Before leaving for Anaheim, I met with the students of BLIND, Inc. for a business class
discussion on the upcoming convention, which was a first for many people.  We had already had
a lengthy presentation on dealing with airline travel and flight personnel.  Students had many
questions and needed techniques for such situations as providing identification, going through
security, the question of preboarding, the correct rules for stowing white canes, and all the other
potential pitfalls they might encounter as blind passengers on an airplane.  Most of the students
would be attending the convention for the first time, and all of us wanted to help them build a
sense of anticipation, which we knew would be realized by the convention itself.  The National
Convention is the greatest experience we have to offer students, and I wanted them to benefit
from it as much as possible and to enjoy it at the same time.

I searched my memory for the events of 1970, how I hadn't wanted to attend that convention
but had run out of excuses.  I was living alone at the time.  I described my preconceived notions
of what the convention would be like--a bunch of blind people complaining about wasted lives
and unemployment and poverty, all of which I knew well.  I knew that convention had nothing
to offer me.  I was the most independent, competent blind person in the world, and that was
that.  But I discovered very quickly that the convention had much for me.  Although I didn't
realize it at the time, I now know that my life was forever changed by that convention.  We
talked about the upbeat atmosphere of the convention.  Then we covered the routine matters of
the convention, its organization, highlights of the agenda, the Board meeting, the Presidential
Report, the banquet address, resolutions, committee and division meetings.  We explained the
tours available, the fine hotel accommodations, and the budget everyone had for the convention. 
There were many practical questions.  What would be expected of them?  Could they do some
tours?  How could they decide what to do with so many choices?  My main interest was that the
students be out and about with other Federationists and discover the full impact of the
experience.  I did ask that they attend the banquet, the student division meeting, the Job
Opportunities for the Blind seminar, the Presidential Report, and some meetings of special
interest to them.  Some aspects of the convention are simply indescribable and must be
encountered as a personal experience.  We filled up an entire two hours with our convention
preview.  At the end everyone seemed to have positive expectations for the convention.

Fifty-seven Minnesotans registered for the 1996 NFB Convention in Anaheim, almost half of
which were students and staff of BLIND, Inc.  Since most others were seasoned convention-
goers, I knew they would ask for and find whatever they needed.  With students, every group
is different.  Some try to stay in their hotel rooms and will not explore; some resist coming to
general convention sessions; some fight about coming to the banquet.  If I had worries about this
particular group, it was needless, because they measured up to the highest expectation anyone
could have of them.  They could not be found in their rooms.  They were everywhere else in
the Anaheim area--touring, exploring for restaurants, shopping.  They were in the exhibit room,
general sessions, and all sorts of small group meetings.  They were indeed experiencing the
convention.

When we all returned to the Center following a short break, we met in a business class to review
the convention.  Sometimes students are laid back and ho-hum about reporting on activities.  Not
this time.  The first topic to attract their attention was the banquet address.  (I was glad to see
this.)  They launched into a scathing attack on the techniques for the visually impaired developed
by Northern Illinois University, ping-pong balls to help fill glasses with liquid, ribbons on the
television antenna so a partially-sighted person wouldn't run into it, safety pins on the sheets to
make sure the visually-impaired person put the sheets on evenly.  They were appalled that
anyone, with or without sight, would need such silly techniques.  Then a few students admitted
that they had been exposed to such techniques at other adjustment-to-blindness training
programs; they had been too embarrassed to tell other students that those techniques were taught
them, although they had never wanted to use them.  We talked of how unfortunate it is that
professionals not only believe these techniques to be useful, they actually teach them to people
who will be rehabilitation professionals and work with blind people throughout the country. 
That banquet address had made a great impression on our students.  We were all proud that our
student, Shawn Mayo, had won a $4,000 scholarship at the convention.  All students had
adventure stories to tell.  They had decided to go to Sea World where they had discovered how
you could examine all sorts of water animals.  Some told of their adventures finding favorite
bars.  They were all eager to recount agenda items they enjoyed--the two blind men who had
built houses, the woman who taught self defense, the real estate broker.  They evaluated the
hotel and its service.  Everyone had shopped in the exhibit area, as well as at nearby malls. 
They had explored the territory far and wide, walking and taking local buses.  Many had been
to Disneyland.  There were several comments concerning the treatment they had received there. 
No one had had major problems.  We're more sensitive to the treatment we receive, because in
Minnesota we have dealt with Valleyfair's discriminatory behavior toward blind people.  People
had been mostly quite pleased with the treatment they had received at Disneyland.

The reaction of our students to the 1996 National Convention was just as anyone could hope it
would be.  They were revitalized by the convention.  Their spirits were high, and they weren't
about to be put down or accept any second-class treatment.  The convention confirmed for them
that they are equal with others and that they are fully independent and can be competitive.  They
had met many blind people who were employed in a wide range of occupations.  This was
evidence for them that they, too, could achieve the career goals they wanted.  The success
everyone dreams of can become a reality.

As I listened to the students review the convention, I recalled the days immediately following
the 1970 convention in Minneapolis--my first of now twenty-seven.  Could I have expressed to
anyone at that time the depth of my emotions at realizing what blind people were doing to work
collectively and solve the problems we faced?  Did I realize at the time that the convention had
truly changed my life?  No, I didn't understand the full impact of the few days I had spent at
the local hotel in my home town.  I knew immediately that something was different.  But what
was it?  I knew that I was no longer alone.  There were thousands of others who were blind
struggling with discrimination and self esteem just as I had been.  Also, I had become aware that
there was a vehicle through which changes could be made to better the lives of all of us.  That
vehicle was the National Federation of the Blind.

And the burst of renewed energy and excitement following the twenty-seventh convention is just
as high as it was after the first.  I hope to see all students at the next National Convention of the
NFB in New Orleans in 1997.  They have now been introduced to the most vibrant organization
dealing with blindness in the world.  They, I am sure, will want to be a part of it.  They are the
future of the National Federation of the Blind.  They will attend many National Conventions and
find out what all of us have discovered--that, through the National Federation of the Blind, we
can change what it means to be blind.  We don't need ping-pong balls or bright-colored ribbons
or safety pins to help us live the good life.  We have our common sense; we have each other,
and we have the National Federation of the Blind.

  75 Years:  Dealing with the Minneapolis Society for the Blind
                         By Peggy Chong

Over the years, this organization has had a variety of relationships with all the agencies for the
blind in the state, as well as with organizations outside the state.  Sometimes the relationship was
one of cooperation, sometimes it was not.

In 1947, the Board of Directors sent representatives to Duluth on several occasions to help in
the concerns with the Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind and the welfare system of St. Louis
County.  This assistance led to the formation of our Duluth chapter.

The American Association of Workers for the Blind met in Minneapolis during the summer of
1948.  Many of our members attended the meetings.  A report of the meeting appeared in the
Minnesota Bulletin in September of 1948.

But the most famous agency, certainly the most written about agency, in the history of the NFB
of Minnesota is the relationship between us and the Minneapolis Society for the Blind.

At the very beginning of our history, our leaders met with the leaders of the Minneapolis Society
for the Blind (MSB) to discuss the building of an industrial center and later a home for the blind
(see "75 Years:  The Home and Center for the Blind" in the Fall 1995 Minnesota Bulletin). 
MSB and the other agencies for the blind said it was a great idea that met a need.  However,
they provided no financial support or assistance of any kind.  Blind people believed that the
agencies thought the project would never get off the ground.

But the Home and Center did succeed and time passed.  In the 1930's, there are many references
to MSB that show that communication continued on legislative issues.  .

In the 1940-41 legislative session MSB worked with our organization in total cooperation to pass
an appropriation for the state agency for the blind.  This appropriation included money
specifically designated for rehabilitation and the vending-stand program.  Provisions for appeals
in the Aid for the Blind Law were also passed.  The legislative committee felt that MSB's
cooperation was a historic event that they hoped could happen again.  Unfortunately that was
not to be the case.

By the 1940's the tone was changing.  A report to the special convention called on February 12,
1942 announced that MSB had received its Sheltered Shop Certificate.  Our organization went
on record as opposing this sheltered-shop system.   This stand followed several reports to the
Board of Directors that wages of blind workers were being cut.

