THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVI October 2007 No. 3 Published by the American Council of the Blind THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 1155 15th St. NW Suite 1004 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office. Join the MMS program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com, or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today! To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org. Copyright 2007 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Philosophy, Publicity and Responsibility, by Mitch Pomerantz Taking Advocacy to the Next Level, by Melanie Brunson Fabrics of the City: Designing Shared Streets for Safety and Usability, by Ken Stewart Accessible Pedestrian Signals in San Francisco, by Jeff Thom Board Discusses Identifiable Currency, Bid for 2010, Litigation, and Return of the Convention Ear, by Charles S.P. Hodge Following Conventional Wisdom, by Ken Stewart Introducing the Newest BOP Award: The Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award! Design a Logo and Win $300!, by Donna Seliger Membership Seminar Summer 2007, compiled by Ardis Bazyn Affiliate News Letter to the Editor Here and There, by Sue Lichtenfels High Tech Swap Shop CORRECTION The correct phone number for Tonya Smith is (734) 586-2687. The one listed in September's "High Tech Swap Shop" was incorrect. FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, send a blank e-mail message to brailleforum-L-subscribe@acb.org. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you. [picture of a large smiling jack o'lantern] Happy Halloween! ***** PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: PHILOSOPHY, PUBLICITY AND RESPONSIBILITY by Mitch Pomerantz For as long as I've been a member of the American Council of the Blind, I have heard two frequently repeated comments: first, that ACB has no philosophy of blindness; and second, that ACB doesn't do enough to publicize what it is doing to improve the lives of blind and visually impaired persons. In this column, I will address both issues and how we should respond to such comments. In my opinion, ACB most definitely has a philosophy regarding blindness and blind people, not to mention a philosophy which guides this organization. Succinctly stated, the American Council of the Blind believes in the ideals of individual freedom of thought and action, autonomous state and special-interest affiliates, and policies and decisions made by the rank-and-file membership and carried out by the leadership. We do not believe that there is only one right way to be blind, one overarching system of rehabilitation, one correct method of mobility, or (and even more importantly) one prescribed approach to thinking about blindness. While our critics argue this is a weakness and no philosophy at all, I submit that this is one of ACB's primary strengths and represents a philosophy of tolerance and inclusion which can be very attractive to others. As I have participated on ACB-L for a number of months, I've observed how many folks indicated that they were former members of the National Federation of the Blind. During our recent national convention and in attending a number of state conventions over the last several years, I have encountered many individuals who are now active members of ACB as a result of our philosophy. What ACB perhaps has not done as effectively as it could is to export its philosophy to the larger blindness community; to write about it, to expose those outside of ACB to that philosophy, in short, to be proud of and talk about our values and beliefs whenever and wherever we get the opportunity. And no, it isn't ACB's way to proselytize and "beat our chests." We can, however, be far more vocal about what we believe in and what we stand for. To date, ACB has drafted two outstanding white papers. The first, written in 2002, deals with the education of blind and visually impaired children, and the most recent, written just last year, addresses our perspective on rehabilitation. Both are available through the "Helpful Resources" page on our web site. If you do not have computer access, call the national office and request copies. So, have you read either or both documents? If you haven't, why not learn what our positions are on these important topics? Better yet, read both papers and circulate them to the education and rehabilitation professionals in your state. It is my hope and expectation that over the next two years, many ACB members will participate in preparing and distributing more such position papers. I am particularly interested in ACB developing written statements on key issues such as transportation and employment. We need to establish a body of information about the American Council of the Blind in order to begin publicizing who we are, what we are all about, and why we feel so strongly that ACB is the greatest consumer advocacy organization of blind and visually impaired people in this country. Briefly, let me mention a couple of important outreach efforts which will be occurring around the time you read this. In late October, Melanie Brunson and Patricia Beattie, chair of our rehabilitation issues task force, will present the aforementioned Rehabilitation White Paper at the annual meeting of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB). This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase ACB's philosophy of rehabilitation. On the Monday following the regional convention of the Maryland, D.C. and Old Dominion affiliates, Donna and I will host a reception at the ACB office for government agency officials and not-for-profit organization leaders in the area. It will be an opportunity for them to meet the ACB president, but more importantly, for myself and the other ACB leaders in attendance to spread our positive message and philosophy of blindness. Beyond these activities, what can each of us as individual members do in this regard? As former longtime Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Thomas "Tip" O'Neill used to say, "All politics is local." When we attend meetings of our paratransit agency, commission on disability, city council, or county board of supervisors, do we mention when we speak that we are members of the American Council of the Blind? Are we handing out our state affiliate brochures or other material? ACB is only as strong as we, the membership, make it. I