THE BUCKEYE BULLETIN March, 1992 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 WASHINGTON SEMINAR REPORT by Dave Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 7 REPORT ON THE OHIO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION by Dave Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 7 REPORT ON THE FEBRUARY 18 RSC MEETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 10 IMPORTANT COURT DECISION FOR STUDENTS by Eric Duffy. . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 11 THE BUDDY SYSTEM PROGRAM: PATHWAY TO INDEPENDENCE by Pam Dubel. . . . . . . .PAGE 12 AWARDS 1991 by Dave Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE ? 1992 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 16 MIAMI VALLEY CHAPTER GENERATES POSITIVE NEWS STORY FOR WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY .PAGE 19 RESOLUTIONS 1 & 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 22 CHAPTER, DIVISION, AND COMMITTEE REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 24 CHAPTER MEETING SCHEDULE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 27 PERSONAL NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE ? NOTE Anyone wishing to receive this newsletter on cassette should contact the Production Editor, Sylvia Cooley, at the state office with the request. There is no additional cost for the cassette version. FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK by Barbara Pierce I sit down to write this column shortly after returning from our Washington Seminar, and I do not know when I have lived through a more demanding and exciting month. It all began, as many of you know, on the evening of January 10 when the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired Standing Committee of the Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) Consumer Advisory Committee met and heard in detail for the first time what the Governor's emergency cut of an additional 6% in the RSC budget would mean to blind people. The following day we heard more about the cuts and the plans that the RSC was making to reduce staff and case services. I was very disturbed and knew that you would be as well, so Barbara Fohl, NFB of Ohio Secretary and the other NFB representative to the Council, and I began urging our colleagues to take immediate and decisive action. Everyone agreed to do what we could to generate letters to the Governor and key legislators. We were careful to conduct our more enthusiastic discussions away from the ears of RSC staff members attending the meeting since they were necessarily working for a rollback within governmental lines of command, and we were working as consumers and constituents, able and willing to use the political process. Council members discussed the possibility of organizing a group of disabled people for a rally at the statehouse, and some members of the group insisted that we ask the Executive Committee of Solidarity (known last year as Solidarity 91 and soon to become Solidarity 93) to coordinate this effort since it was the obvious sponsor as an umbrella group, representing all disabilities. I came home and wrote to every chapter president and member of the state board to urge that the word go out to as many NFB members as possible to write letters. We had been provided with a fact sheet from RSC, and I compiled a list of helpful addresses to assist letter-writers. I even drafted model letters to the Governor and legislators so that those who were uncertain of what to say would have a text to follow or sign their names to. I know that the Lorain County chapter wrote at least 115 letters, and I have copies of several others. I am told that Mahoning Valley and the Capital Chapter generated a number, and I hope that some others that I did not see went out. I requested that copies be sent to me so that I could have an accurate count of letters. As the President of the NFB of Ohio, I wrote letters to every politician I could think of and to the editors of the major dailies around the state. Some other letters were generated by concerned people across Ohio, and Governor Voinovich must have noticed the effort. By Tuesday, January 21, it was clear that Solidarity was not going to move quickly enough to do the RSC any good, so the NFB of Ohio stepped into the breach. In a week and a day we notified as many other groups of disabled people as we could about the rally and made the necessary arrangements to gather in the Rotunda of the Statehouse. We engaged an interpreter for deaf attendees, got the proper permits, notified the Public Works Department to repair the elevator so that people using wheelchairs could get into the building, circulated fliers and press information, wrote the statement of concern for the Governor, invited legislators to speak to the group, and organized what transportation we could to get our members to the event. On January 29 about thirty-five people gathered at the center of the Rotunda to listen to leaders in the disability community and legislators talk about the crisis. Television cameras and reporters were present, and the deaf people who were there had prepared signs that were very helpful. When we finished with the speech-making, we went down to the Governor's office on the floor below and took our statement to one of his aides. We all crowded into a conference room, where she listened attentively to what we had to say. She indicated that she had been speaking with Robert Rabe, RSC Administrator, and he had already asked for additional information to support our contention that real hardship would be done if the entire 6% cut were imposed on the RSC. The group dispersed after that impromptu meeting, and we all departed wondering if we had done any good. The answer came less than a week later when Governor Voinovich announced that he was rolling back 4% of the announced cut and would be requiring only a 2% reduction. This will still pinch, of course, but the burden will be about the same for RSC as it is for the other social service agencies. Everyone was elated, and I believe that everyone recognizes that without the NFB of Ohio this reversal of the Governor's executive order would not have happened. Here is the statement of concern that the group delivered to the Governor's representative. It bears a remarkable similarity to my letter to Governor Voinovich: STATEMENT OF CONCERN FROM MEMBERS OF OHIO'S DISABLED COMMUNITY Those of us who listened to your 1992 State of the State address heard you speak with great compassion of the needs of children, seniors, women, minority group members, and the poor, but not a word did you say about your concern for the problems that face Ohio's disabled citizens. All of us here today know numbers of people with disabilities who have been denied or are waiting for services they need in order to work, and their plight and that of thousands more will only become more acute because the Rehabilitation Services Commission, which has been reducing staff and streamlining administrative procedures for two years in order to respond to the fiscal crisis in Ohio, has no more fat to cut. With admirable dedication to clients and employees alike, the RSC has so far resisted reducing the funds devoted to case services and through a hiring freeze and its early retirement program avoided laying off staff. That will now change, and change at a time when the number of people requiring service is soaring along with the cost of providing them with the skills and equipment that will make them vocationally independent. There was a time when there was fat to be trimmed in the Rehabilitation Services Commission, but the financial pressures exerted by the budget cuts of the last two years have done the job. People at every level of the RSC have risen