The NFBF OUTREACH The Official News Magazine of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida ISSUE #2 -- AUTUMN, 1992 President Editor Wayne Davis Dan Hicks 1949 Marseille Drive 4608 West Longfellow Avenue Apartment 2 Tampa, FL 33629 Miami Beach, FL 33141 (813)837-4831 (305) 861-8425 TABLE OF CONTENTS ___________________________________________________________________ FROM THE PRESIDENT Wayne Davis Page 3 1992 FLORIDA LEADERSHIP SEMINAR Sherri Hicks Page 4 DISCRIMINATION IN THE FLORIDA LAWS, OR HOW TO KEEP THE ANIMALS OUT OF THE ZOO Marion Gwizdala Page 5 NFB INVADES CHARLOTTE Dan Hicks Page 8 J O B NEWS Gloria Mills Page 10 SPOTLIGHT ON ASSOCIATES Dan Hicks Page 12 THREE NEW CHAPTERS Wayne Davis Page 12 CHAPTER NEWS Page 14 STATE LOSING FEDERAL FUNDS AS IT SHORTCHANGES THE BLIND The Tampa Tribune Page 19 ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES Page 21 TECH TALK Otto Zamora Page 23 IN HARNESS Marion Gwizdala Page 24 OUT OF CONTEXT Page 26 WHAT'S COOKIN'? Page 28 SMILES Page 30 EDITORIAL MATTERS Dan Hicks Page 32 3 ___________________________________________________________________ FROM THE PRESIDENT -- Wayne Davis ___________________________________________________________________ Fellow NFBF Members, As state president, I get to talk to a lot of different blind people across the state. A lot of them are not members of The National Federation of the Blind, So I get asked about what we really stand for, and who we really are. I have given those questions a lot of thought. Of course I could give the stock answers about our being the largest organization of blind people in the nation, and that we are changing what it means to be blind. Both those answers are true, but what do they really mean? Why are we the largest organization of blind people in America? I believe we are the largest organization of blind people because our movement satisfies the needs of blind individuals. We, the National Federation of the Blind, are an umbrella type of organization, offering programs for blind people with a wide range of needs and interests. We have Divisions for people involved in various vocations, and with various skills and interest. We publish different magazines for many of these special interest groups such as Voice of the Diabetic, Future Reflections, which is a magazine for parents of blind children, and Slate and Style, for members of the Writer's Division. We have many common needs that bind us together, such as our legislative interests, and our ongoing fight for equality, but the NFB does not just deal with us as blind people. It deals with us as individuals with different wants and needs. For example, NFB members who use guide dogs have their own Division. This Division, like many others, elects its own officers, and holds regular meetings to address the problems facing guide dog users. They are still proud members of the National Federation of the Blind, but their Guide Dog Division serves their special interest. Therefore, the NFB is many different things to many different people. It serves the needs of special interest groups, while 4 working to provide us with legislation to improve our daily lives. The National Federation of the Blind is just what its name says: a federation of the blind. It knows no national, sexual or racial barriers. It, through its members, provides each of us with the strength to be all that we can be. I want to take his opportunity to urge each of you to attend our 1992 State Convention. We are going to have our biggest and best State Convention ever, so make your plans to be there in Orlando, October 16, 17, and 18, to be a part of the goings on. It will be held at the Howard Johnson's Executive Center, 304 West Colonial Drive, Orlando. Room rates are $40.00 a night, plus taxes. Convention registration will cost only $10.00 and the Banquet only $15.00. Our National Representative this year will be Ramona Walhof, NFB National Secretary. There will be hands-on exhibits of the latest in computer technology, seminars on topics of interest to everyone, and a whole lot more! Now is the time for you non-members to become Members of the National Federation of the Blind. You can join, even if there is not a chapter in your area. Maybe you could help us start one. For more information contact me at (305) 861-8425. ___________________________________________________________________ 1992 FLORIDA LEADERSHIP SEMINAR -- Sherri Hicks ___________________________________________________________________ Sherri Hicks is a former President of the Florida Affiliate and a member of our Greater Orlando Chapter. I was fortunate to be able to attend the Leadership Seminar held by the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, April 10th through 12th, at the Florida Lion's Camp in Lake Wales. The surroundings were very pleasant. The air was clean. The weather was close to perfect, most of the time. Between seventy and eighty people attended the Seminar. I 5 have been involved with NFB for quite a few years, but still learned quite a few things. James Gashell was our featured speaker and National Representative. He is the Director of Governmental Affairs for the NFB. Some of the many topics covered during the weekend were Chapter building and development, fund raising, NFB history, and transportation. But the high point for me was a discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its implications for blind people. Mr. Gashell, an expert on the ADA, took us through it, section by section, reading what each part said and then leading a discussion on its interpretation and ramifications. I had been somewhat uninvolved with the NFB of Florida for awhile and have just gotten back into it. One of the biggest differences I noticed at the Seminar is how together and cohesive the group seems. Everyone went out of there way to be friendly with one another and it was a really enjoyable experience. I thank Wayne Davis, our very able President, for making this weekend possible. ___________________________________________________________________ DISCRIMINATION IN THE FLORIDA LAWS, OR HOW TO KEEP THE ANIMALS OUT OF THE ZOO -- Marion Gwizdala ___________________________________________________________________ Marion Gwizdala is Secretary of the Tampa Bay Chapter and has recently been named Dog Guide Chairperson of the Florida NFB. Look for his new column "In Harness", in this issue. In the early 1940s, through the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind, the Florida Legislature passed "The White Cane Law". This law recognizes the white cane as the symbol of blindness and mandates that traffic must stop when a blind person is crossing a street using the white cane or a dog guide. It also protects the blind person's right to free and equal access of "any 6 place the public is invited" and permits the blind person to be accompanied by a dog guide. Most dog guide users have experienced the humiliation, embarrassment, and fear that accompany an encounter with an individual