In 1950 MSB opened its Adjustment and Training program.  The May 1950 issue of the
Minnesota Bulletin reported that the program already was off to a bad start.  MSB had not hired
any qualified blind instructors for the program.  Nor did it inform its clients of the organizations
of the blind that would be of great benefit to them. 

In the late 1950's, fewer and fewer blind salesmen were being hired by MSB or the St. Paul
Society for the Blind to sell their products.  Some blind salesmen had been let go and sighted
persons took their place.  This was addressed at our conventions and a committee was
established to work only on this issue.  The Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs were passing
ordinances that would greatly restrict door-to-door sales.  The committee wanted the two
societies for the blind to address this issue as well, but they would not do so.  Because of the
city ordinances, soon there were no salesman jobs for the sighted either.  Resolution 59-01 was
passed that expressed concern with the city ordinances that would restrict door-to-door salesmen
and telephone solicitation.

But the issue that was to break down all working relationships was that of the sheltered
workshop and the refusal of the agencies to pay the minimum wage.  At the annual convention
in 1969, that issue dominated the convention agenda.  Resolution 69-08 called for the minimum
wage to be paid to workers in sheltered shops and that the shops allow collective bargaining for
the workers.  Resolution 69-09 opposed the building of any more sheltered shops in Minnesota
until all the shops paid the minimum wage.

From then on the demands, charges, and countercharges went back and forth at a quickened
pace.  In 1970 we wanted three fully participating blind persons representing the blind
organizations elected to the MSB board, and that these blind persons not have any ties to the
sheltered shops.  But the president of the MSB Board of Directors said that blind persons could
not serve on the board as they could not "contribute."

The organization had documented many problems with MSB.  Representatives held many
meetings with MSB and other blind groups to try to resolve these problems, but with no success. 
At the October 4, 1971, meeting of the grievance committee, the MSB representatives said that
they did not believe the members of our organization represented the blind community and
refused to meet any more.

Organizing the workshop workers into a union was attempted in 1970-71.  Workers wanted to
improve the deteriorating working conditions in the shop.  Resolution 71-03 called for the
establishment of a strike fund for the workshop workers if a strike were to occur and sought help
from the labor unions for a strike.

In October of 1971 MSB appointed three blind persons to its Board of Directors.  MSB thought
this would pacify the blind community.  But these people had not been elected by the blind, nor
did they represent any of the blind groups.

At the January 1972 annual meeting of MSB a large group of blind persons attended the meeting
and, in accordance with the MSB bylaws, tried to introduce a resolution specifying that 1/3 of
the MSB board be representatives of the blind community.  They also tried to nominate blind
persons to the board.  They were ruled out of order and the meeting was abruptly adjourned. 


The MSB Board of Directors then amended their bylaws and expelled over 2,000 members,
including all blind persons.  Thus MSB became a closed board leaving no opportunity for blind
persons to work within its structure to improve conditions at MSB.

So the blind took their message to the public.  Picketing of board members took place in the
summer of 1972.  Much press coverage of the conflict appeared for the next several years.

On September 22, 1972 a lawsuit was filed against MSB.  The suit stated that MSB had violated
its bylaws by throwing out its members, and sought elected representation on the MSB board. 
Plaintiffs were: James Brennan, Tom Scanlan, Mel Schrader, Maxine Schrader, Eric Smith, and
Steve Jacobson.

Blind persons continued to be treated badly at MSB.  In the spring of 1974, our home teacher
worked with Larry Kettner to secure a job in Winsted.  He came to the organization after going
to MSB for help.  They gave him a job in the workshop but first he had to sign a minimum
wage waiver.  It stated that he would work for $1.35 per hour.  After working with Sharon
Grostephans, our home teacher, he got a job starting at well over $2.00 per hour.  Based on his
proved ability to work at a higher-than-minimum level, Larry Kettner appealed the MSB waiver
to the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.  In the summer of 1975, the
Department of Labor decided in favor of Larry and ordered MSB to pay back wages for the last
week of his employment.

MSB's rehabilitation program to teach the skills of blindness was just as repressive.  In 1975,
another appeal was won by the organization for B. Hodgkiss to carry her cane inside the
Minneapolis Society for the Blind while taking travel training there.  She had been told by the
MSB staff that, while she was inside the building, she was not allowed to use her long white
cane.

At the annual convention of 1974 these matters were reported to the membership.  Resolution
74-01 called for MSB to stop its practice of using minimum wage waivers.  A resolution was
also passed that opposed state or federal financial aid to sheltered workshops that did not pay
the minimum wage.

In March of 1976 our attorneys filed a Certificate of Readiness with the courts in the lawsuit
against the Minneapolis Society for the Blind.  After many delays by the Society, the trial was
finally held January 31 through February 9, 1977.  The decision came down in our favor on
June 15, 1977.

A new election of the MSB board was ordered with the same rules that were in effect in the
early 1970's.  This allowed for proxy voting and an open membership.  The role of the
membership of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind was mainly a fundraising tool until this
point.  Immediately, MSB filed a request for clarification.  Yet another delay by MSB.

They wanted to limit the membership to only Minnesota residents and no proxy voting.  In
September a settlement was offered by MSB, but was rejected by the NFB of Minnesota.  Our
lawyers called the settlement offer "absurd and a flight from reality."

MSB wanted delays in the decision since they felt that in a short time, the NFBM leadership
would change and the lawsuit would be dropped by the members in the organization that they
could control.  They said that Joyce Scanlan and the board (including Tom Scanlan, Curtis
Chong, and Steve Jacobson) were "short-term leaders."

MSB had worked hard to divide the blind community.  In 1972 they got the United Blind (UB)
to pull out of the lawsuit.  Jessie Rosten, the executive director of MSB, became  a member of
the UB, as did other agency persons.  Jessie was behind many activities that caused dissension
in the blind community.  He also led a crusade to discredit NFB leadership by sending
inflammatory letters to the employers of Federationists as a form of harassment.  He and other
MSB staff members drove blind persons to the Capitol to testify against our Commission Bill. 
Many blind persons that they brought were those who had in the past supported the idea of a
Commission.  No one from MSB testified at the hearings.

In 1977 someone had taped an NFB of Minnesota board meeting.  The tape was altered to
discredit the board members and the organization.  It was then circulated outside the
organization.   Disgruntled members who were being manipulated by MSB had gotten into the
NFB office at the home and had gone through the files.  Attention needed to be focused
internally to restore harmony in the organization.

Although MSB had gotten the United Blind to back down, not all of the organizations of the
blind had turned their backs.  Early on, the Alumni Association of the Minnesota Braille and
Sight Saving School had given their support to the NFB's efforts to reform the Society and
continued to do so.

In May of 1978 MSB appealed the entire case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.  On July 13,
1979, The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the Hennepin County District court decision and
ordered the election of the board of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind.  The election was
scheduled to take place November 14, 1979.  

During the fall of 1979 each group was working throughout the country to collect proxies.  At
the fall regional conference of National Industries for the Blind, proxies for MSB were passed
out but the NFB's proxy was not.  This was in direct violation of the court order.  Jessie Rosten
told the shop workers on September 7, 1979 that if they did not vote with the Society, that the
NFB would take over and close the shop and they would not have a job.  On October 6, 1979,
the UB voted to give their support to the Society.

MSB took out full page ads in the local papers.  In large letters, MSB used lines like "After
November 14, you'll be hearing a lot more tapping down Hennepin Avenue." and "After
November 14, you could have a new responsibility to avoid" to play on public fears of
blindness.  Later, when they were running up their public relations bills a bit too high, they took
out a 1/4 page ad that said, "If it's hard to face most of our blind people thrown out into the
streets, we can help you hide."  This one had a pair of dark glasses being put on the reader's
face.  Each of them asked for a dollar and had a coupon that was supposed to be sent back to
MSB.  These ads were an act of desperation that came back to haunt MSB for years to come.

Eight Federationists were elected to the MSB Board of Directors on November 14.  They were
Tom Scanlan, Curtis Chong, Mary Hartle, Marie Whitteker, Roger Drewicki, Janet Lee, Nadine
Jacobson, and Carol Del Favero.  They were known as the "NFB Eight."  This brought the total
of blind persons on the 30-member board to 17.  At the same meeting, MSB again voted to
expel all the newly recruited membership.  