to the crisis and have been performing with admirable energy and dedication, even as their anxieties have grown due to the uncertainty that those budget cuts have produced. But attenuated and exhausted staff cannot do more than they are now being asked to; and, as a result, people with disabilities who want to work and are willing and able to do so will sit at home drawing SSI and Medicaid or SSDI and Medicare because they cannot get the training that would make them independent. It is a short-term strategy that cuts a disproportionately high percentage of the Rehabilitation Services Commission budget when every dollar cut means a reduction in federal funds coming into Ohio of three to four dollars. Such cuts quadruple the impact on the agency's actual budget. Your actions will result in the RSC's turning back $13,000,000 of federal money during this fiscal year. Taken together with the $7,000,000 returned last fiscal year and the $20,000,000 projected for next year, you will have denied Ohio $40,000,000 of outside funds that would have been spent on Ohio services and equipment and would have stimulated business as it trickled down the economic strata of the state's communities. The disabled community in Ohio is willing to make sacrifices; we know how to. There isn't one of us who couldn't teach our able-bodied neighbors about patience, discipline, denial, humiliation, indignity, and prejudice. By your actions you are telling us that we do not count, that our eagerness to contribute to our communities is insignificant, that we can continue to pace the floors or sit in our isolation while those who are trying to help us to assume our rightful responsibilities lose their jobs because the Governor of Ohio believes in helping other minorities but not us. It is short-sighted and unjust to take the attitude that the time to help people with disabilities is when everyone else has a job and a place in the sun. With effective rehabilitation we can become independent, and keeping us idle and dependent is vastly expensive to society and degrading to us. We are not prepared to sit and wait for better times when it will be convenient to remember us again. Rehabilitation and civil rights legislation for members of the disabled community have opened too many windows to freedom for you to slam them shut on us now. Like it or not, we are a constituency, and we will be heard and seen. It is in your and Ohio's interest to reduce the burden you have imposed on the RSC to one more in line with those imposed on other human services agencies. Please reconsider your actions. WASHINGTON SEMINAR REPORT by Dave Robinson In early February sixteen members of the NFB of Ohio, along with several hundred other Federationists from around the country, made their way to our nation's capital for another visit with federal legislators. As in the past, this annual trip proved to be exciting, productive, and exhausting. We spoke with our Representatives and Senators, we sat in on a hearing about the National Accreditation Council, and we visited and consulted with our colleagues and leaders. As always, the Washington Seminar proved to be a true demonstration of the strength and unity of the National Federation of the Blind. In addition to some of us old-timers with many years of experience at the Washington Seminar, a couple of newcomers came--Joyce Neal from Cleveland and Scott Lawlor from Akron. They joined enthusiastically in what we were doing, and both contributed a great deal to our effort. Joyce and Scott, along with other members, took time out on Monday to visit our National Center in Baltimore. It's important for all of us to visit the National Center for the Blind because it's a clear demonstration of our organization's ability to effect positive changes for the blind and our commitment to that effort. The rest of us took to Capitol Hill and discussed issues with our Representatives. See the accompanying article for a preliminary assessment of the way in which our legislators responded to these issues. We continued our break-neck schedule of Congressional appointments during the next two days with time out for some of us to view bureaucracy in action by observing a hearing that was to review those agencies which are approved by the Department of Education as recognized accrediting organizations. NAC was one of the accrediting bodies being reviewed, and the NFB testified in support of having NAC removed from this list. The issues we brought to our legislators this year were for the most part well received. The legislative memorandum and fact sheets that we discussed with members of Congress appear in the March issue of the Braille Monitor. Now is the time to plan for next year. I know those who have attended the Washington Seminar look forward to next year's opportunity. Those of you who have not attended should plan to do so next year. It's fun, it's exciting, it's important, and it's very meaningful, not only to the blind of this country, but to each of us individually. OHIO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPORT by Dave Robinson The 1992 Washington Seminar of the National Federation of the Blind is now history. It was a great gathering again this year. Now we have to take a look at the results. How did our Congressional delegation view the issues we presented? Will they support our positions? Did they take time to see us, and were they open to what we had to say? Let's take a look at the responses we received from those who represent us in Washington. Before we look at the support issue by issue, I would like to acknowledge those Members of Congress with whom we were able to visit while in Washington. As you would probably guess, all of the Congressmen and women are very busy, and it is often the case that we cannot see them but must meet with a legislative aide. However, it is important to note that some members were able to fit us into their schedules, and we would like to call this fact to the attention of their constituants. Both of our Senators, Mr. Glenn and Mr. Metzenbaum, took the time to meet with us. We were especially glad to visit with Senator Glenn, whom we had not been able to see for a number of years. Of course, Mr. Metzenbaum has been a friend and supporter for a long time, and it was good to see him once again. The representatives whom we saw included Douglas Applegate, Jim Traficant, Tom Lukin, Paul Gilmore, Ed Feighen, Dennis Eckert, Marci Kaptur, Clarence Miller, Don Pease, David Hobson, Mary Rose Oakar, and Chalmers Wylie. Hopefully we will see these individuals again as well as the others in our Ohio delegation next year. We understand that Representative Pease and Representative Eckert are retiring this year, and we want to wish them well and thank them for their time and support. Special tribute should be paid to Don Pease, who has made a point of meeting with our delegation every time we have visited his office in the past ten years. Because the NFB has been conducting Washington Seminars since 1973, many of the legislators and their office staff know us well. We often hear expressions of appreciation for the fact that we come with specific issues and detailed points for discussion. Aides comment about how well our points are organized. Even though they don't always agree with us, they know that they should listen. So it was this year with our three issues: First, our bill on the right to choose rehabilitation facilities; Second, our opposition to NAC and the request for letters to the Secretary of Education; and third, inclusion of severely disabled persons under Section 8A of the Small Business Act. 1. Freedom of Choice: We received very favorable response on this issue, and almost all whom we visited saw the merit of our position. We were looking for co-sponsors, and those who agreed on the spot included D. Applegate, T. Hall, D. Hobson, C. Miller, M. Okar, J. Traficant, E. Feighen, P. Gilmore, and R. Regula. Others agreed to consider co-sponsoring the bill, which is now entitled the Individualized Rehabilitation Service Selection Act. Both Senator Glenn and Senator Metzenbaum liked the idea and thought they would support it when it is introduced in the Senate. 