who is either unaware of the legal rights of the blind or feels the law wasn't intended for them. Seldom has law enforcement needed to intercede, since we are usually able to resolve the problem through a little education. In May of 1987, Bobbi Schurmann, a dog guide user, and her friends, had planned a day at Sunken Gardens, a botanical and zoological attraction. Sunken Gardens denied Ms. Schurmann access, contending her dog presented a safety and health risk to the uncaged birds inside. Unable to resolve the situation herself, she sought the assistance of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Sunken Gardens was adamant in their refusal. Soon afterward, Sunken Gardens spearheaded a lobbying effort to change the law. In true custodial fashion, the State of Florida has seen fit to restrict the right of the blind to free and equal access with their dog guides. With no demonstration of necessity nor input from the blind, the Florida Legislature has stated that "any place which keeps or displays live animals for public enjoyment or education" may refuse us access. Without so much as a debate, the doors of free and equal access were slammed in our faces! The legislature acted only on the unsubstantiated claims of the tourist industry, one of the strongest and wealthiest lobbies in the State, that the presence of a dog guide would compromise the health and safety of their animals. I have been to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa with my dog guide Diamond several times. On only one visit was I questioned. Two police officers approached me and asked if they could speak with me. I thought they were going to ask me to leave. One of them asked if Diamond was a dog guide (his words; education does pay off). I told him he was and they asked for his I.D. They asked to check his tag. "We mostly wanted to be sure he was under control. Thank you for your cooperation. Enjoy the park." The end. My daughter, Aislinn, and I saw elephants, monkeys, albino alligators, and all kinds of birds. I waited outside the petting 7 zoo as my four-year-old petted the animals. We sat in the front row for the bird show. There seemed to be little or no concern on behalf of the other animals. Why should there have been? With thousands of human animals looking at them all day long, why should they react to another species? With respect to arguments that the presence of a dog would compromise the safety of the animals, don't monkeys often become agitated over the presence of a child? Should we, therefore, prohibit children from the zoos of Florida? Enough about zoos. What about pet stores? They "keep and display live animals for public enjoyment or education". I guess we better leave our dogs home when we go shopping. I frequent a Chinese restaurant that has a fish tank. Those fish are "live animals for public enjoyment or education". Let's not forget those two great Florida spectator sports---dog and horse racing. A police officer once told me that Diamond would distract the other dogs on the track. That sounded good to him. But with seven other dogs on the track, all chasing after one rabbit, what difference will one more dog in the stands filled with people make? Only his watch commander could help him understand this. Now he has the law to keep us out. Discrimination is legal in all states in the form of legal ages, insurance premium rating, and more. There is statistical evidence to support the claim that males under the age of 25 are at higher risk of a car accident than women. Illegal dis- crimination occurs when it is done arbitrarily and without evidence of necessity. This law serves to legalize arbitrary discrimination by those with influence. No legislator has ever observed a dog guide in a setting with other animals to determine if there is a safety risk. There is only one airborne disease, psittacosis, which can be transmitted between animals in a zoo. It is a rare disease carried exclusively in the feces of birds. Guide dogs do not carry the disease and it can only be contagious to them in very high concentrations. Never was there any discussion with Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc., the only school in the State. Neither the National Federation of the Blind of Florida nor any dog guide user was asked to testify before the Legislature. 8 We have work to do. There are two things that you can do to protect yourself. A resolution will be introduced at Convention in Orlando. Your input on this issue will strengthen this measure and is requested. Your support of this resolution by attending Convention is encouraged. Also at Convention, a Florida Chapter of the National Association of Dog Guide Users, a Division of the National Federation of the Blind, will be organized. Please see the new column "In harness", in this and future issues of OUTREACH Through the strong organized force of the National Federation of the Blind, we do make a difference in Florida. ___________________________________________________________________ NFB INVADES CHARLOTTE -- Dan Hicks ___________________________________________________________________ In many ways, Charlotte, North Carolina seems like a city that was designed just to host conventions. Anyway, residents of the "Queen City" got their chance to take part in the NFB's fifty- second annual Convention, held from June 28 through July 4. Meetings were held in the Charlotte Convention Center and in the four hotels necessary to hold all the Federationists who came. Activities began in ernest on Sunday, with several workshops and seminars on various topics including NFB-Net, self-defense, public relations, HAM radio, and the interests of parents of blind children. Florida State Board Member Gloria Mills, who is also President of the Tampa Bay Chapter and Florida's JOB Chairperson, spoke at the annual JOB seminar on Sunday. All of these events were packed near or beyond seating capacity. The first---and, in my opinion, the best---of many Convention parties was held Sunday evening, on the roof of the Holiday Inn. Registration began on Monday and continued throughout the week. The process seems to become smoother and more efficient every year. Maybe in a few years it will have sped up to the point where nobody remembers having registered at all! Well, maybe not, but the National staff and numerous volunteers do all they can to make it as painless as possible. By the end of the 9 convention 2,481 participants had registered, including 65 Floridians, putting us in twelfth place. We are a large and active bunch. There were so many interesting Division and Committee meetings and seminars on Monday and Tuesday that Convention goers could only wish that they could be in several places at once. The National Board meeting, which is always well-attended, was held Tuesday morning. A new Affiliate---Puerto Rico---was welcomed into our large but growing family. One thing that probably would not have happened a few years ago is that Floridian Paul Edwards, National First Vice