The hostility and lack of trust continued.  At the annual meeting of the National Accreditation
Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) following the MSB
election, MSB President Richard Johnstone openly attacked the NFB and its leaders.  During
the January 30, 1980 MSB board meeting, Richard Johnstone got passed a NAC resolution that
refused to recognize the National leadership of the Federation.  The NFB Eight tried to get a
resolution passed at the December 19, 1979 MSB board meeting that would say that the Society
would try to work with the Federation.  It was voted down TWICE at that meeting.  Earlier at
the December 1, 1979 NFB of Minnesota semiannual meeting, the Federation passed a resolution
that promised to work with the Society to better the lives of the blind.

All committee meetings were closed to board members who were not on the committee.  In fact
all meetings were closed to anyone except those appointed to attend.  This made it impossible
for Federationists to know what was happening at the agency.  It effectively kept them from
being fully-participating board members.  It kept any interested blind consumers from having
any input into board decisions and it kept the blind away from the board.

On February 15, 1980, we went back to the judge and asked that we be allowed to see all the
material that MSB had concerning the election.  The Society executive board had voted in
January to refuse to let us review any material unless ordered by the court. On March 24, the
judge issued a decision that said we should be allowed to see the election material.  They then
filed for a motion of protection and this motion was denied.

On September 19, 1980, the MSB board was told that Jessie Rosten was taking a 3-month leave
of absence, but not much later it was reported that Jessie had been asked to resign as the
Executive Director.  He announced his resignation at 9:00 A.M. and was out of the building by
noon.

In September 1981 the information sheet Why Minnesota's Blind Do Not Always See Eye to Eye
was widely circulated.  This was a factual piece comparing the philosophy and structure of MSB
and the NFB of Minnesota.  Shortly after its release, MSB President Richard Johnstone
demanded that the NFB Eight disavow statements in the piece.  However, Society officials could
not find a lie or a misstatement.  They said that it was factual, but the Society felt that the
circular should not have been printed in the first place.

On December 15, 1981, the eight NFB members who had served on the MSB board resigned. 
Their resignation was because the rest of the board refused to share information on financial and
operating information with the eight members.  Clearly, no effective change could occur with
MSB's attitude and none had during their two years on the board.  Distrust was just as prevalent
with both sides as it had been before the election.  In a news report of the resignation of the
NFB Eight, Richard Johnstone exposed his true feeling that blindness is the worst of all
handicaps.  "I'd rather lose arms and legs first," he said.  His statement again revealed the tragic
and hopeless feelings held by MSB staff and board members.

The seven-page policy statement on why the eight resigned was circulated widely and printed
in the Minnesota Bulletin.  Federationists pointed out times when they were to vote on budgets,
but the budgets were not put into braille for the blind board members.  For instance, when Mary
Hartle asked if there were any changes that would affect blind people, she was told to "just get
with it and vote for the budget."

After the resignation of the eight Federation members, the Society wasted no time.  On January
13, 1982, MSB went to the Judge again to ask him to issue a ruling that they had done
everything correctly during the election of 1979.  The Judge asked them for a precedent but
MSB could not find one, and the motion was denied.  At this point, it seemed that the best thing
for the organized blind to do was just to ignore MSB, and we did just that.

Since then, MSB has been taken over by the St. Paul Society for the blind.  At least partly
because of the publicity at the time of the election and the resulting loss of public support, they
decided to change their name.  Not once, but twice.  First they changed it from Minneapolis
Society for the Blind to just MSB, and then after the forced merger with St. Paul to Vision Loss
Resources.  Enrollment in their rehabilitation program has steadily declined until it holds less
than a quarter of the blind students seeking training in the state today.

How the mighty have fallen.  Moreover, the new name Vision Loss Resources does show their
true philosophy: one of loss.

The NFB of Minnesota did more than just fight MSB.  When we decided it was beyond reform
we started our own training program.  That program is Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions
(BLIND).  Contrast the two organizations as reflected in their names.  One is loss, the other is
learning.


     75 Years:  Rehabilitation and the Birth of BLIND, Inc.
                         By Peggy Chong

Rehabilitation was not a term used in the minutes of the organization until the second world war. 
The idea of the government providing money to agencies for the blind for training in skills to
become employed did not become a reality until 1941.  At that time our organization convinced
the state legislature to designate funds for rehabilitation in the biannual budget for the
Department for the Blind.  This would not have happened if it had not been for the pioneering
spirit of the leaders in the organized blind movement.

From the beginning, our organization worked with its blind members to insure success in their
employment.  Opportunities for learning trades in businesses owned by blind people were
promoted by the leaders of the organization regularly.  But the leadership also knew that
opportunities needed to be opened up in mainstream society in order for blind persons to be true
first-class citizens in our state.  This meant training.

For decades the organization worked within the system to create laws that mandated
rehabilitation training for blind adults and a quality system for those services to be provided. 
Many service providers in Minnesota have been and still are private agencies that contract with
State Services for the Blind.  This type of system can give a blind person many choices but also
makes it difficult to insure that informed choices are made and quality services are provided for
the blind persons they are supposed to serve.

In 1945 discussions with the state agency were held on the subject of home teachers.  The
organization wanted the State Department for the Blind to hire at least one home teacher for
every 500 blind persons in the state.  For years the State Department for the Blind had only one
home teacher and that person also had other duties as well.

Attention to the problem of quality rehabilitation services in the state became urgent by the
1970's.  Inconsistent rules and requirements were the norm throughout the blindness system.

Decisions were made for rehabilitation services based on one's affiliation, or lack thereof, with
a consumer group.  Little to no information was given to clients of State Services for the Blind
as to their rights or about what they could expect from the agency and the rehabilitation system.

In 1973 the NFB of Minnesota decided to fill the gap by hiring its own home teacher.  At the
annual convention, resolution 73-06 was passed urging the Board of Directors to look into hiring
a home teacher for our organization.  A home teacher/coordinating secretary, was hired on
August 10, 1973.  She was Sharon Grostephans.  After a few months, Joyce Hoffa (Scanlan) 
worked with Stan Potter, the director of State Services for the Blind (SSB), to negotiate a
contract with the state agency to pay for our home teacher working with clients of the state
agency.  The Home Teaching program moved into office space at 1725 Nicollet Ave. S. in the
summer of 1974.

Ms. Grostephans taught braille, home management and travel to many blind persons who were
unable to get the training through the Minneapolis Society for the Blind (MSB) or SSB.  She
shared with them a positive, can do, attitude about their blindness, which is the cornerstone of
a successful future for any blind person.  In their lessons, students were exposed to all kinds of
issues that affected blind persons lives.

In the spring of 1974, the home teacher, some of her travel students and Ms. Hoffa traveled to
Rochester where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was holding hearings on rules for
blind air travelers.  They heard testimony from all sides of the issue.  The group was impressed
by the comments made by Jim Omvig who testified for the National Federation of the Blind. 
The suggestions from FAA were that blind persons must travel with a sighted person at all
times. The Federation showed how blind persons had been traveling safely for years on airplanes
without incident and that this requirement was not necessary.

In the spring of 1974, our home teacher worked with Larry Kettner to secure a job in Winsted. 
He came to the organization after going to MSB for help.  MSB gave him a job in the workshop
but first he had to sign a minimum wage waiver.  The waiver said that he would work for $1.35
an hour.  This was less than the minimum wage at that time.  But after working with Sharon
Grostephans, our home teacher, he got a job starting at well over $2.00 an hour. 

For two years board members of the NFB of Minnesota met with counselors and administrators
of SSB to show the importance of the type of training provided by our home teacher.  They
showed the many successes blind students had accomplished under her training.  Even though
there was a contract with State Services for the Blind, counselors of the state agency would not
refer their clients to our home teacher.  On March 1, 1975, the home teaching project was
discontinued due to lack of support from State Services for the Blind.

During these meetings with SSB over our home teacher, plans were discussed for a rehabilitation
agency operated by the Federation.  Ralph Hilgendorf, a supervisor at SSB, said to the
committee that the agency had to be up and running before SSB would even consider sending
clients there.  Due to the lack of support from SSB, it was decided not to pursue starting an
agency for the blind then.

In 1982 discussions resumed in the affiliate about starting our own orientation-to-blindness
center.  On December 31, 1986, Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND) Inc. was
incorporated with a board of directors that came from the rank and file of the NFB of
Minnesota.