2. Writing to the Secretary of Education about NAC: Most of the legislators and/or their aides knew something about the NFB's opposition to NAC and our concerns over the years and seemed to think our position was reasonable. Mr. Gilmore, Mr. Traficant, Mr. Pease, Mr. Hall, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Miller, Ms Okar, and Mr. Lukin said that they would write. Others said they would consider doing so. The two senators made preliminary arrangements to write a joint letter, but we have not yet seen a copy of it. 3. Amending Section 8A of the Small Business Act: This issue was unfamiliar to most. Congressmen Boehner and Sawyer are on the committee that would review legislation in this area, but they were not prepared to commit themselves on it. Mr. Gilmore expressed some reluctance and others expressed some doubt about such a bill's passage because of the political volatility of the SBA. D. Hobson, T. Hall, C. Miller, M. Okar, R. Regula, B. Gradison, D. Pease, L. Stokes, and C. Wylie agreed to co-sponsor this legislation. Both Senators Glenn and Metzenbaum stated that they would look into it further. As you can tell, much was accomplished, but much is still left to do. Now that our Congressmen and Senators know of our interest, we must keep encouraging them to support our ideas and sponsor or co-sponsor legislation that will make these ideas a reality. So get your pencils, pens, typewriters, paper, and telephones ready: there will be a busy year ahead. REPORT ON THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE OHIO REHABILITATION SERVICES COMMISSION On February 18 the Rehabilitation Services Commission conducted its monthly meeting at RSC headquarters. In a brief but extremely important piece of business, the Commission discussed a recommendation from the Administrator, Robert Rabe, that the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) be removed from the RSC list of approved accrediting bodies for organizations doing contract work for the Commission. Since last June, when the Commission first expressed interest in reconsidering its accreditation policy, the NFB has been arguing for removal of NAC from this list. Last December the Commission held a public hearing during which interested individuals and organizations were invited to speak or submit testimony about Ohio's rehabilitation accreditation policy. Several Federationists wrote comments, and three of us attended the meeting and spoke briefly. The official NFB of Ohio comment included a good deal of supporting documentation with our actual comment. All of this seems to have had an impact. The RSC's General Counsel John Connelly, who conducted the hearing, commented that he did not remember a topic that had generated so much public comment. The Commissioners read and considered the materials they were given and raised questions about the implications of removing NAC from the list. Then they voted unanimously to do so. Members of the National Federation of the Blind know how damaging NAC has been to the field of work with the blind and, more important, to blind people. Ohio has taken an important step toward helping us all get past the sorry NAC chapter in our history. The Commission is to be commended for its vote. Prior to the February Commission meeting rumors kept circulating that the Voinovich administration would increase pressure to merge the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Bureau of Service for the Visually Impaired in an effort to reduce costs. Such a move would be extremely harmful to blind people since we are a small minority of the disabled population and would be lost in an umbrella service-delivery agency. We felt that it was important for the Federation to make a clear statement to the Commissioners about our views on this important subject, so Paul Dressell, who had been one of those present at the December hearing on accreditation, returned to Columbus on February 18 to read our position statement. Here is the text that he read and submitted: SUBJECT: Maintenance of a separate agency for the blind. We of the National Federation of the Blind understand the need to cut corners and the natural urge to do anything to save a dollar during a budget crisis. However, consolidating the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired and the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation would be an irresponsible act on the Commission's part. Such a merger would mean that the needs of the blind would go unmet. This is not mere speculation on the part of the blind; rather, it is an unfortunate truth. Blind residents of states without a separate agency have been underserved by the rehabilitation system. In the early 1970's blind Ohioans petitioned the Legislature to create a separate agency for the blind, and we are as committed to the separate agency concept as we were then. We are willing to work with the agency to reduce costs; however, we are not willing to allow the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired to be absorbed by the larger Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. IMPORTANT COURT DECISION FOR STUDENTS by Eric Duffy A recent Common Pleas Court decision has proven to be important for all disabled people in Ohio who are interested in obtaining higher education. For years the Rehabilitation Services Commission has maintained that if a student who qualified for assistance in attending a state university decided to enroll in a private college or university, the RSC was not required to contribute the funds it had been prepared to expend toward a state university education. The rationale was that if the individual could contemplate the expense of a private education, the state had no responsibility to assist. A BSVI client named Mosholder challenged this ruling and appealed the BSVI decision through the RSC process into the Common Pleas Court, where in the decision Mosholder v BSVI the Court held that in the absence of an RSC means test, the agency would have to contribute funds equivalent to what it would have spent if the client had attended a public institution of higher education. I thought that this was the purport of the decision, but just to be sure, I sent a copy of it to Peggy Pinder, Second Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind and an experienced attorney in Iowa. Here is the letter she wrote me in response to my inquiry: Grinnell, Iowa January 2, 1992 Dear Eric: Thanks for sending me the Ohio court decision concerning rehabilitation. While you described it accurately to me, I would give my description a slightly different spin. I would describe the case as holding that, regardless of whether an eligible student attends a state or a private institution of higher education, the Rehabilitation Services Commission must contribute the amount it would pay for attendance at a state school. In other words, the court basically stated that the rehab guys can't condition funding on attendance at the school of rehab's choice. Go, court! Unfortunately, I don't think that this decision would be very conveniently applied to your case. I think the odds would be very long and the chances very slim and I wouldn't advise that rehab cannot condition funding on attending the school of rehab's choice. Happy New Year to you and yours. I'll look