consider it an honor to be your president. If you don't already, it is my sincere hope that you will soon consider it an honor to be a member of the American Council of the Blind. All of us share equally the responsibility for helping to make ACB the most influential organization of blind people anywhere. Please join me in this worthwhile effort. ***** TAKING ADVOCACY TO THE NEXT LEVEL by Melanie Brunson Does either of these scenarios describe you? You own a cell phone, but are very dissatisfied with it, because it seems that the more features phones have, the higher the price, with less and less accessibility. You'd like to own a cell phone, but you don't, because you can't read the screen, you can't find the buttons, and you don't understand how it works! If you fall into either of these categories, I have one more question to ask you: Have you let anyone know about your dissatisfaction? If you have, you are one of only a handful of consumers who have done so. If you have not, I hope you will read on and that the information below will encourage you to make your needs and concerns known. If you own one of the cell phones currently on the market, or if you've given up your search for a cell phone you can use because of sheer frustration, you have recourse. There are a couple of avenues you can use to express your concerns, and now is a very good time to pursue either or both of them. First, we need to continue asking cell phone companies for accessible phones, but we need to make sure that we communicate clearly what we expect to get when we ask for them. For instance, we need to be clear that what we want is a phone that provides features such as audio output of menus and other information on the screen, displays that can be adjusted to make them more readable with limited vision and keys and controls that are identifiable by touch. We should also make it clear that although voice commands may be desirable for some people, industry should stop assuming that blind people need to use voice input to control their phones. And we should clearly communicate that we expect to receive both our manuals and phone bills in accessible formats. These should include descriptions of images and graphics. Now, let's take this issue one step further. Section 255 of the Communications Act requires telecommunications service providers and manufacturers to ensure that their products and services are accessible to people with disabilities, if that access is readily achievable. The law also provides a mechanism whereby customers who believe such products or services do not provide readily achievable access can file complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This complaint process has been in place since the late 1990s. To date, the FCC has received very few complaints for Section 255 violations. But even when complaints have been filed, the FCC has not been very responsive. Nonetheless, I believe more people should take advantage of this complaint process. It is my opinion that one reason for the FCC's inadequate response is that they don't see the issues as very important to the public. This is nothing more than the squeaky wheel getting the grease. In this case, if it doesn't squeak loud enough, other issues that make more noise get dealt with first. Whether you own a cell phone or not, if you are concerned about these issues, I hope you will contribute to our noise level and explore the possibility of contacting the FCC through the Section 255 complaint process. If you have questions about how to do that, here's how to get answers. If you don't have a computer and would like more information about this process, call the ACB national office and ask for Eric Bridges. He can put you in touch with one of several people who can help. Members of ACB's information access committee are among those who can guide you through it. The public policy office of the American Foundation for the Blind has also embarked on a concerted effort to encourage people with visual impairments to file Section 255 complaints and their staff is ready to assist as well. In fact, you can e-mail your cell phone access concerns to them by sending a message to 255action@afb.net. They are also putting additional material about cell phones and accessibility on their web site, www.afb.org, including an explanation of how to use the FCC's complaint form. AFB's Vice President of Programs and Policy, Paul Schroeder, told me, "Over the past several months we have spoken with many consumers with vision loss and we have worked with approximately 20 consumers who have provided us with detailed accessibility problems that are being shaped into complaints to be filed with the FCC. I expect that we will file these complaints in the next few weeks. When they are filed, we will publicize the effort to ensure that the companies and the FCC take them seriously. And now would be a great time for you to file complaints on cell phone accessibility too. In addition, on July 17, AFB sent a letter to the leading cell phone carriers and manufacturers indicating that consumers are frustrated with the lack of accessibility and asking for specific information on what these companies are doing about accessibility. The service providers we contacted were: AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Alltel; and the manufacturers were: Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, Sanyo, Pantech and HTC Global Services. I sent a fairly specific attachment with the letter explaining accessibility expectations for individuals with vision loss. I asked for the companies to respond with info by August 31. We'll add any information we get to our web site." I hope you will take advantage of these resources, regardless of whether you own a cell phone. We will put more information about advocacy efforts on these issues in future editions of "The Braille Forum." But I encourage you to be proactive. Don't wait for further information; help to create it. ***** FABRICS OF THE CITY Designing Shared Streets for Safety and Usability by Ken Stewart (Editor's Note: This proposal was submitted to the U.S. Access Board in June 2007.) The concept of the "shared street" is increasingly popular nowadays in cities of western Europe, and interest in the idea is growing in the U.S. too. A shared street is usually established in a downtown area where, for a full block, there is no obvious separation