In January of 1988 BLIND took in its first students.  Since then many blind persons have
graduated from the program and have launched successful careers and lives in their home
communities.  Within three years, BLIND had become the major supplier of rehabilitation
services to State Services for the Blind, a position that continues to grow and strengthen today.

Finally the blind of the state have an agency that is run by blind persons who understand the
necessity of quality rehabilitation.  The Board of Directors is comprised of blind persons who
feel a responsibility to the blind of the state and actively seek input from the organized blind. 
This can only lead to more and more blind persons going out into the community, to be accepted
as equals.  The graduates of BLIND are active participants in their home communities at all
levels and are truly leading first class lives.


          How SSB's Communication Center Can Serve You
                        By David Andrews

(Editor's Note:  David Andrews became Director of the Communication Center of State Services
for the Blind last October.  Before then he was Director of the International Braille and
Technology Center at the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore.  He is the first blind
person to head the Communication Center and brings both managerial and consumer experience
to the position.  We welcome him to Minnesota.)

One of the inconveniences of being blind is the difficulty of accessing current printed
information.  It is the goal of the Communication Center, a division of Minnesota State Services
for the Blind, to help you with that access.  For over 40 years, the Communication Center has
led the nation in providing blind and visually impaired Minnesotans with access to the printed
word.

The Communication Center started in 1953 as the Hamm Recording Project.  It recorded
textbooks for blind students.  We now do this and much more.  From its humble beginnings,
the Communication Center has grown to an entity with nearly 40 full and part-time employees
and a $1.9 million annual budget.

Probably the most visible and well-known of our services is the Radio Talking Book (RTB). 
It started in 1969 and was the first service of its kind in the country.  The Radio Talking Book
provides blind and visually impaired persons with readings from newspapers, magazines and
current books.  It broadcasts 24 hours a day on a special closed-circuit radio system that covers
most of Minnesota.  We lend RTB subscribers special receivers that only pick up the RTB
signal.  All you have to do is plug it in and turn it on.  

Twin Cities newspapers are read daily between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 
The reading of the metro papers is supplemented in some areas of Minnesota by local outreach
sites.  These sites break away from the RTB network signal for part of the day to broadcast local
newspapers.  These outreach sites are located in Duluth, Fergus Falls, Rochester, and St. Cloud. 
The RTB Network broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has over 7,300 receivers
in the field.  In addition, radio reading services in other parts of the country pick up parts of our
programming to supplement their local offerings.  They can do this because the RTB signal is
carried on a satellite.  This is how we get it to all the stations that carry it around Minnesota.

We know that you can't always listen to RTB programs when they are scheduled.  Or, you may
miss the last broadcast of that book you have been listening to each evening.  For these reasons,
we offer most RTB programs on cassette tape for free loan.  You can borrow one broadcast or
an entire book.  You can also borrow weekly programs on a one-time basis or they can be sent
to you each week automatically.  We send you the cassette tapes and only ask that you return
them when you are done.  Newspaper readings are not available this way, but all other
programming is.  For information or to order a program call Nancy Peabody at (612) 642-0883.

The RTB service is free to print-handicapped Minnesotans.  To sign up for the Radio Talking
Book and to get a receiver, call Annette Laxen at (612) 642-0885.

Since not everyone is able to read the newspaper when the Radio Talking Book does, we also
offer Minnesota Dial-In News.  This service allows you to use a touch tone telephone and call
in when you wish to read the newspaper.  At this time, we offer the Minneapolis Star Tribune,
St. Paul Pioneer Press, and the Twin Cities Reader.  You use the buttons on your telephone to
choose a paper, pick a category such as local news or obituaries, and to skip around within the
story you are reading or from story to story.  Once you choose a paper and a category, the
system immediately starts reading the first story in that category.  You hear the actual voice of
the volunteer who read the story, not a speech synthesizer.  You can move forward or backward
in 10 second increments, start the story over again, or, most importantly, immediately skip to
the next story.  Dial-In News allows you to read what you want, when you want.

As you know, the NFB of Minnesota offers you Newsline for the Blind that provides invaluable
access to three national newspapers.  However, we think that Dial-In News is a valuable
supplement to Newsline, or vice versa, because it offers detailed local information.  This
includes local and state news, obituaries, TV guide listings, and ads from local grocery,
department and drug stores.  Between Dial-In News and Newsline, SSB and the NFB of
Minnesota cover just about any newspaper need you might ever have.

There is a small monthly charge for Dial-In News, six dollars per month.  It is much less than
it would cost you to subscribe to just one of the newspapers we read.  For information or to
subscribe, call Laurie Knudsen at (612) 643-3526.

We also devote a good deal of time and attention to providing access to information in braille
or on cassette tape.  Much of this work is paid for by a grant from the Minnesota Department
of Children, Families and Learning.  Under the auspices of this grant, we provide braille and/or
recorded textbooks for Minnesota school children.  We also provide materials for college
students, working people, and others.  To the extent that our resources allow, we try to
accommodate all reasonable requests for materials in braille or on tape.  These services are free
to blind or visually impaired Minnesotans.  We also provide state agencies, businesses,
corporations, nonprofit agencies and others with materials in accessible formats for a nominal
charge.  This could include meeting agendas and handouts, braille menus, etc.  To inquire about
materials in braille, call Mary Lou Swiecichowski at (612) 642-0878.  For materials on tape,
call Mary Sobasky at (612) 649-5903.

Finally, if you borrow books from the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped in Faribault, you must get the cassette machine and/or record player from the
Communication Center.  We distribute and repair these machines for the Library.  If you need
a machine or have a problem with your current equipment, call Annette Laxen at (612) 642-
0885.

In addition to the telephone numbers given above, you can also reach the Communication Center
toll free by calling 1-800-652-9000.  Give us a call.  We would love to hear from you.


                     Cooperating Fund Drive
                         By Peggy Chong

Fall is coming.  Yes, I know we don't want to hear that at this time of the year, but there are
good things that happen in the fall that we need to start thinking about.

Many Minnesota Bulletin readers know that the NFB of Minnesota is a member of the
Cooperating Fund Drive (CFD).  During the fall CFD has its annual payroll deduction
campaign.  We all need to look for opportunities to promote the giving campaign.

For those who may not know, CFD was created in 1979 to raise funds through payroll deduction
for small, grassroots community based organizations that work on social change and advocacy
programs or groups that delivered services to communities that could not raise funds through
traditional sources.  NFB of Minnesota was one of 15 original organizations that worked hard
to create a funding mechanism.  In 1994 CFD's Gift of Choice program raised over $904,000
for its membership organizations.

Until CFD became a successful fundraising source in the workplace, no other payroll deduction
campaign allowed the contributor to designate where their money should go.  CFD has always
allowed the donor to choose where their contribution was to go, even if the charity was not a
member of the Fund Drive.  Employees have begun to demand the right to determine where
their money will be spent.

In the fall several NFB members take part in workplace fairs, speak to potential givers to payroll
deduction, and stuff envelopes for CFD.  The more we directly participate in these activities,
the higher our designated gifts through CFD.

This year it is very important to talk to our friends and promote CFD.  If we know people who
work for state or local government or any business that has CFD's Gift of Choice program,
encourage them to give through the Cooperating Fund Drive.  Encourage them to designate NFB
of Minnesota as the organization that should receive their contribution.  CFD continues to be
a significant funding source for the NFB of MN.  

Since we have started providing Newsline for the Blind, our need for funds has become more
intense.  By helping to increase contributions to CFD or finding employers that would like to
make the Gift of Choice option a benefit for their employees, we also are helping to fund the
NFB.  



                     The NFB Changed My Life
                          By Laura Aune

(Editor's Note: Laura Aune worked as the NFB of Minnesota office secretary from 1984 to 1987. 
She was one of the best we have had.  As a sighted person, she had no previous experience with
blindness but she learned quickly.  She left our employ to run her own day-care center.  We
hated to see her go, but knew she would stay a friend.  She wrote this essay for the Metro
Chapter essay contest.)

Peggy Chong bounced into the reception area to greet me on my first day as Joyce Scanlan's
secretary.  Peggy asked me if I liked coffee and proceeded to make a pot.  When Joyce got
there, she poured me a cup of coffee.