forward to seeing you in Washington, I hope. Sincerely, Peggy Pinder THE BUDDY SYSTEM PROGRAM: PATHWAY TO INDEPENDENCE by Pamela Dubel Editor's note: At this year's convention Pam Dubel, Vice President of our Student Division, made a presentation to us as part of our Saturday afternoon discussion of rehabilitation alternatives for Ohioans. Pam has worked for two summers at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in its Buddy System Program. Pam got this job originally through the NFB of Ohio, and it is clear that she has been a wonderful influence on the children with whom she worked. But she has also benefitted personally from her experience. This article is actually one that Pam wrote for Joanne Wilson, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Center. It captures the spirit of the Buddy System Program and the Ohio student who has contributed so much to it. Here it is. Growing up as a blind child, I attended a wide variety of summer programs designed to teach the alternative techniques of blindness, such as Braille and cane travel. Although the programs had good intentions, they seldom succeeded in providing quality training. They were missing the key element. That is, they lacked competent blind adult role models. Although I may have acquired knowledge of the skills, I lacked confidence in my ability to perform them as a blind person. Fortunately, times are beginning to change. Today there is an innovative program which strives to give children quality training and confidence in themselves as blind people. For the past two summers I have had the wonderful opportunity to work in the Buddy System program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston. Over the past three years, the Buddy System has touched the lives of over thirty children and their families. The program's main goal is to show blind children and their parents that it is respectable to be blind. Blindness does not mean sitting on the street corner selling pencils. It is not a tragedy or a punishment. Blindness is merely a characteristic like blue eyes or brown hair. With equal opportunity and quality training, a blind person can do the same things as a sighted person. The Buddy System fosters positive attitudes about blindness in a variety of ways. Since the counselors/instructors are blind, the children learn effective and efficient techniques from competent blind adults. Classes are taught in Braille, cane travel, computers and typing, and daily living skills. For five weeks, the children are submerged in a positive and challenging environment. There is also an ample amount of time for fun. Horseback riding, hot air ballooning, camping, and water skiing were only a few of the many activities in which the children participated. Although five weeks may not sound like a long time, it was amazing to watch the growth that occurred. The children began to realize that it had been their attitudes and not their blindness that had prevented them from achieving their goals. Although they may not realize it, participation in the Buddy System program marked their first step on the journey to independence. I feel honored to have been part of such an instructive and innovative program. As the motto of the Buddy System states: "Together we are changing what it means to be blind." THE FEDERATION HONORS THE BEST OF 1991 by David Robinson The NFB of Ohio recognizes the commitment and efforts of our members as individuals and as chapters and divisions each year at our annual convention. This year was no exception, and we were blessed with many good candidates for each of the awards. As an organization of volunteers, we feel that it is important to take time to honor those who stand out among us and work diligently to strengthen our ability to serve the blind of our state and country. Before we get to our Gavel Award given to honor the efforts of local chapters, I want to give special recognition to some of the individuals honored at this year's very successful convention. Our first individual award was the Alfonzo Smith Award, named in honor of our late past president, recognizing an outstanding blind member. This year it was given to Eric Duffy, our hard- working, very capable first vice president. This award to Eric was made even more significant when the organization recognized Lori Duffy as the outstanding sighted person of the year. They are quite a team, and we sincerely appreciate their efforts and are glad to count them as brother and sister in the movement. I might mention that our Sighted Person of the Year Award was, by resolution of the convention, renamed the Ruth Garwood Award in honor of our beloved member, Ruth Garwood, in recognition of her years of dedicated service to the National Federation of the Blind. The year 1991 will be the last for the honor of king and queen of the convention. Because of the changing times, we decided to retire this recognition and establish something new. We did ourselves proud, however, this final year in selecting the last reigning king and queen of our convention by selecting our best. Queen of the convention was Barbara Fohl, our capable and very personable secretary. Our king of the convention was Ken Velkovich, member of the NFB of Ohio Board of Directors and president of the NFB of Cincinnati. A big thank-you is extended to each of you for all that you have done. The Gavel Award, given to the chapter or division that most exemplifies the philosophy and purpose of the National Federation of the Blind, was given to the Mahoning Valley chapter. This chapter of some 25 members, located in the Youngstown area, worked hard in 1991 to bring Federationism to the blind of our state. Members supported state and national projects and activities, assisted blind children and adults with their rehabilitation, conducted local educational and public relations efforts, and gave of themselves to other chapters and divisions of the organization. Our second place winner was the Cincinnati chapter, and our third place honors went to the Lorain County chapter. Each one deserves our applause and should be examples to follow as we look forward to the Gavel Award in 1992. Many of our members have asked what it would take for a chapter or division to win the Gavel Award. While there are prescribed steps that must be taken, it should be remembered that this award is given because chapters and their members have demonstrated strong dedication to the philosophy of the NFB and have given of their time, energy, and resources to the building of a strong organization and an ongoing effort to assist blind persons. To help you in planning for next year's activities, here are a few things that were found in the NFB of Mahoning Valley's report that helped them demonstrate this dedication and effort. 1. Several members attended the Washington Seminar and the national convention in New Orleans. 2. The chapter assisted members to the Washington Seminar, the national convention, the state convention, and state board meetings. 3. Contributions were made to the NFB of Ohio and to various projects such as the Cane Bank. 4. A Deferred Insurance Giving policy was purchased by the chapter for one of the children of a member. The beneficiary will be the NFB. 5. Presidential releases are played at each meeting. 6. Arrangements were made to have our book, Walking Alone and Marching Together, placed in a number of local libraries. 7. The chapter assisted Parents Division with their fund-raiser. 8. Members of the chapter hold leadership positions and work with various organizations in their local communities which help to promote the rights and welfare of the blind. 