President of the American Council of the Blind, attended the Convention and was recognized and asked to speak at the meeting. He took the mike, thanked the NFB for being nice and helpful to him, said that he was merely there as an observer, and expressed hope that the ACB and NFB could work together on issues we see in common. Tuesday evening saw two performances of To Those Who Wait, a play written by Louisiana Federationist Jerry Whittle. Thursday morning was election time. The only real surprise for me was that Diane McGeorge, who has been National Representative at at least two Florida State Conventions, and National First Vice President for the past eight years, stepped down from that position. She received a standing ovation for her work as First Vice President and was elected to remain on the Board of Directors as a Board Member. Here is the way our National Board now stands: President, Marc Maurer; First Vice President, Joyce Scanlan; Second Vice President, Peggy Pinder; Secretary, Ramona Walhof; Treasurer, Allen Harris; Board members, Charles Brown, Don Capps, Glen Crosby, Priscilla Ferris, Sam Gleese, Frank Lee, Diane McGeorge, Betty Nicely, Fred Schroeder, Joanne Wilson, and Gary Wunder. One of the hottest topics was a planned commission on the education and rehabilitation of blind persons. This commission was suggested in a proposed revision of the Rehabilitation Act. The NFB opposed the creation of this commission as a waste of taxpayer's money, and as one more probable obstacle that would be placed in our path when it comes to dealing with our elected representatives. At the very least, if this commission is 10 established, it should be made up largely of blind consumers and not of sighted "professionals" in the field of work with the blind. Everyone had a chance to visit the Exhibit Area, where numerous companies, charitable agencies, and NFB Chapters and Affiliates gave away literature and sold everything from computers to cheese curds, tee-shirts to teddy bears, raffle tickets to reading aids, and from jewelry to junk food (no offense--- Conventions make one hungry)! Floridians gave up their time to help sell tickets for a drawing that grossed almost $500.00. Of course there were speeches and laughter and (friendly) arguments and parties and resolutions and a North Carolina style barbecue and more speeches and more parties and a banquet speech by President Marc Maurer that will live on in the NFB archives--- not to mention in the minds of Federationists who herd it first- hand---for decades to come. An article like this simply cannot do justice to this or any other National NFB Convention. If you want to know more about it, see the article "Convention Roundup" by Barbara Pierce in the August---September, 1992 Braille Monitor. If you were there it will bring back happy memories. And if you weren't, well the only thing I can say is: See you in Dallas in 1993! ___________________________________________________________________ J O B NEWS -- Gloria Mills ___________________________________________________________________ Gloria Mills is JOB Chairperson for the Florida Affiliate. GOING INTO BUSINESS As we discussed in this column in the Spring Issue, Visually impaired persons have the highest rate of underemployment of all disabled groups. Hence, we spoke about Job opportunities for the Blind. If you would like ot sign up with JOB or send your resume' you may call 1-800-638-7518. This year at our National Convention in Charlotte, JOB hosted 11 a breakfast for entrepreneurs. Among those who attended was one of our own, Janet Caron. Janet makes lovely costume jewelry, which she sells to the public. This is how she makes her living. All of Janet's items are unique, and she can usually tell you every stone and every piece that she combines to make her lovely necklaces. One of the fun parts of Janet's business is making a yearly trip to Italy to find precious stones for her jewelry business. You can find Janet at our State Convention at one of the exhibit room tables. What interests or hobbies do you have? You can probably make a home business out of one of them. I will be glad to talk further to anyone who is interested in starting a business. It is very important that you thoroughly research before starting any business. Your community will have small business development centers or chambers of commerce, and, yes, even the Division of Blind Services (DBS) can help you. Another way of going into business is by going through DBS's Vending Facilities Department. There are various types of these facilities available, from small snack bars to cafeterias that seat over a hundred people. These businesses are located in public buildings and recently at interstate rest stops. Ruth Filyaw, a member of the Tampa Bay Chapter, is the manager of a cafeteria at the Hillsborough County Courthouse. She has been an entrepreneur for eighteen years, working her way up from salad maker to manager. Ruth goes to work at 6:20 a.m. to be there when the sales people bring the food to be prepared and served that day. She closes at 3:00 p.m., and then must do her banking. This is more than a forty hour a week job. Ruth feels that, "Florida gave me a break." Her counselor up North suggested that she get married so she would have someone to support her. But Ruth says she is independent and wants "to earn my own living". She really likes what she does but regrets the fact that, in this state, vendors are not offered group health insurance and she must purchase her own. Here are just two fine examples of what people can do to earn their living. For more information contact me at (813)837-4831. 12 ___________________________________________________________________ SPOTLIGHT ON ASSOCIATES -- Dan Hicks ___________________________________________________________________ How does the Florida Affiliate rank in the NFB on a National scale? Well, at the end of the 1992 Convention our state was 16th in overall contributions. We were 20th place in Associates gathered. This is due in large part to the efforts of State Associates Chairperson Janet Caron, who has personally recruited more associated than everyone else in Florida combined! As of April, Janet ranked number 18 out of 488 participants in the Associates program. Remember, this is Nationally! Janet Caron is one to watch. And to follow. This program is one of the most vital ways we have of funding our Movement, and we can all get involved. If you wish to know more about the NFB Associates program or just need to receive some Associate Membership forms, contact: Janet Caron, Associates Chairperson National Federation of the Blind of Florida 281 SE 12th ST Pompano Beach, FL 33060 ___________________________________________________________________ THREE NEW CHAPTERS -- Wayne Davis ___________________________________________________________________ We are growing, quickly, but carefully. It does no good to form a Chapter, abandon it, and watch it die on the vine. Here are three strong, health additions