Curtis Chong and Tom Scanlan came by that day too.  As did Eric Smith and Tim Aune. 
Everyone was "checking out"  the new secretary.  Everyone was very nice and made me feel
very quickly that I was not there to take care of the blind, I was there to be a secretary.

While I never thought I should "take care" of blind people,  I never thought about the
discrimination a blind person has to deal with every day.

I watched and learned.  I learned that you have to be prepared, think of different ways to deal
with different people.  You never know what they will do next.

I saw people stand up for their rights and others right behind them, offering support and
assistance.  I found myself right there too.

I remember a bus to National Convention.  There were about 40 people on the bus, a couple of
us were sighted.  We stopped at a restaurant to eat.  While I was sitting at a table with my
husband (the same Tim Aune) and some friends, a woman came over to me and started telling
me how wonderful I was to "take care of all these blind people!"

I was flabbergasted!  How ridiculous!  Nadine Jacobson calmly stepped in and sold this woman
an Associate Membership.  She never knew what hit her!

When Dr. Jernigan and his assistant, Mrs. Anderson, came to our State Convention, I was
privileged to drive them to the many radio interviews.  Judy Sanders went along too.  She was
in charge of "navigation"  and we got lost.  She decided I could try to find the way.  I was so
embarrassed that I said "No, you got us this far--you get us there."  She finally did.  Dr.
Jernigan said I knew the true meaning of equality.

I find many companies in my own life where I know I should have stood up for my rights and
brought charges against previous employers.  Only I didn't know how or have anyone to go to
for advice.

Tim Aune and I started dating and quickly fell in love.  We talked about marriage and children
we both wanted.  But it was all but impossible on our own, so we agreed we would adopt.  It
doesn't matter to us where they come from--just that they come.  We also agreed we wanted
special-needs kids.

So we married in a hurry, I know there was talk, but we wanted to get started.

We dealt with many silly social workers who just wouldn't talk about Tim's blindness, or said
it was not a problem.  But we knew it was.  The NFB taught us perseverance, we made constant
phone calls to our new worker so she wouldn't "forget" us as others seem to have done.  Finally
on August 15, 1989, we heard about a baby girl, three-weeks old, with Down's Syndrome.  Yes
we were interested--so we applied for her.

We knew nothing about Down's, but working at NFB I knew there had to be an organization. 
One phone call later someone was telling me about therapy, schools and hopeful futures with
jobs and marriage.  Our social worker was so impressed that she sent an additional letter with
all kinds of information on raising a child with Down's.

Maggie made us a mother and father on September 8, 1989, in Rochester, Minnesota at the
Move-A-Thon!  The first person to hold her was another NFB member, Jan Bailey.  Peggy
Chong watched my day care while we were gone and was the next to hold her.

We've had some bad times, but mostly good, even a second child Samantha.  She joined us on
March 30, 1995.  Her adoption was much longer and more stressful, but not so much the
blindness issues.  This time people asked questions and got answers.  And literature, good old
NFB literature.  Thank you Gary Wunder for writing such a wonderful article; we've used it
twice now, and I remember sending it many other times for other people.

Although I don't work for the NFB anymore and I don't make it to many meetings with two
noisy little girls, I still have strong feelings for and connections with the NFB.

I owe a lot to the NFB--my husband, children, friends and how to fight for my rights and my
children's rights.

That's just a little of what I got out of the NFB.  I've tried but I doubt I've given back a fraction
of what I've gotten.


                     The Ninety and the Nine

(Editors Note:  This is as true today as it was when it appeared in the Minnesota Bulletin in
March 1954.  We are all important to the movement.  You don't need to be an officer or leader
to be needed and appreciated.  Of course, "man" is used in the generic sense to mean both
genders.)

We hear about the clever man,
The man who leads the line,
But seldom do we hear about,
The other ninety-nine;
The men who bravely battle in,
A world of enterprise,
Who form the stepping stones on which,
Another man may rise. 
Cooperation is the word
That's worthy of a thought;
By that alone can all men gain
The brotherhood long sought;
Each man has got his part to play,
Each man can hope to shine.
For he who leads, most surely needs,
The other ninety-nine.


                     A Letter From a Reader

(Editor's Note:  Mary Hartle was the first president of our student division when it was founded
in 1970, and has been a dedicated member of the NFB of Minnesota ever since.  Several years
ago she moved to Iowa for a job and got married.  Now she is a dedicated member of the NFB
of Iowa and continues her hard work in the Federation while staying in touch with her roots in
Minnesota.)

March 1996

Dear Joyce and Tom:

I just finished reading the Minnesota Bulletin and I wanted to write and commend you both for
it.  Tom, you are doing a great job of editing the newsletter.  I found the articles very, very
interesting, especially the historical pieces.  And, Joyce, your hard work is evidenced in your
column, describing the battle over reorganizing MDES.  I can't believe the fight over the RTB. 
Why do they want to privatize it?

You guys always seem to have to fight some big battle!  I really enjoy keeping up with the
activities in Minnesota by reading the Bulletin.

Well, take care and goodbye for now. 

Mary Hartle-Smith


             There Is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch
                         By Peggy Chong

The Metropolitan Council Transit Operations (MCTO) has started a new program where
individuals with "limited mobility" could purchase what amounts to an "all you can ride" bus
pass for half price.  I learned that these passes were being made available to blind people, even
those who did not have an MCTO Limited Mobility card.  This card is supposed to be required
for anyone who seeks to pay a reduced fare for riding MCTO buses.  Many MCTO bus drivers
have been encouraging blind passengers to get the half fare "all you can ride" bus pass.  Some
drivers have almost forced some blind passengers to pay only half the normal fare--even when
they did not carry a limited mobility card and even if they chose to exercise their right to pay
the full fare.

Some folks have wondered what the harm is in using the limited mobility pass and in taking
advantage of reduced bus fares.  After all, they say, it costs a lot to ride the bus, and blind
people mostly don't have much money anyway.  What these people don't seem to realize is that
you can't get something for nothing.  For every benefit you receive, there is always a cost.  In
other words, "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch."  The ultimate price of riding the bus
at a reduced fare is condescension and second class treatment.

For starters let's consider how blind people are treated by MCTO officials and customer service
personnel.  They generally believe that by enabling us to ride the bus for half the normal fare,
MCTO is doing us a favor.  So, when we seek help from MCTO Customer Service, we are too
often treated condescendingly.  After all, we are riding the bus for half fare and should be
grateful for the privilege.  Once I called MCTO Customer Service to report a problem I was
having with a bus driver who insisted that I pay a reduced fare.  I told the driver that I should
not be allowed to pay the reduced fare because I did not have a limited mobility card.  Allowing
me to pay anything less than the normal bus fare without a limited mobility card was clearly a
violation of MCTO policy.  When I told this story to the customer service representative, she
had the gall to ask me, "What is your problem?"  I told her that I wanted to be thought of as
a first-class citizen and that the bus company was not treating blind people with the respect we
deserved.  She said that MCTO considered all blind people first-class citizens.  So I asked her
how many blind people worked for MCTO.  Her response was to transfer my call.  She didn't
even bother handling my complaint.

The increased insistence by many bus drivers that blind passengers sit in the front seat is another
negative effect of this reduced fare.  Those seats are supposed to be reserved for the elderly and
handicapped who cannot walk further.  Today, it is not uncommon to observe bus drivers
virtually ordering other passengers to vacate these seats whenever a blind person climbs aboard
the bus.  More often than not, drivers and passengers alike are put out when the blind passenger
politely refuses the seat.  This is a direct result of the reduced-fare policy.

History shows how reduced-fare policies have hurt the blind.  The archives of our organization
contain many reports of blind people being denied transportation on trains and buses because
they were not accompanied by a sighted guide.  As long as the blind "kept their place" and went
everywhere with someone who could see, there was no problem.  But let a blind person travel
unaccompanied, and the transportation services would deny them service on the grounds that
they needed to be accompanied by a sighted guide.  These situations were the foundation for our
policy, adopted more than twenty years ago, opposing a reduced fare for bus riders simply based
on blindness.

Then there is the argument that bus transportation costs more money than many blind people can
afford.  Bus fare is far cheaper in the Metro area than any other mode of transportation.  Blind
people from other parts of the country say we have a cheap transportation system.  Today, the
price of a regular bus card represents a smaller fraction of the income of a typical SSI recipient
than it did more than twenty years ago.  