9. Members of the chapter and the chapter as a whole have provided assistance to the Parents of Blind Children, working with the children and assisting in various efforts to obtain the children's educational rights. The effort to give, not just financial resources, but time and energy as well cannot be measured in any way except by considering intention and unselfishness. Therefore, even the small chapters have an equal opportunity to win in this contest. Every chapter and division should make the effort to document what it does during the year and make it known in its annual report. We all do a great deal, and the chapter that has been dedicated to our organization should be and deserves to be recognized for its efforts. Let's see who can top the NFB of Mahoning Valley in the next Gavel Award competition. 1992 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS The chair's name is listed first. (ADA) AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COORDINATORS: Annette Anderson, Joyce Rogers ASSOCIATES COORDINATOR: Rose Kocher AWARDS COMMITTEE: Tom Anderson, Paul Dressell, Eric Duffy, Barbara Fohl CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE: Barbara Fohl, Paul Dressell, David Robinson CONVENTION COMMITTEE: Pat Eschbach, Henry Butler, Billie Graham, Mary Pool DEAF/BLIND COORDINATOR: Tom Anderson DIABETIC DIVISION COORDINATOR: Kay Klamer DIG COORDINATOR: Debbie Robinson DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: Tom Anderson, Karren Besly, Carol Feazell, Gladys Harville, Shelbi Johnson, Mary Pool, Bob Smith GUIDE DOG COMMITTEE: Ken Velkovich, Annette Anderson, Louise Anderson LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: David Robinson, Tom Anderson, Mary Dews, Paul Dressell, Eric Duffy, Tracy Masincupp, Colleen Roth MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Eric Duffy, Annette Anderson, Kathy Arthurs, Ron Shippert PAC COMMITTEE: Lori Duffy, Mary Lou Cahill, Loretta Rush PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Tom Anderson, David Cohen, Cordelia Leach, David Lutyen, Ken Velkovich RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE: Bob Eschbach, David Cohen, Midge Coorey, Paul Dressell, Jan Ferguson, Wayne Ingle, Helen Johnson, David Robinson, Colleen Roth SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Eric Duffy, Shirley Hammond, Bob Pierce OHIO REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CONVENTION MTG. OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SENIOR BLIND: Liz Haag BRAILLE LITERACY WEEK PROCLAIMED At last summer's national convention, the National Federation of the Blind passed a resolution urging Congress to declare the week of January 4, Louis Braille's birthday, as Braille Literacy Week. At our own state convention in November we passed a similar resolution for Ohio. (See Resolution 91-04 published in the December, 1991, edition of the Buckeye Bulletin.) Accordingly Tom Anderson, Second Vice President of the NFB-O and an old hand at dealing with the Governor's office staff, contacted the appropriate person and got permission for us to send the text of a proposed proclamation to the Governor. We did so in early December, and on December 20, Governor Voinovich signed the following proclamation declaring the week of January 4, 1992, as Braille Literacy Week in ohio. Here is the text: OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, COLUMBUS RESOLUTION WHEREAS, all Ohioans need to possess competency in reading and writing in order to be competitive, productive citizens; and WHEREAS, the State of Ohio believes that the citizens of this state have a basic right to quality education; and WHEREAS, Braille continues to be the most useful reading and writing tool for blind persons; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio has always been in the forefront of efforts to demonstrate both the usefulness of Braille and the critical need for Braille instruction for blind and visually impaired people who cannot efficiently read and write print; and WHEREAS, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio promotes the value of Braille through its National Association to Promote the Use of Braille, its Braille Readers are Leaders Contest for blind children, and its work with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; and WHEREAS, Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille code, was born on January 4, 1809; NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Governor of the State of Ohio, do hereby designate the week of January 4, 1992, as BRAILLE LITERACY WEEK in Ohio, and urge all citizens to take this opportunity to recognize the contributions made by Louis Braille and the importance of Braille literacy for all blind citizens. On this 20th day of December, 1991; George V. Voinovich Governor We were delighted to have this proclamation and were equally pleased when Representative Ron Gerberry contacted Tom Anderson to say that he had written a bill that would make Braille Literacy Week an annual occurrence in Ohio. This bill (H.B. 611) is now working its way through the legislature. It has passed the House and is moving on to the Senate, where it will be introduced by Senator Charles Chip Henry. We will now have to see what happens. Of course the ultimate objective is to pass a Braille bill in Ohio that would protect the right of all legally blind children to learn Braille and would see that their teachers are competent to teach it. We believe that if the legislature has already gone on record as recognizing the importance of Braille literacy by creating Braille Literacy Week, it will be easier to get our Braille bill passed. We must all keep our fingers crossed and prepare to work hard when the time comes. MIAMI VALLEY CHAPTER GENERATES POSITIVE NEWS STORY FOR WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY Editor's note: the following article appeared in a mid-October, 1991 edition of the Dayton Daily News. It shows what all of us could be doing to educate the public about the abilities of blind people and it is good advertising for White Cane Safety Day. October 15. Here is the story about Claud Ray and the Miami Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio: LOCAL MAN UNTIRING IN HELPING THE BLIND by Dale Huffman When he was nineteen years old, Claud Hartley Ray lost his sight in a mountain-climbing accident. "After the initial shock, I came to the conclusion that for the rest of my life I would have to deal with it," he said. "I decided to give life the durndest kick I could give it. Now it's fifty years later, and I look back and I think things could have been a whole lot worse." Ray, 69, of West Carrollton not only has kicked high in life--he has dedicated untiring efforts to helping others cope with the trauma of being blind. "When someone says to me that I have adjusted to being blind so well, I usually say, "It's not adjusting that counts, it is achieving that is important. You can adjust to many things and not accomplish anything. It's what you do in this world that counts." This summer Ray, who lives alone in the home he owns, raised a vegetable garden and prepared 80 quarts of tomatoes for freezing. He kept the grass in his own back yard neatly mowed, and did all the maintenance work around his own home. He is fiercely independent, has built cabinets for his basement workshop, and does his own plumbing and wiring. Neighbors are not surprised to see him up on his roof making repairs. "Folks think that blind people sit around at home and feel sorry for themselves," he said. "I have to fight that stereotype every day. You won't see me sitting on a corner with a tin cup begging for money. I never took a cent of welfare, and I never will." Along the way, as he has handled the challenges of adjusting to a world of darkness, Ray has spread his spirit of hope and has broadened the world of