to the NFBF family. We now have seventeen fully functioning, healthy Chapters, and will be adding more very soon 13 PINELLAS CHAPTER In March of this year, First Vice President Dan Hicks, Second Vice President Jeff Harmon, Mrs. Erlinda Harmon, State Secretary Leroy Schaffer, State Treasurer Theresa Schaffer, State Board Member Judy Black, State Board Member Gloria Mills, Marion and Janet Guestalla, well known members of the Tampa Bay Chapter, and Carmen Davis traveled with me to St. Petersburg, Florida. The reason for our trip was the formation of the Pinellas Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida. Doug Towne was elected president of the Pinellas Chapter. Many of you got to meet Doug at our Leadership Camp in April, but for those of you who did not, you can take it from me that Doug Towne is a bright young man with a lot of good ideas. It is a pleasure to welcome Doug and the members of the Pinellas Chapter into our organization. My personal thanks go out to State Board Member Gloria Mills who worked so hard to make the Pinellas Chapter come to life. She made several trips to St. Pete and a lot of phone calls to arrange for everything it takes to form a new Chapter. Gloria works five days a week, and beside her duties as a State Board Member, she is also President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the NFBF. Thank you, Gloria, for all of your hard work. POMPANO BEACH CHAPTER We have another new NFBF Chapter in Pompano Beach. I chaired their first meeting in early May of this year. Jeff Harmon, our second vice president and his wife Erlinda, were at that meeting with Carmen and me. Mr. Joe Naulty, past President of the South Palm Beach Chapter, was elected president. State Board Member Janet Caron was elected as vice president. With leaders like Joe and Janet that chapter is destined for great things. Well done, Pompano Beach, and welcome to the NFBF. 14 GATOR CHAPTER On June 5, 1992, our state secretary Leroy Schaffer and our state treasurer, Theresa Schaffer went up to Gainesville to chair the first meeting of the Gator Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida. Ms. Julaine Arient-Rollman was elected president of the Gator Chapter. Julaine and her husband Ken are not newcomers to the NFB. Julaine is a past Secretary of the Black Hills Chapter of the NFB of South Dakota. South Dakota's loss is our gain. We welcome both of them and the Gator Chapter to the NFBF. I Want to thank Leroy and Theresa for going up to Gainesville for us. I was told that they did a great job. That is no surprise, though, because they always do a well on any assignment I ask them to perform. ___________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER NEWS ___________________________________________________________________ From Hazel Patterson, President, Citrus Chapter... Greetings Fellow Federationists! We in our Chapter have had a very busy year, so far. and it will continue to be that way. In January we had the pleasure of Melody Lindsey's company, not only to preside over the Installation Ceremony for our new Officers, but she also favored us with a very inspiring and educational talk, which was enjoyed by all. Our Membership Chairperson Grace Thayer worked very hard getting our membership up to 66, and we are deeply grateful for her dedication. I'm sure she'll undertake this project for 1993. It would be so greatly appreciated if all our members could attend our monthly meetings, but like so many other Chapters, we have transportation problems. However, we average 25 to 30 in attendance at our meetings, and thank our members for their 15 efforts. Our Vice President and Program Chairperson, Mike McDonnough secures speakers for each meeting, with the exception of June, when we had a pot lunch picnic social. We have had speakers on such subjects as travel accommodations, fire prevention, and controlling diabetes. Our only fund raising activity so far has been a raffle for $100.00. After expenses, we netted over $400.00, with some of that helping me to attend our National Convention in Charlotte, NC. As for White Cane Day, we will join the open house affair here at the Citrus Center for the Blind, which is celebrating its fifth year. We will have a table with NFB literature and make known our efforts here in Citrus County Many of our members are either students or volunteers at the training center, so we tend to work together in reaching out to blind people. We will be making plans and preparations to help establish a Chapter in Ocala. From Janet Caron, Vice President, Pompano Beach Chapter... I am pleased to announce that on May 2, 1992, the Pompano Beach Chapter was organized and the following Offers were elected: President, Joseph B. Naulty; Vice President, Janet Caron; Secretary, Michelle Biondolillo; Treasurer, Karen L. Christensen; and Board Member, Ernest E. Canosa. State President Wayne Davis and his wife Carmen, as well as State Second Vice President Jeff Harmon and his wife Erlinda attended our meeting, along with seventeen Members of our newly organized Chapter. There has long been a need for the National Federation of the Blind in this area, and we have high hopes and aspirations of building up our new Chapter into a strong, active, and enthusiastic group of Federationists, striving to spread the philosophy and ideals of NFB far and wide. I was thrilled and honored recently to have been awarded my very first plaque as "Advocate of the Year" by the Broward County 16 Human Relations Division, Advisory Board for Persons with Disabilities. We are changing what it means to be blind! Editor's note: Pompano Beach President Joe Naulty informs me that this Chapter has grown from 17 to 60 Members. Congratulations Pompano Beach! From Gloria Mills, President, Tampa Bay Chapter... The Tampa Bay Chapter is doing very well indeed. We have a strong core group and most of us our friends. Six of our members went to the Leadership Seminar last April. Jan Gwizdala was super for going all over the county to pick everyone up. We enjoyed the Camp very much. Our main goal still seems to be to work with the Disad- vantaged Transportation Commission in order to improve our less than perfect transportation situation. Our Chapter has par- ticipated in more public hearings and other meetings, the most recent being on September 8th, which was a public hearing of the Transportation Commission, where the NFB was very vocal. We had a great picnic at Frank and Frances Pisacane's riverfront home. We shared fellowship, great music, and lots of good food. Five members of our chapter went to Charlotte to attend our National Convention. All had a great time and reported at our last meeting that everyone should have this opportunity, to be part of the National scene. Most recently, on Friday, September 18th, several of us attended a Division of Blind Services open forum. All areas of DBS were represented, including Carl McCoy, Director. The best thing about this Forum was that DBS was there to listen to us talk about our needs. There were many participants who were not afraid to say that they were Federationists. Future events include a flea market to be held at Jan and Marion's to raise funds for our travel to the State Convention, and a "Turkey Shoot" bowling Tournament. 