Taking the bus is far cheaper than owning a car.  First there is the car payment.  If you want
to drive the car, you have to pay for insurance, gas, oil, parking, repairs and the list goes on. 
In our family, we purchase three bus cards each month and it is still cheaper than one car.

It should be kept in mind that MCTO's reduced-fare policy is based on disability--not income. 
Why?  Are we worse off than the most impoverished sighted citizen?  I don't think so.  If
MCTO is to have any reduced fare at all, let it be available to those who really need it--that is,
people with low incomes.  Blindness should not be singled out as the characteristic which allows
one to ride the bus for a lower fare.

Those of you who are contemplating using the limited mobility card might want to try to apply
for a job at MCTO.  I believe that you would find the experience informative.


                       The Parents' Column
                       By Barbara Schultz

Welcome to our new column for parents of blind children!  If you are interested in information
on our Parents of Blind Children of Minnesota organization, or want to be involved in any way,
please call Barbara Schultz, President, at (612) 772-4093.

The Tennessee Valley Parents of Blind Children is looking to connect with children with Lebers
Congenital Amaurosis.  Please call Barbara at (612) 772-4093 if you would like information.

The Parents of Deaf-blind Children Partnership has established a toll free line for parents who
need information or support about issues regarding deaf-blindness.  The number is 800-859-
4111.

Personalized braille greeting cards are available locally for $1.50 each from Janice Hallberg at
(612) 422-5237.

The Parents of Blind Children of Minnesota has a family questionnaire available to help us
decide what our focus should be as an organization.  Please call to request one if you would be
willing to share your ideas, needs, and opinions.  Call me (Barbara) at (612) 772-4093.


                       Metro Chapter News
                         By Peggy Chong

Greetings from the Metro Chapter.  Summer is here, but that does not mean that the Metro
Chapter has taken a vacation.  

Many of us have just returned from our National Convention in California.  We had a great
time.  Members saw prototypes of upcoming technology dealing with virtual reality.  It helps
you look at things that are not really there.  I suggest you find one of our techies to explain it
to you.  We took pride in the two scholarship winners that had Minnesota ties.  

Transportation continues to be a topic at many of our meetings.  In May, we learned of the new
magnetic bus cards and the card readers that are being installed on Metro area busses this
summer.  We were assured by MCTO that the new cards would be easy for blind riders to use.

Some members have experienced problems again at Como Park when they went to ride on the
rides.  A complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights may be filed for them. 
Minnesota Bulletin readers will remember the long battle we had with Valleyfair a few years
back.  We won that fight and it will surely prove to be an asset in this situation also.  

Again the Metro chapter will be sponsoring an essay contest.  Essays can be mailed to me at 20
NE 2nd Street, #908, Minneapolis, MN  55413.  The topic of the essay should be on blindness:
an experience you may have had with the public or family, good or bad experience you had
getting a job, philosophical, historical, you pick the issue surrounding blindness.  Essays should
be turned in by September 15, 1996.  A $50 prize will be awarded at our state convention in
October.  Anyone can submit an entry.

At many of our meetings, we read articles that deal with blindness from newspapers and
magazines.  Last May, the St. Paul Pioneer Press had a large article on technology for the blind
and how it is becoming more difficult for blind people to access it.  Curtis Chong was featured
prominently in that article.  

Blind parents, while looking at what their daughter brought home from school one day, found
an activity book from a field trip that introduced children to persons with disabilities.  With
some skepticism, they looked through the book and were surprised to find out that blindness was
presented in a positive form.  They expressed their thanks to the publisher and then asked that
the Chapter do the same.  So our Chapter sent a letter thanking them for portraying blind people
as normal people.  It is important to compliment when we find someone doing something right
as well as pointing out the bad.  

It has come to our attention that one bank, FirstBank, has decided to start charging certain
accounts when a live teller is used.  This is to encourage customers to use the ATM's.  This did
not go over well with our members.  Some blind people do not like to use the ATM's. 
Members of our Chapter felt that this is an accessibility issue.  You may be hearing more about
this in the future.  

Newsline is up and running in the Metro Area.  Many blind people have contacted us to get an
application for this service.  

And much more!  As you can see, our members are forever watchful for any opportunity to
spread the word about the Federation.  


         Services for the Blind Store Now Open Saturday

The State Services for the Blind (SSB) Store, a service selling assistive devices for the blind,
is now open on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Beyond increased hours, the Store's customers will find dozens of new items -- such as talking
scales and calculators, improved magnifiers, and prismatic spectacles -- lining the shelves.  "Sam
Berkowitz and Duane Troff, our Store staff, have developed an increased inventory based on our
customers' needs," says SSB Assistant Commissioner Richard Davis.  "If we don't carry
something, we help the customer find it elsewhere," he said.  The Store staff also refers
customers to other SSB services.

The additional business hours will allow the Store to serve customers better, according to Davis. 
"Many blind and visually impaired persons have jobs that make it difficult for them to come
during normal business hours," he said.  Regular Store hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.

The Store served more than 2000 customers in fiscal year 1993 and has already exceeded that
number in the first six months of fiscal year 1996.  The Store's catalog, available in braille,
tape, or large print, makes it possible for persons to order from their homes.

The Store was created by Minnesota statute as a way of providing blind and visually-impaired
persons with otherwise hard-to-obtain devices. Items are sold to or for the use of blind and
visually-impaired persons at cost plus handling charges.


                      Students Hold Seminar
               By Michael Heilman, MABS President

The 1996 Student seminar held by the Minnesota Association of Blind Students (MABS) was a
great success.  It was held during the first weekend of May.  People from Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio participated.  Over all, approximately 25 people registered, with
about two-thirds of them coming from Minnesota.

The weekend started Friday, May 3, with most of the people having arrived before the night was
over.  On that night, we had a spaghetti dinner that was prepared by several students including
Buna Dahal, who was our national student representative.  Buna had never gotten the
opportunity to prepare a dinner for this many people before.  "I was very excited to be able to
help get the groceries, for I had never been to the grocery store by myself before.  I was also
happy that I got to help cook, because I had never cooked for that many people before.  This
makes me realize how good the National Federation of the Blind, and BLIND, Inc. really are,"
she says.

After we ate dinner, we had a couple of mixer activities that included the M&M seminar.  For
those who don't know the procedure, people pass a large bowl of M&M's around, taking as
many as they want.  But they must not eat them at this point.  When everyone has gotten their
M&M's, they must count them.  To make the explanation simple, if a person took ten M&M's
out of the bowl, they must say ten things about themselves, with their names not counting.  We
wrapped everything up at around midnight so that everyone could get back to the NFB building
early the next morning for a 9:00 a.m. start.  Everybody stayed either at the student apartments
of BLIND, Inc., or with the board members of MABS.

Saturday, May 4, started at 8:30 a.m. with everyone having breakfast together.  The program
was started at around 9:00 a.m. with a packed agenda.  During the morning session, Joyce
Scanlan talked about the philosophy of the student chapter, and about the scholarship program,
which the National Federation of the Blind conducts.

Next, Harold Johnson from Augsburg College talked about the financial aid programs that most
major colleges and universities use when deciding how much financial aid a person gets.  We
made sure that he knew that they should not take money away from people that win National
Federation of the Blind scholarships.  Mr. Johnson said that he did know that, and that this
would never happen at Augsburg, because of the other visually related expenses that we incur.

Steve Jacobson and Curtis Chong talked about the importance of technology and how to use it
properly for the best results.  Steve touched on the importance of doing your own research to
solve your problems with computers.  For example, a person must read the manual all the way
through before calling someone asking them how to do something.  Curtis stressed the
importance of using braille and the tools that go along with it before starting to use computers. 
 Not only should a blind person use braille, but they also need to be comfortable with it.

We then broke for lunch, which was two hours.  During this time, we gave people that didn't
have much travel experience an opportunity to team up with those who were good travelers so
that they could go somewhere for lunch.  The idea was to go to a place where one would either
have to use a bus, or make some more challenging street crossings.  We did this so that the less
experienced travelers could see that it is very possible to travel independently.

The afternoon session on Saturday started at 2:00 p.m., with Judy Sanders talking about the
social security program for blind people.  She read some information that was sent to us by the
National office of the National Federation of the Blind.  Then we had a little discussion about
the program, and then several questions of the students were answered.  Most of the participants
found this information extremely helpful.