others with sight problems. He is president and one of the founders of the Dayton Federation of the Blind [Miami Valley Chapter]. On Tuesday, the group is taking part in National White Cane Safety Day. "I have about ten white canes stacked up behind my door," Ray said. "We have more on order. We keep them in stock, but once a year we want to get out the word that they are available for those in need. "We also like to educate the public that there are laws and rights and common courtesies that go with the person who uses a white cane." Ray says he feels it is up to people who have a sight problem to decide if they prefer to use a white cane to get around or a seeing-eye dog. "I have preferred having a dog over the years," he said. "But each person who enters blindness has to deal with it in his or her own way. "Every person facing it should not have to invent the wheel to survive or discover fire. A person can stumble around a long time after going blind before finding the best way to deal with things. We just want people to know we have been there awhile, have tried everything, and are ready to share what we know and help them deal with this new challenge." So in addition to everything else Ray answers the Federation of the Blind hotline (253-6763) several days a week. This past week the calls were varied, he said, but typical. "Just today a woman called complaining because her husband is in business, is blind, and is being charged extra when he asks for direct assistance information for phone numbers," Ray said. "I told her that if they are for business calls, he would probably have to pay for them." Other calls came from folks trying to find magnification lenses or large playing cards, wondering how to apply for a seeing-eye dog, asking how to get special assistance or Braille information. "Some callers are quite emotional and have to be dealt with in a delicate way." he said. "When someone is going blind, there is fear there, and often they just call to talk to someone, to let out the inner feelings to someone who understands what they are going through." The Dayton Federation of the Blind, he said, is supported with help from Lions Clubs, United Way, and individual donations. Ray regularly makes the rounds of service clubs, schools, and community organizations, speaking as an advocate for the blind and asking for support and understanding. "My main goal has always been the same thing, for all these years," he said. "That is to survive in an independent way, and in doing so to do everything in my power to let other blind folks know that they can do anything if they try. Anything is possible. HERE COMES THE ADA Now that the Americans with Disabilities Act is the law of the land, it behooves each of us to know something about what it does and does not require of employers, places of public accommodation, and local and state governments. Some of the law's provisions are sweeping, and as a result, uninformed business people are panicking. The National Federation of the Blind has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish the Information Access Project for Blind Individuals. The March issue of the Braille Monitor includes an article with more details about this program. But in the meantime we must all try to reassure the people with whom we come in contact in an effort to make sure that exploitation does not take place. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous individuals out there trying to make a fast buck out of the uncertainty. Oberlin College recently sent a staff member to a conference organized to help institutions avoid compliance with the ADA. This is shocking, but with threats floating around of sky-high compliance costs, one can understand the temptation to sidestep the issue. The following article is reprinted from the January/February issue of NewsNet, the publication of the Rehabilitation Services Commission. It is aimed at the business community, but we need to understand the information as well. Here is the article: BEWARE OF CRISIS SCHEMES The Americans with Disabilities Act will take effect on July 26, and the Better Business Bureau reports that there are schemers who will take advantage of the law to scare business people into spending money for protection against dangers that don't exist. "Crisis" seminars. You are contacted by a firm which implies that the ADA will "shut you down" unless you attend their expensive seminars(s) and/or buy their educational materials. FACT: most of the ADA provisions are common sense and written in simple English. Many sources of advice and help are available free. Your BBB has pamphlets on the subject and plans for inexpensive seminars. "Crisis" remodeling. You are approached with tales of disaster if you don't install ramps and lower equipment, etc. The firm explains that you get a $5,000 tax credit for remodeling, and all of its suggestions cost $4,999. FACT: Some remodeling may be necessary, but perhaps not. One firm was told it had to lower all the water fountains to make them wheelchair-accessible. All that was needed was to place a paper cup dispenser nearby. A dry cleaner, who was worried that he needed expensive ramps, discovered that he could take care of customers by providing curbside pickup. A clothing store worried that it needed to provide Brailled price tags but learned that its sales staff could provide prices orally upon request. A bookstore feared being forced to have a sign language interpreter on staff for customers who were deaf. All it needed was employees willing to communicate on paper. ADA-certified consultants. There are firms advertising that they are certified, approved, or official experts on the ADA. One even invented its own official-looking seal. This is news to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, neither of which certifies anybody as ADA consultants. The BBB is working with local, state, and national agencies to provide information and advice to allow you to comply with ADA as comfortably as possible. If a dispute arises, the BBB has mediation and binding arbitration programs that may help resolve the situation without going to court. REMAINING 1991 RESOLUTIONS In the December issue of this newsletter we printed four of the six resolutions passed at the 1991 convention of the NFB of Ohio. Here are the remaining two, which we promised to print this time: RESOLUTION 91-01 Centralization of Braille Book Lending WHEREAS, the National Library Service (NLS) has recently proposed to centralize the lending of all Braille books, removing all books and their lending to two central locations in Ohio and Utah and providing that all Ohioans' requests for Braille books would be filled from the Ohio facility; and WHEREAS, there is concern that this proposal may diminish Braille library services to the blind generally; and WHEREAS, the Cleveland and Cincinnati Libraries for the Blind are now experiencing the same cutbacks occasioned by tight budgets which other libraries around the country are experiencing; and WHEREAS, handling Braille involves huge overhead costs for staff, utilities, and square footage--a cost which is now repeated at least once in every state; and WHEREAS, NLS proposes to ease the high cost and the duplication of costs borne by states by centralizing the service, which could, if handled well, result in better, quicker, cheaper service; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio will devote time and effort to assuring that the service, if changed, is handled right; and WHEREAS, this shift in library service is likely to occasion a need for continuing help for Ohio residents with the bureaucracy, making a continuing, though lessened need for Regional Library staff assistance to patrons; and WHEREAS, careful