17 From Jane Karle, Corresponding Secretary, Pasco Chapter We are sorry to report the deaths of two active members. Harold Ytzen, 89 years old, died April 24, 1992. Memorial services were held April 26th. He is survived by a loving wife Hazel, who is 95. Harold was very active in the Methodist Church, a 50-year Mason, and a 25-year Lions Club member. He was a former Clinton, IA Street Commissioner. Warren Simon, 70, died April 29, 1992, at home. He came here twelve years ago from New Jersey. He was an Army Veteran of World War II and a member of the Unity Church. He was Vice President of the Pasco Chapter and a Life member of Disabled American Veterans, Hernando. Mr. Simon is survived by his loving wife Marian, son Craig, daughter Janet Zakosek, sister Margaret Frenz, and three granddaughters. Services were held May 3rd. Pasco Chapter mourns their passing. In March, we had a table at the Chasco Festival in New Port Richey, an annual affair, but the first time for us. Our officers were present to meet people and we had NFB literature to give our. We also demonstrated helpful equipment for everyday living, such as writing boards and talking clocks. Jane Karle had sighted and legally blind people put on masks so they could not see as they followed instructions on how to use various devices. People were amazed at how well they did. They asked where they could get such devices. In april we did the same demonstration at the Police Athletic League Festival. We find these events worth the time of making posters and other preparations. We meet people to add to our mailing list and interested persons who are searching for help in techniques of daily living. This year we made contact with the Pasco County School System and offered to teach parents who could teach their children in mobility and daily living skills. The School System was interested and saw the need and worked very hard with us. We wrote up the materials and they made the contacts. Of course, they are not allowed to give us the parents' names. So far, the parents have not responded, even though we offered to conduct some sessions at night. We trust something will develop for the future. This 18 seems like a good opportunity to start a parent's group, and to meet and get to know more blind children. From Wayne Davis, President, Greater Miami Chapter... We have been involved in an ongoing battle with the Metro- Dade County government to improve our Special Transportation System. That is nothing new though, because it is a never ending effort on our part. We have arranged to produce twelve half hour television shows this fall for one of our cable Public Assess channels. We just finished producing four of them. This means a lot of work for our Chapter Members, but we see it as a a golden opportunity to reach a lot of people with facts concerning blind people in our county. We will be doing shows on transportation, employment, education, technology and legislation. I want to thank all of you who expressed concern for us down here during Hurricane Andrew. Please see my article "Miami Lost", in the next issue of the OUTREACH. From Jeff Harmon, President, and Erlinda Harmon, Martin Chapter... On June 27, 1992, our Chapter members who were unable to attend our National Convention represented the NFB at the YMCA Health Fair, sponsored by Martin memorial Hospital and other civic organizations. The response was good; many people took the book What Color is the Sun? and other literature. Also on June 27, we attended our National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. along with close to seventy other Federationists from Florida. We participated in all general meetings and some special meetings, and found them all to be very informative. While there, we placed an order for our new book The Freedom Bell , which will be distributed in Martin County by our Chapter. Among the other activities we attended at Convention were the 19 Beach Party, atop the Holiday inn, the Reception and Dance, and the barbecue. We took a tour of the city of Charlotte and found it to be very historical. By the way, this year, several NFB of Florida members won door prizes; that was very exciting. As Seminarians we were assigned to host the Presidential Suite on two occasions; we were very honored to be given this privilege. We hope each of you will be able to attend our National Convention next year. Our next project in Martin County is fund raising. This will help finance other activities as well as helping members who wish to attend our October State Convention. We have purchased the NFB book Walking Alone and Marching Together, to be donated by our Chapter to the Martin County Library, on White Cane Day. ___________________________________________________________________ STATE LOSING FEDERAL FUNDS AS IT SHORTCHANGES THE BLIND ___________________________________________________________________ The following Editorial appeared in the Tampa Tribune for July 13, 1992. He'd worked hard for years, beginning a a draftsman and parlaying his mechanical skills into a degree in electrical engineering. Then Joe's eyesight began failing and daytime turned to perpetual twilight. His bosses eventually discharged Joe. Who could use a blind engineer? Anybody, answers Gloria Mills. She smiles a knowing smile. She, too, is blind and knows how myopic sighted people can be. "He's now learning to type, so he can use a computer," she says. "engineers all use computers now. So can he." A Success story, yes. Joe is on the road to self sufficiency again, thanks, in large part, to the state Division of Blind Services (DBS). It provided grant money for Joe to learn a new skill to allow him to follow his old profession. 