Next we presented a panel on the importance of rehabilitation and adjustment to training for
blind people.  Joyce Scanlan chaired this panel and represented a facility's director.  She
emphasized how important it was to get training before one tried to go on with a career or
college.  Joyce also told us about her personal experiences when she was dealing with
rehabilitation agencies, and was receiving her training.  Ruth Van Tol represented the viewpoint
of a rehabilitation counselor.  She stressed the importance of communicating with your
rehabilitation counselor and of being clear about what you think you need.  She, too, echoed the
importance of receiving training before one starts a career or goes to college, and added that if
newly blinded, one should immediately get training.  Elizabeth Anderson represented the
viewpoint of a student who has received training.  She talked about attitudes students should
have while going through training.

Next, Ellie Sevdy from the Communication Center of State Services for the Blind told us what
kinds of programs the Communication Center offers for students.  Ellie touched on Dial-In
News, braille transcription, and taping textbooks for students.  She informed us that the
turnaround time for receiving braille from the Communications center could be as quick as three
to five days.  She requested people send a syllabus with any book to be taped by the
Communication Center.  Ellie assured us that there would not be a problem receiving books
from them if we gave them about a two to four-week notice.

Nicole Schlender then presented us with the topic of how to deal with readers.  She described
to us the process of putting up notices when we need readers.  Then she told us how to use
effectively the readers that we find.  If readers would not show up, then it would be time to go
find more of them.  If readers were not reading what you requested, then you would need to tell
them that it just isn't working out.  Remember, a reader is your employee.  Nicky reminded us
that State Services for the Blind will pay your readers.  All you have to do is tell your counselor
ahead of time that you are going to be using readers, give an estimate of how much time per
month you will need, and have your reader fill out a form at the end of each month with their
hours on it.

Next we presented a panel which talked about students in their fields of study.  Shawn Mayo
chaired this panel, and she talked mainly about her experiences trying to get into graduate
school.  She talked about the things she had to put up with, and about the things she is
continuing to do to try to get accepted.  Shawn is studying in the area of psychology and is
currently attending BLIND, Inc., and has been trying to get into graduate school for
approximately a year.  Then Angie Rizzuto told of the experiences she had studying in
undergraduate psychology and of what she had to do to get in to graduate school at Wright State
University in Ohio.  She mainly talked about how things should happen when applying for and
being accepted in graduate school.  Then John Ott talked about his experiences studying in the
area of radio communications.  He told us about all the licenses he had received in this area, and
about certain scholarships that are offered to ham radio students.  John is now studying at Brown
Institute in Minneapolis.

We then switched to a small group discussion.  The topic was on Offices for Students with
Disabilities (OSD).  The small groups discussed and answered several questions.

1.   What is an OSD?
2.   What role should an OSD play in the life of a blind college student, if any?
3.   If a blind student uses an OSD, what should the OSD do for the student, and why?
4.   Do you use an OSD on your campus?  Why or why not?  

Then after the small-group discussions, we got back into the large group setting and discussed
the small group answers.  Many points either way came up, but there was a consensus that blind
students are better off being independent because there won't be any OSD's in the workplace. 
Blind students need to get used to doing things themselves.  Also, there is no guarantee that
things will be done correctly, or in a timely manner if a person relies on others to do things for
them.  Most everyone liked the idea of having a small group discussion on this issue instead of
having a representative come in to talk about this issue.  It gave everyone a chance to say what
they thought, and to blow off some steam, and then get rid of some frustrations.  It also gave
us a good opportunity to educate the high school students who were there.  The high school
students generally had the right attitudes when it came to OSD's, and that was very nice to see.

Buna Dahal then spoke about what life is like for a blind student in Nepal (the country where
she is from), and told how much better it is for blind students in the United States.  After they
heard Buna's speech, most of the people realized how good things are for them here.

The last item on the program for Saturday was the presidential address given by Michael
Heilman.  Michael talked about the importance of having unity and working together as an
organization to achieve our goals.  Several analogies were made to get the point across that
things might not always be easy.  But if we work hard enough we will eventually reach what
we are striving for.  One analogy was that of someone canoeing upstream.  It is hard work, but
if you do it long enough and put enough effort into it, you will get where you are going.  People
were encouraged to help Wisconsin start their own student chapter.  They were reminded that
the organization of Minnesota had seen a generally good, strong 75 years, and that there are
many challenges to make 75 more good years.

Saturday night we had time for everyone to socialize with each other over pizza.  People were
talking, laughing, and were generally having a good time.  There were reflections on the day's
events, and then about 9:30 or 10:00, everyone dispersed; most of them went to the student
apartments where a small party was held.

Sunday, May 5, was the final session of the 1996 student seminar.  Time was provided for
everyone to reflect on the weekend and tell about what their personal goals were if they wished. 
One of the most common goals was to become more independent, and to help Wisconsin form
a student chapter.  People also said that they had gotten much good information out of the
program items, and that they hoped to see another student seminar in the future.  They also
hoped that even more people would participate in the next one.  Everyone was assured that there
would be a student seminar at the state convention, and that we would hold another student
seminar sometime in the spring of 1997.

We then presented a skit that was written by Emily Fuselier, who is the vice president of
MABS.  It depicted the lives of both normal and abnormal blind people, and it was quite funny! 
Kasondra Bair then presented an item to the high school students, which talked about how they
can be more involved in some activities of their schools.

We wrapped up the seminar with an official business meeting of MABS for the purpose of
voting in new members.  It was also said during the meeting that the participants from
Wisconsin would take steps to form a student chapter when they returned to their homes.  People
were also reminded of the Twins baseball fund raiser that we have coming up on August 19,
1996.  The tickets are $11 each, and they are located behind home plate in section 225.  Half
the money that is raised is going to the MABS treasury, while the other half is used to pay for
the tickets.  It was noted that $11 is the face value of the tickets.  
The seminar adjourned at approximately 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning.  It was a great success,
and we are definitely hoping for even more people at the next one.  Everyone enjoyed both the
meetings and the time they had to socialize.  Just about everyone left the seminar thinking
positively about themselves.  They all left with their "shot in the arm," and hopefully they can
"pass the torch" to others who need it.


            Action at the 1996 Semiannual Convention
                          By Jan Bailey

The 1996 semiannual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota was held
on Saturday, May 18, at the Best Western Garden Inn in North Mankato, Minnesota.  The
convention was hosted by our Riverbend Chapter.  The members of that chapter did an excellent
job making Federationists from throughout Minnesota feel welcome.

Chris Cuppett, President of our Riverbend Chapter, welcomed the convention to North Mankato. 
She said that the Chapter was very excited to host the 1996 NFB of Minnesota Move-A-Thon
to be held on Saturday, September 14, in New Ulm.  In preparation for this exciting event, the
chapter is selling Move-A-Thon T shirts.

Next, the convention heard from Dara Syrkin, Industrial Arts Instructor at BLIND, Inc, who
described the newly-established wood shop.  The purpose of the shop is to help build confidence
in blindness by demonstrating to students that they can operate power tools successfully, safely,
and independently.  Dara herself received training in the skills of blindness under sleepshades. 
She learned how to operate power tools without sight.  Blind people can operate the same power
tools as the sighted with only a few pieces of specialized equipment--equipment such as a click
rule (for making accurate measurements), and an audible stud finder.

In an item entitled "Toughing It Out with the U.S. Congress in 1996 and Other Weighty Issues,"
Joyce Scanlan, NFB of Minnesota President, presented a report of state and national matters
pertaining to the blind.  She informed the Convention that the linkage between blind persons and
senior citizens for the Social Security earnings limit has been broken.  We may have lost this
battle, but we will press on until we restore the linkage, she said.

The House in Washington has before it a bill which would improve braille literacy at the
national level.  It is a part of the reauthorization for the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA).  If this becomes law, braille will always be taught to a blind child unless everyone
on the evaluation team decides that braille is not necessary.  Needless to say, this would
represent a sweeping victory for advocates of braille literacy in this country.

The National Federation of the Blind and the American Association of Publishers have arrived
at an historic agreement concerning copyright provisions relating to braille, audio, and digitized
books.  There is a good possibility that the provisions of the agreement will be included in a bill
before Congress.

President Scanlan encouraged everyone to make plans for the upcoming National Convention in
Anaheim.