planning can eliminate or substantially reduce the poor service which will otherwise result during dramatic change; and WHEREAS, the NLS long-range proposal is to eliminate entirely the storage of Braille books and the associated costs of storage by keeping all Braille books on computer disks only; and WHEREAS, under this proposal, NLS will Braille a copy for every person requesting the book and mail it to the borrower, since computers and computer-driven printers can produce the Braille copy for less than the cost of long-term Braille book storage ;and WHEREAS, the library for Braille books would simply be a library of computer disks served by Braille printers, producing hard-copy Braille upon request and refusing to accept returned books, allowing borrowers to keep them or throw them away as desired; and WHEREAS, this proposal to produce instant hard-copy, throwaway, soft-cover Braille books upon demand necessitates centralization of the nation's Braille collection; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in convention assembled this 9th day of November, 1991, in the City of Springdale, Ohio, that this organization recognize the huge long-term benefits in centralization of the handling of Braille, both in cost and in service, and support the move in this direction; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization recognize the possible ill effects of centralizing the handling of Braille borrowing and pledge to work to minimize any such effects of centralization during the transition, by offering to work with the Regional Libraries in planning and carrying out this new approach to the circulation of Braille books and other materials. RESOLUTION 91-06 Playing Presidential Releases WHEREAS, it is the policy of the National Federation of the Blind that presidential releases be played at chapter meetings; and WHEREAS, information obtained from these releases is invaluable to a chapter's understanding of the organization, allowing chapter members to become more familiar with key personalities in the movement; and WHEREAS, these releases provide essential information, which every chapter needs to receive and act upon immediately; and WHEREAS, the NFB of Ohio supports the policy of the National Federation of the Blind regarding the playing of presidential releases; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in convention assembled this tenth day of November, 1991, in the city of Springdale, Ohio, that this organization remind and encourage all chapters to play presidential releases as a primary part of chapter business. CHAPTER, DIVISION, AND COMMITTEE REPORTS This first note is more a notice than a report. The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio will take place Saturday, April 4, at the North Broadway United Methodist Church in Columbus. Barbara Fohl will send reminders to each chapter president along with directions for reaching the church, which is just west of Route 71 at the North Broadway exit. Everyone is not only welcome but encouraged to attend board meetings. It would be helpful for the lunch count to know who is planning to attend, but it is one of the rights and responsibilities of membership in the Federation to attend as many meetings as possible. AROUND THE STATE by Dave Robinson Local chapters of our affiliate are constantly busy, and it's always good to hear from them about activities in their areas. The last time that most of us were together was at the state convention in November. Since that time we all have been involved in a variety of projects. The Cleveland chapter was busy late last year taking to the streets in an effort to get "Good & Evil" off the air. It worked, and a big thanks goes to our Cleveland chapter. They are now busy selling boxes of homemade candy. You can get chocolate with nuts or chocolate with raisins for $4 each. They will be selling these until Easter. Billie Graham, President of our Cleveland chapter, also tells me that a couple of members are returning to college, and the chapter is welcoming its newest member Joyce Neal. More goodies are in store for us as the year progresses with the white cane cookie sale, sponsored by the Stark County chapter. Speaking of food, Mahoning Valley chapter will be holding its annual banquet on April 26, and everyone is invited. The banquet will begin at 5:00 p.m., and given all the recent events in Youngstown, the conversation should be lively. Many of our chapters have on-going outreach projects to their communities, and I have heard that our Springfield chapter has been busy assisting local government and businesses with their compliance to the new American with Disabilities Act. Cincinnati chapter has been out talking to nursing and residential care facilities, and the Mahoning Valley chapter got the NFB press coverage for the introduction of our Braille Literacy Week legislation. CINCINNATI CHAPTER by Paul Dressell At its January 24th meeting, the NFB-Cincinnati held its biennial elections with the following results: President, Ken Velkovich; Vice President, Bernie Dressell; Secretary, Wilma Johnson; Treasurer, Paul Dressell; three year board member, Peggy Covey; two year board member, Karren Besly; and one year board member, Margaret Stinnett. On Friday evening, December 20th, members of the NFB Cincinnati chapter joined the staff of the NFB of Ohio's Community Outreach office in a Christmas party. Delicious food was enjoyed by all, names were drawn for door prizes, and for a while it sounded like an NFB convention. Ron Shippert, Outreach Office Manager, ably MC'ed festivities. Awards and citations were given to Ken Velkovich, Don Pruitt, and Margaret Stinnett as well as Bernie Dressell. Special recognition was given to outreach employees who had done outstanding work during the previous year. CAPITAL CHAPTER NEWS by Eric Duffy I know it is inappropriate to take joy in another's loss. It is even less appropriate to rejoice when it is a family member who is suffering. But to every rule there is an exception. I take real pleasure in the fact that Dave, Debbie, Danny, and Geena Robinson will soon be members of the Capital Chapter. (See the final notice in the Personal Notes section of this newsletter.) What the Mahoning Valley Chapter has lost, the Capital Chapter has gained. I would like to welcome the Robinson family to the chapter. In true Federation style, Dave and Debbie can expect to be put to work immediately. Chapter members will soon be recruiting sponsors for the Human Race. This is a 6.2 mile--run, walk, bicycle--event (whatever you want it to be). For most of us I am sure that it will be a walk. However, there is bound to be at least one athlete in our midst. This event will take place on Sunday, July 12. The chapter will be conducting our third annual Ice Cream Social on August 17. This has served as an excellent fund-raiser for us in the past. It is a lot of hard work, but it is also a great deal of fun. Anyone reading this newsletter should consider this article an open invitation to our chapter meetings and special activities. THE PARENTS DIVISION GOURMET BASKET DRAWING Springtime is fast approaching, and with the spring comes the chance to win a gourmet food basket. At least it has been this way for the last three years. Yes, once again the NFB of Ohio Parents Division is sponsoring a drawing that will provide for the winner a great big bountiful basket of all kinds of tasty and tantalizing food. By now all chapter presidents and members of the Parents Division should have received drawing tickets. We want to have them spread the joy and give everyone a chance at this great prize. Tickets are $1 each or $5 for a book of six. The drawing will be held at the April 4 NFB of Ohio Board Meeting. So if you want some