20 Ditto for Mills, a Tampa native born with congenital cataracts. She applied for an educational grant 20 years ago, and got a degree from the University of South Florida and now is customer-service specialist with the federal government. She's also president of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida and, in that capacity, is sounding a loud alarm. "There are probably more blind people in Florida than just about anywhere else, because there are more people coming here every day and there are a lot of older people here," she says. "What is the state doing about it?" It's a good question with a bad answer. The division asked for an annual allocation of $9.9 million this year, an increase over its previous $7.4 million funding. If it had received that amount, the federal government would have responded with an amount four times as large---almost $40 million ---that would be used to train old and young Floridians to secure jobs, remain mobile and retain their dignity. Last year, almost 50,000 sight-impaired Floridians relied on DBS's mix of state and federal money for these services that allowed them to become functioning members of society. But that was last year. This year, while the Legislature fretted and fumed over the budget, these people, and others who will need the division's services, were at the mercy of a handful of lawmakers who too often traded away good policy for politics. Politicians with their eye on re-election or higher office showed themselves all too willing to obfuscate and obstruct each other when faced with Gov. Lawton Chiles' proposed "fair share" tax package, which they ultimately largely rejected. They dallied and dithered among themselves, trading barbs when they should have been trading thoughts. And Floridians will suffer as a result. Remember the $9.9 million request? Legislators responded with a hard-hearted $6.7 million---a sum less then the insuf- ficient allocation given DBS for the just-ended fiscal year. This is bad government at its worst. Ask DBS Director Carl McCoy, who said the legislators' funding meant the division lost almost $10 million in matching funds that would have come from the federal government. 21 "I really don't understand," he says. "It's unconscionable, really, to ignore the need and opportunity." But our legislators are adept at ignoring needs, even when they are so glaring as to be dazzling. Everyone has been slighted by this Legislature. Who? Start with the state's population of blind residents, estimated at 228,000 people. Don't forget our school children, packed into crowded classrooms in a state where education funding is in the national cellar. And, yes, even include prison inmates: They are crammed in their cells while two prisons stand empty because Florida lacks the money to open them. Joe got back on his feet, mainly because he was fortunate enough to secure state DBS funding before Florida's economy went truly sour. The next electrical engineer to lose his sight may not be so fortunate, especially if he must rely on the current members of the Florida Legislature to do the right thing. ___________________________________________________________________ ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES ___________________________________________________________________ We all have some kind of special knowledge, a little collection of neat little tricks that help us do what has to be done or that make like more enjoyable. Send in your techniques for dealing with blindness or with any other situation life might throw your way. Send us your consumer tips and helpful hints and give us a chance to share them! Nothing can affect your day quite like sitting in someone else's chewing gum. Ice is okay for getting it out of some fabrics. But I have found that peanut butter, mixed with the room-temperature gum on a washable item will break it down, almost like magic. You can just wash out the peanut butter/chewing mixture with dishwashing liquid and water. Did you ever take your guide dog to the movies and wind up with a large gob of chewing gum in her fur? Bring an old sheet with you to the theater to use as a drop cloth. If the dog has 22 already been Wrigley-ized however, and you don't want to rename her Big Red, try the peanut butter trick with her coat. She'll want to get involved; dogs like peanut butter. Karl Smith, President of the NFB of Utah tells me that those plastic labels sold to label cassettes in braille are just the right size to label your compact discs. Make sure you stick the label on the correct side---the side with the print label---or you will render the disc un-playable. Increase your chances of getting a decent shopping cart by picking up a cart in the supermarket parking lot rather than from inside the store. Previous shoppers are likely to have rejected the bad carts before taking their groceries out to their cars. Use old flexible discs (soundsheets) to write braille notes. This works best with a braille writer. Speaking of those flexi-disc magazines: If you have fallen behind in reading them because, unlike the cassette book players, talking book record players are a little less than portable and require an electrical outlet, consider taping the magazines onto cassettes to take with you. You can do this in half the time it takes to read them. Here's how: Connect the talking book record player to a tape recorder that records at a standard 1-7/8 inches per second, with a patch cord. You can get the patch cord and maybe some help from Radio Shack. Play the record at twice it's normal speed and record at 1-7/8 i.p.s.. Play the tape back on your library cassette player at 15/16 i.p.s.. Let me know how it works out. 23 ___________________________________________________________________ TECH TALK -- Otto Zamora ___________________________________________________________________ Otto Zamora is Vice President of the Greater Miami Chapter. It is said that portability is the wave of the future in the world of computers. However, whether that is true or not, there are some people who consider a computer as a device which they will never be able to understand because of the complicated language involved. A few years ago, individuals wanting to join the work force wanted a machine that did not necessarily speak the language of a computer, but that was portable enough so they could take it anywhere and perform nearly the same functions as a portable or desktop computer. The Braille'N'Speak is such a device. This easy-to-use machine employs a braille keyboard, making it easy to work with if you are a braille user and do not want to type. Among other things, the Braille'N'Speak has a calculator, an elaborate watch function, and a word processor, which can be used for anything from writing complex documents to simple notes or memos. It can also be connected to a modem, computer, or printer for instant data transfer. Another advantage over the portable laptop computer is Braille'N'Speak's battery life of over sixteen hours on a single charge. This enables you to take the machine with you practically anywhere, with the secure knowledge that you will not run our of energy at a crucial moment. If you have a friend who also has one, you can make transfers from one Braille'N'Speak to another. The disadvantages of this machine are all centered around the high cost of the extras, such ass the serial to parallel converter, used when sending data to a standard printer, which costs $125.00. Still, as far as portable note taking devices are concerned, the Braille'N'Speak is the best show in town. 24 ___________________________________________________________________ IN HARNESS -- Marion Gwizdala ___________________________________________________________________ Welcome to a new regular feature of the OUTREACH. "In Harness" will be an opportunity for dog guide users and others interested in dog guides to share information and/or experiences with each other. From time to time, we will offer training tips. Thanks to Rick Holden at Southeastern Guide Dogs for agreeing to