Last winter, said President Scanlan, everyone thought that the rehabilitation program in this
country would be subsumed into a generic job program.  The Federation was the principal force
in saving the rehabilitation system.  Rehab funding for the next fiscal year will be level.  There
are no funding cuts as some people seem to believe.

President Scanlan talked about the scandals that have rocked the New Mexico School for the
Blind.  The story made the national news on television, she said.  The Attorney-General in New
Mexico has refused to do anything about the matter.  Blind people in that state are picketing the
State Capitol, and the Federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation (OSER) is
launching an investigation into the matter.  Only the National Federation of the Blind was willing
to press forward on this issue.  Only the Federation was willing to stand up and be counted to
help the blind children who are being victimized.

In Minnesota, President Scanlan said that we have had a successful year.  We passed a Braille
Competency law.  Our program at BLIND, Inc. is doing very well.  The industrial arts program
and the expansion of space to include the third floor are two significant signs of progress. 
BLIND, Inc. will be having a Buddy Program this summer for older children, ages 13-16.

The Lighthouse for the Blind in Duluth does not appear on the list of accredited agencies
published by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visual
Handicapped (NAC).  Interestingly enough, the Lighthouse claims that it is still accredited by
NAC.  The Lighthouse is still embroiled in some controversy with National Industries for the
Blind after having declared bankruptcy last year.

After the Presidential Report, Tom Scanlan, NFB of Minnesota Treasurer, presented a proposed
budget for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997.  Treasurer Scanlan indicated that we had to
dig into our reserves to establish the Newsline for the Blind service in Minneapolis; its ongoing
maintenance will require additional fund raising efforts from the membership.  It was moved,
seconded, and passed unanimously to approve the budget as proposed.

The next item on the program was an update on rehabilitation services for the blind in
Minnesota.  Richard Davis, Assistant Commissioner of State Services for the Blind (SSB), could
not attend the convention in person, so he sent along an audio cassette, which was played to the
convention.  On the tape, Mr. Davis talked about SSB staff training and the recent effort to
require all staff at SSB to receive training in the alternative techniques of blindness.  The
training that has been provided in the past has, to say the least, been inconsistent.  Some staff
have received training under sleepshades, others have not.  Some have learned cane travel. 
Others have not.  The new training that will be provided emphasizes training in blindness skills
under sleepshades.  Each staff member at SSB will undergo six weeks of adjustment-to-blindness
training.  In addition, managers, supervisors, and counselors will receive extra training at two
additional blindness training centers.  If nothing else, the training requirement has touched a
sensitive nerve within the agency, forcing some people to confront blindness issues head on.

Another major issue before SSB is the development of the Workforce Centers around Minnesota. 
The staff of SSB, he said, have done a masterful job educating local centers about State Services
for the Blind and blind people.  The Department of Economic Security remains committed to
maintaining the separate identity of SSB as a separate, identifiable service provider for the blind. 
Commissioner Brown has committed that no rehabilitation funds will be used to fund the
Workforce Centers.

Mr. Davis referred to other ongoing activities at SSB: increased work to provide services to the
deaf-blind, activities surrounding the Child Services Committee of the Rehabilitation Advisory
Council for the Blind, and better documentation of face-to-face contacts between SSB counselors
and clients.  The Communication Center is facing some hard times in terms of its relationship
with the Friends of the Communication Center.  Mr. Davis complimented Dave Andrews,
Communication Center Director, for doing an excellent job in this area.

Following the tape, Dave Andrews talked to the convention about the Communication Center
and the services it provides to blind Minnesotans.  He said that compared to other states, blind
people in Minnesota have it pretty good when it comes to having materials available to them in
braille or audio cassette.  There is the Radio Talking Book and the Dial-In News for access to
local newspapers in the Twin Cities.

There has been an agreement signed between State Services for the Blind and the NFB of
Minnesota regarding the relationship between Dial-In News and Newsline for the Blind.  Under
the agreement, the two services will work harmoniously together, promoting each other's
services.  Together, Newsline for the Blind and Dial-In News provide unparalleled access to
local and national newspapers for blind people in the Twin Cities.

Mr. Andrews informed us that there is still a backlog of audio playback machines from the
National Library Service.  Unfortunately, this problem will not be an easy one to fix.
Mr. Andrews discussed the Friends of the Communication Center.  During the public meetings
dealing with privatization of the Radio Talking Book, it was clear that the blind community
favored strongly maintaining the status quo.  In the meantime, the Friends have laid off their one
paid staff member, closed down their office, and conducted no active fund raising since last
year.  Things are still up in the air with the Friends.  We still do not know whether or not they
intend introducing legislation to privatize the Radio Talking Book.  Informally, the Friends have
indicated continued interest in serving as a funding source for the Radio Talking Book.

The afternoon session began with a presentation entitled "Americans Carry Federation Message
to Poland."  This item was presented by Russell Anderson, Jennifer Dunnam, and Sharon
Monthei.  In March of this year, these three individuals, along with President Scanlan, visited
Poland to provide two weeks of training to blind people there.  Staff from the Colorado Center
for the Blind were there as well.  This was part of an international effort sparked by the Polish
Association of the Blind.  During our national convention in Chicago last summer, the head of
that association was impressed with the positive philosophy and the independence demonstrated
by the many blind Americans attending the convention.  He wanted the Polish Association of
the Blind to learn something about the Federation, our positive philosophy of blindness, and the
training methods used by our centers to help blind people achieve equal status in society.  The
blind of Poland are far behind us in terms of social attitudes and status in society.  However,
the training we provided encouraged many blind people there.  Hopefully, this will only be the
beginning of the advancement of the blind of Poland toward first-class status in society.

Judy Sanders next talked to the convention about legislative matters.  In furtherance of our long-
standing support of braille literacy, this year, we went to the State Legislature asking them to
pass a law requiring that teachers of the blind pass a braille competency test to prove they can
read and write braille.  This they did.  The test we would like teachers of the blind to take has
already been developed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped.  However, it has yet to be validated.  When it is, teachers of the blind will have
to pass it.  The National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota was the only organization pressing
for this law.

The convention then heard from Mr. Ryuichi Kawada, a person from Japan who is spending a
year in America to study reading services and other programs for the blind.  Mr. Kawada has
spent two months at BLIND, Inc.  He has learned our positive philosophy of blindness.  He was
very warmly received by the convention.

Eric Smith next led the convention in soliciting pledges to the tenBroek Fund.  In keeping with
long-standing NFB of Minnesota policy, pledges from individual members are matched by the
state affiliate.  Approximately $1,800 was pledged, meaning that Minnesota's total contribution
to the Fund will be approximately $3,600.

Newsline for the Blind was the topic of the next item, presented by Tom Scanlan.  This system,
developed at our National Office in Baltimore, allows a blind person to use a conventional
telephone to read three national newspapers: USA Today, the New York Times, and the Chicago
Tribune.  The service has been operational in Minnesota for almost two months, he said.  It is
free to blind individuals (although not for the NFB of Minnesota).  Although we have not
generated a lot of publicity about this service, more than a hundred people have already signed
up for it locally.  Tom pointed out that we can also put the Minnesota Bulletin on the Newsline
service.

Elizabeth Anderson then presented a report on the activities of the Minnesota Association of
Blind Students (MABS), our student chapter.

President Scanlan reminded the membership about the 1996 NFB of Minnesota Annual
convention.  This is scheduled for the weekend of October 11-13 at the downtown Holiday Inn
in Rochester.  Room rates are $53 per night for all types of rooms.

It was moved, seconded and passed unanimously to elect Joyce Scanlan as Delegate and Curtis
Chong as Alternate Delegate to the 1996 National Federation of the Blind Convention in
Anaheim.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.


                        Convention Alert!

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions.  Keep these in mind as you plan your activities
throughout the coming year.  

The Annual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be held October 11-13 in Rochester. 
Members will receive a letter with details in early September.  The Metro Chapter will charter
a bus from Minneapolis.

The Semiannual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be held in the Twin Cities in April.

The National NFB Convention will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana during the first week
of July 1997.  This is a whole week of friends, fun (the French Quarter!), and serious business. 
It is a chance to be part of the largest gathering of blind people in the world.  Full details will
be in the December 1996 issue of the Braille Monitor. 