tickets, contact a Parents Division member or chapter president soon. As in the past, funds raised from this drawing will be used to assist parents and their blind children to attend our national parents seminar and national convention. This opportunity has proved to be of tremendous benefit to parents. We know that it can give parents and their blind children a greater chance to succeed and a chance for them to know that they have a tremendously vast and strong network of people who will believe in and support them as they grow in confidence in themselves and in other blind people. We're going to have to go a long way to surpass last year's ticket sales, so it is time to get started. Let's make this drawing the best one of all. DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS COMMITTEE REPORT by Tom Anderson When I was learning to do an effective job as a public relations person, I learned a term that I believe is vital in achieving this goal. That term was "propaganda." Therefore, one of my functions in public relations is to be a propagandist, one who spreads the truth. I believe that this term and my definition can be applied to your active involvement in the National Federation of the Blind. Each of us must spread the truth about blindness and the National Federation of the Blind in our communities. A good method is by distributing the materials that are available to us through our National Center. I urge each of you to obtain a list of these, then do everything you can to distribute them in your community. I will be contacting all presidents of NFB of Ohio chapters and divisions about developing plans for distributing our materials in their communities. NEED EXTRA MONEY? by Tom Anderson NFB of Ohio's Digital Floor Announcer Coordinator Do you need extra money in order to help you to do such things as attend the convention of the National Federation of the Blind? Then the following announcement may be of interest to you. Why not earn extra money by selling digital floor announcers for elevators? The digital floor announcer, which is installed in elevators, announces in a clear feminine voice the floor and the direction that the elevator is traveling. You could earn a commission of $100 for each digital announcer that you sell. Remember that, though audible floor announcers are not required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, many building managers are attracted by the idea of installing them as a service to all their visitors. Does this announcement sound interesting to you? For more information contact me, and I will send you a brochure. I will be sending brochures to all NFB of Ohio chapter and division presidents very soon. You may write to me at 64 E. Judson Ave., Youngstown, Ohio 44507. CHAPTER MEETING SCHEDULE CAPITAL CHAPTER - Eric Duffy, President, (614) 262-9378, first Saturday, 2:00 p.m., Main Library, First Floor, downtown Columbus. CINCINNATI CHAPTER - Ken Velkovich, President, (513) 921-4518, fourth Friday, 6:00 p.m., Dixie Terminal Bldg., 4th and Walnut Streets, downtown Cincinnati. CLEVELAND CHAPTER - Billie Graham, President, (216) 921-7509, third Friday, 7:30 p.m., Cleveland State University Student Union Building, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. LORAIN COUNTY CHAPTER - Philip Copeland, President, (216) 365-7970, fourth Sunday, 2:30 p.m., members' homes. MIAMI VALLEY CHAPTER - Claude Ray, President, (513) 253-7873, second Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Montgomery County Library, 2nd Floor, downtown Dayton. MAHONING VALLEY CHAPTER - Rose Kocher, President, (216) 545-6723, fourth Sunday, 2:30 p.m., Wick Park Pavilion, Youngstown. SPRINGFIELD FEDERATION, Kathryn Holder, President, (513) 324-3262, fourth Saturday, 6:00 p.m., 315 Burnett Rd., Springfield. STARK COUNTY CHAPTER - David Lutyen, President, (216) 833-0885, last Saturday, 10:00 a.m., Mary's Snackateria, Frank D. Bow Bldg., 201 Cleveland St., Southwest Canton. TOLEDO FEDERATION, Helen Johnson, President, (419) 246-3343, third Sunday, 2:00 p.m., 880 Prouty Ave., Toledo. TRI-COUNTY CHAPTER - Maren Pepple, President, (419) 422-3020, second Wednesday, 1:00 p.m., luncheon & meeting at the Salvation Army, Findlay. PERSONAL NOTES Paul Dressell writes as follows: Shortly after Eba Kay Masten died on Sunday, January 12, a fellow Federationist observed that she was treasurer of just about everything. In addition to having served as Treasurer of the Cincinnati chapter of NFB, she also held the same office with Radio Reading Services Consumer Advisory Committee and the Cincinnati Blind Bowling League. She could best be described as a fiscal conservative, for each proposed expenditure was closely scrutinized. Her records were always up-to-date, as well as accurate. Eba had attended several state conventions, the first of which was in 1964 in Akron. She was a quiet person but spoke her mind when she had something to say. For the past three years Eba had been confined to a nursing home. A week prior to her death, she slipped into a coma from which she never recovered. Eba is survived by her husband Jack and their son and daughter, who gave birth to a baby on January 27, Eba's birthday. On the morning of February 6th, Wilma Johnson was struck by an automobile while on her way to work at Clovernook Center for the Blind. She sustained a broken leg but did not require extensive hospitalization. She was not in the hospital long, but recovery is proving to be frustrating and depressing. We wish her the very best. Also on February 6 Helen Johnson underwent surgery to open one of her carotid arteries. The procedure went much better than the same surgery did several years ago when it was done on the other side. Helen came home from the hospital less than a week later and is recovering both her health and her spirits. We are all hoping that she will be at the April Board meeting. Ann Fisher reports that because of weakness caused by the medication she is receiving, our dear Ruth Garwood has been moved to a nursing home. She would be very pleased to receive cards and letters from her friends. Her address, we hope temporarily, is Blakly Care Center, 600 Sterling, North Baltimore, OH 45872. Wayne Ingle, prop and mainstay of the Members-at-Large Chapter, has been under the weather. He was hospitalized on February 27 and underwent surgery on March 3. He is now recovering quite well and hopes to be back at work on the Members-at-Large newsletter very soon. Dave Lutyen, President of the Stark County Chapter, has been fighting a nasty pulmonary problem that has sapped his strength and energy. He was under the weather when he and his devoted wife Debbie conducted the memorable dance at the close of our banquet at the state convention last November. Dave is now firmly under the care of his physician and is concentrating on getting well. Eric Duffy, NFB-O First Vice President, has also joined the ranks of Federationists who have had surgery. March 6 was the date of his tangle with the surgeon, and he was home the next day and back at work the next week. It takes a lot to keep a good Federationist down. Our thoughts and prayers are with all these colleagues. As President of the NFB of Ohio, I would like to add this late-breaking personal note. It will end this issue of the Buckeye Bulletin with a positive item. Dave Robinson has been named as the new Director of the Client Assistance Program for Ohio. This appointment is an encouraging step since it signifies recognition on the part of the Voinovich administration of the importance of making sure that the voice of the disabled community is heard in the effort to insure justice for Ohio's consumers of rehabilitation services. Congratulations to Dave and to Ohio for a wise decision. Barbara Pierce