review my comments for accuracy in dealing with training issues. Likewise, Dr. Suzanne Downing will provide input to health matters. If you have an idea which would make for an interesting column, I encourage you to let me know. Send your comments in any form, including ASCII disks (uploads, as well), to: Marion Gwizdala 820 Valley Hill Dr. Brandon, FL 33510 (813) 684-8981 DOG GUIDE USERS UNITE! Imagine it's Friday night and you have made plans to go out to dinner with some friends. You have been looking forward to this evening for a long time. As you enter the restaurant, the manager approaches you and tells you that your dog guide cannot enter. He points to a fish tank and informs you that Florida law says that "any place which keeps and displays live animals for public education or enjoyment" may refuse entry to someone with a dog guide. What would you do? What could you do? Nothing. The law exists. (See my article, "Discrimination in the Florida Laws,or How to Keep the Animals Out of the Zoo" elsewhere in this OUTREACH.) Now, imagine yourself walking down the sidewalk with your dog guide. You're on your way to work, school, shopping, or maybe just out for a leisurely stroll. Suddenly, from around the corner 25 of a house, you hear fierce barking. It gets closer and closer. The dog attacks your dog guide and injures it severely or kills it. What would you do? What could you do? There is something you can do! During the State convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, to be held the weekend of October 16 - 18 in Orlando, dog guide users from around the State will join to organize a united effort to alter the laws of the State. The two priorities of this organization will be the repeal of FSS 413.08(1)d and to introduce a bill which would protect dog guides from malicious or negligent attacks by other dogs. You can make a difference. Your support of these Reso- lutions, which will be introduced to the Convention and our combined voices on the floor of the legislature will protect our right to free and equal access of all places the general public is invited. Your voice will help those whose dogs have been injured or killed by the negligence of someone else. If you think that I am a sensationalist, perhaps you should attend the Convention and listen to the stories of attacks which have caused dogs to be seriously injured, retired early, and even killed. I hope to see a large turnout of dog guide users at this year's convention. However, if you're not able to attend but have some comments for us, please let me know. You can write to me in braille, print, or electronic medium. TRAINING TIP With the State convention just around the corner, your dog will be placed into a new setting. Prepare yourself for some of the changes. If your dog doesn't work much in crowds, go to the mall on a Saturday afternoon to prepare for convention crowds. Likewise, expose your dog to other dogs in preparation for the number of dogs at all NFB functions. Don't slack up on daily obedience. Control begins with obedience. Twice daily is recommended. After you harness your dog, give it an appreciative pat on the head. Never forget how hard your dog works for you. Never 26 forget, as well, how hard the Federation works for you. The word you say as you pick up the handle is not only the direction you will travel today, but the direction of every blind person through the National Federation of the Blind. Forward. __________________________________________________________________ OUT OF CONTEXT __________________________________________________________________ "Any quote is taken out of context." ---Dick Cavett "Early to bed and early to rise, Work like hell and organize!" ---Kenneth Jernigan "Imagination is more important than information." ---Albert Einstein "It seems to me that development of life stops when the dreams go away. It isn't that a person dies; instead, the interesting part of existence is all in the past. When there are no dreams for a bright tomorrow, hope itself withers and fades." ---NFB President Marc Maurer "Hamburgers and the Practice of Law" The Freedom Bell "If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair, we'd never have a friendship, we'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time, and build your wings on the way down." ---Ray Baadbury 27 "Don't hurry to reply, but hurry to listen." ---Old Persian proverb "In the National Federation of the Blind there are three simple sentences which we have repeated among ourselves and to others so often that they have come to be more than words and more than slogans. These sentences have come to be the credo by which we run our organization and live our daily lives. "I give them to you now: "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and the lack of information which exist. If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a physical nuisance. "I invite you to join with those of us in the National Federation in whatever way you can to help us make the truth expressed in these sentences a reality in the lives of every blind person---to help us change what it means to be blind in America today." ---Kenneth Jernigan What You Should Know About Blindness, Services for the Blind, and the Organized Blind Movement "Never make forecasts. Especially about the future." ---Samuel Goldwyn "Faith and fear are fraternal twins, born a heartbeat apart." ---Mike Pearson "Blind Faith" What Color is the Sun? "A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it." ---Allistair Cooke "The National Federation of the Blind was there for me when I 28 needed it. That's why I'll continue to work in it: for my own growth and protection and to insure that the same will be there for every other blind person." ---Peggy Pinder "I Want That" The Freedom Bell From Gloria Mills, President of the Tampa Bay Chapter... "The journey, not the arrival, matters." ---quoted in Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher with Annie Gottleib (Ballantine) From Virginia L. Beresford of Deltona... "Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." ---Unknown "Life is hard by the yard. By the inch, it's a cinch." ---Unknown __________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S COOKIN'? __________________________________________________________________ Here is your recipe column, your chance to share your favorite gastronomic discoveries and culinary sensations with your fellow OUTREACH readers. Come on now, send 'em in! 29 HOMEMADE SALSA You don't have to go out to your favorite Mexican restaurant to have freshly made salsa with your tortilla chips. You will need: 9 tomatoes 3 hot yellow peppers 3 large cloves of garlic 1-1/2 teaspoon salt 2 medium onions 1/2 cup vinegar 1 bell pepper 1 tablespoon cumin Chop the vegetables and add the rest of the ingredients. Heat the mixture in a pan on the stovetop (stirring constantly) or in the microwave (stirring as needed). Do not allow to boil. This recipe cries out for experimentation, so adjust it to your taste. For instance, if you want it hotter, throw in more of those hot peppers or add canned halipeno peppers. (Be careful of those halipenos; add them sparingly and don't get the juice in your eyes!) You can also omit or reduce the salt This salsa keeps about a week in the refrigerator. From Charles Hackney, President, First Coast Chapter... TUNA SALAD WITH AN ATTITUDE Add zip to tuna salad by adding a liberal amount of Louisiana Hot Sauce. It will taste a lot like crabmeat salad and---odd, but true---will not taste too hot! From Leah Howard, Secretary, Greater Miami Chapter... LISA's DELIGHT Here is an easy desert recipe. It's a great end to a meal that features chili or rice dishes. Several of the members of the Miami Chapter have tried this one and we all think it's great. Grease a nine by thirteen inch baking pan or dish. Spread 30 two cans of apple pie filling evenly over the bottom of the pan. Then cover the layer with a plain white or yellow cake mix. Make sure this layer is evenly spread. Put dabs of butter on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about forty minutes. This desert is very sweet and should be served with vanilla or some other bland flavor ice cream. The temperature contrast between the ice cream and the warm cake gives extra enjoyment. ___________________________________________________________________ SMILES ___________________________________________________________________ From Martha N. Beaton, St Petersburg Q. Why does a hummingbird hum? A. Because he doesn't know the words. From Jim English, Lake Worth... Q. What do you call a dog with no legs? A. Anything you want to. He won't come anyway. Gloria Mills of Tampa suggests some political humor in honor of the upcoming elections... Q. What is the definition of silence? A. Dan Qyayle and Bill Clinton exchanging war stories. The rest were submitted by Virginia L. Beresford of Deltona... 31 WARMEST REGARDS In his autobiography, Mark Twain wrote a schathing tirade about a publisher who had swindled him. But he ended with a not of forgiveness: "He's been dead for a quarter of a century now. I...have only compassion for him. And if I could send him a fan, I would." Teacher: All right, Ernie, let's hear you count to ten. Ernie: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Teacher: That's very good. Can you go a little higher? Ernie: Jack, Queen, King! During World War II Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was waiting at an airport for a plane. A sailor stepped to a ticket window and asked for a seat on the same flight. "I want to see my mother," the sailor said. "I haven't much time." Overhearing the ticket agent tell the sailor that the flight was full, General Roosevelt stepped to the window and told the agent to give the man his seat. A friend asked him, "Teddy, aren't you in a hurry, too?" General Roosevelt replied, "It's a matter of rank. I'm only a General. He's a son." ---Adapted from remarks by Rajendra K. Saboo, President Rotary International, 1991-92. 32 ___________________________________________________________________ EDITORIAL MATTERS -- Dan Hicks ___________________________________________________________________ The OUTREACH has moved. Send changes of address or reading format and all other OUTREACH-related correspondence to me at the address on page 1. We always need material to publish We are always on the lookout for jokes for "Smiles", recipes for "What's Cookin'?", tips and tricks for "Alternative Techniques", quotations for "Out of Contest", as well as longer articles. Please write us. Remember, OUTREACH is your magazine. We like to hear from you with your comments, suggestions, and even your (sniff) corrections. We want the latter so we can set the record straight by publishing them, as in--- Corrections to OUTREACH Issue #1, Spring, 1992: Theresa Schaffer is NFBF Treasurer and LeRoy Schaffer is Secretary, not the other way around as I had stated. Theresa asked me why, if I was going to give her the wrong office, didn't I make her President? Apologies to the hard-working Schaffers. In "Around the Corner" I said that the NFB National Convention would take place July 28 through July 4. This would be a long Convention, indeed! That first "July" should have been a "June". (Perhaps wishful thinking on the part of someone who really enjoys NFB Conventions? But who doesn't?) Thank you to the seeming dozens of you who pointed these mistakes out. We worked very hard to make sure this issue has a new batch to comment on. Wait a minute---I didn't mean that. A special note to our cassette subscribers: Because an in- crease in the size of OUTREACH is inevitable, we are now recording at 15/16 inch per second, the speed Talking Book cassettes and the cassette Braille Monitor are recorded at. Large print and cassette copies of our first issue are still available. Write to me and let me know if you wish to catch up. We are sending all issues to NFB-Net, so, if you have a 33 computer and modem you might want to download them. If you do, please let us know how this works out. Of course, you can get the Braille Monitor and Future Reflections the same way. Our magazine is being read, not just in Florida, but all over the country. For example, Albert Sanchez, editor of the Blind Washingtonian, the newsletter of the Washington Affiliate, informed me that he was reprinting "Promise Yourself" by Theresa Schaffer from our first issue. Congratulations Theresa! As always, please help us keep our mailing list up-to-date. Chapter presidents, please keep in touch when you get new members so they can be added to the list. If you are getting duplicate copies or the wrong format, please let us know. Believe it or not, cassette OUTREACH copies cost less than the large print copies. This is because most of you have been returning the cassettes for re-use. So if you are getting print and can use the cassettes just as well, please consider writing us and changing your format. But, we will leave the choice in your hands. We wish to thank Etoile Romero, who sent us a whole box of re-usable cassettes as well as everyone else who sent us tapes to recycle into future issues of OUTREACH. We welcome the donation of cassettes. They don't have to be blank. Most of us have a "throw-it" drawer or box somewhere full of magazines and other cassettes we don't need anymore. You can mail them FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND. Special thanks to all those who submitted material. Thank you to President Wayne Davis for all of his help. OUTREACH could not have become a reality without him. Thank you to Second Vice President Jeff Harmon and his wife Erlinda for stuffing envelopes and mailing cassettes. It is a big job. Thanks to Leroy Schaffer and Gloria Mills for their help in updating the mailing list. Also, thanks to Gloria proofreading the print edition and for her help in every step of magazine's preparation. Thanks to all of you in the National Federation of the Blind for helping to change what it means to be blind.