between motor vehicles and other users. All users are authorized to move through the block anywhere and yield to other users through a "negotiation" process not unlike what occurs at any signalized intersection when both a pedestrian within a crosswalk and a turning motor vehicle are authorized to proceed. Typically, there is eye contact, from which the motorist concludes whether the pedestrian will speed up or slow slightly to permit the vehicle to cross his path either just in front of, or behind, the pedestrian. That sort of negotiated priority can develop also where there is an unsignalized crosswalk, and a crossing pedestrian waits for a gap in traffic movement unless an approaching vehicle pauses in deference to that pedestrian. The intention of establishing a shared street is to create a "traffic calming" feature. It has been described as an expression of a desire for civility. Many U.S. cities have converted a particular downtown block to what is commonly known as a "pedestrian mall." It has been converted because there are, or planned to be, many retail, commercial, and other non- residential destinations along both sides of the street. These pedestrian malls are very well received by pedestrian groups, by businesses depending upon heavy drop-in customers such as restaurants, and by the local anti-auto stakeholders. Resistance is expressed by those who identify the collateral damage caused by the elimination of a previously convenient motor vehicle passage, by those who suffer the negative effects of the diverted traffic, and by any business along the block that wants close and full-time access to trucking or other motor vehicle functions. A shared street offers an apparent compromise between these conflicting interests. The shared street is intended to eliminate any physical symbols of "territoriality." With no observable edges to the vehicle right-of-way, a motorist is reminded thereby that he has no exclusive route. He must be ready at all times to yield the right-of-way as determined by eye contact negotiations. Walkers, and many other street users on wheels, including skaters, bicyclists, skateboarders, those operating human transporters, baby carriage pushers, people moving in hand-powered wheelchairs, and folks in power scooters, gain great flexibility. They can choose the most direct route between any destinations along that block, and they also vary their paths to avoid clumps of other pedestrians as they wish. Street furniture typically remains where it was if the street was previously a conventional one. A newly developed shared street would likely follow a similar pattern, lining up most items outside of the central corridor. One user group greatly disadvantaged by the shared street is that class which depends upon obvious visible and tactile "shorelines" to maintain directionality, and is excluded from the eye contact by which movement priority is negotiated. One design technique which can reduce this major disadvantage is the inclusion of a pattern in the street's surface. The pattern must be highly visible and detectable under foot also, but not so prominent that it presents a significant obstacle to easy rolling by all of those moving on wheels but not in motor vehicles. The pattern also must avoid conveying any notion of parts of the area being primarily for trucks and cars, and parts primarily for others. A "corduroy" pattern would be created by the application of longitudinal seams for the length of the block. Each seam would be three inches in width and one-half inch high, with a rounded crown. Each seam would be in high visual contrast to the street surface. The visual combination could be in any one of several aesthetically pleasing combinations such as chocolate brown seams on a beige surface, or a very light gray seam on a dark asphalt surface. The seams would be separated by a uniform gap, six feet for example. Street furniture would be aligned within the same two seams for the length of the block, typically outside the second seam out from the building line, resulting in a clear channel between the building line and these objects of more than 12 feet. The presence of longitudinal seams would enable a visually impaired pedestrian to maintain directionality. Those users would remain vulnerable when moving across the street, but they could at least detect a visual and/or tactile basis for aiming across at a right angle, thus minimizing their exposure to more formidable users. By keeping that perpendicular directionality, and avoiding any noticeable sideways facing, they would minimize the expectation of any motorist for negotiations. Of course, the conspicuousness of a long white cane, service animal or stability support would further reduce any expectations for negotiations. A better design would add periodic lateral seams with the same dimensions and appearance, spaced according to the Golden Ratio so popular with architects. These seams, approximately 10 feet apart if joining six- foot spaced longitudinals, would provide guidance for a visually impaired pedestrian wishing to navigate across the street as directly as possible. Even more helpful than this "tweed" pattern would be a design creating a "plaid" appearance; if every fourth lateral seam was tripled, it would offer periodic markers for place orientation. The surface feature thus established would also give a visually impaired pedestrian crossing the street more visually and tactually obvious directional guidance. These fabrics of the city might regularize the experience of a cognitively disabled shared street user also. ***** ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS IN SAN FRANCISCO by Jeff Thom As a result of a successful advocacy campaign by the California Council of the Blind and others, the city and county of San Francisco have undertaken a comprehensive program to install accessible pedestrian signals (APS). The city has already installed hundreds of the audible devices at more than 50 intersections, and has signed a binding legal agreement requiring it to install APS at a minimum of 80 intersections and to spend a minimum of $1.6 million on APS over the next two and a half years. The agreement also provides that the city will seek additional funding for more installations. Information about how to learn more about the San Francisco plan is at the end of this article. The state-of-the art signaling devices in San Francisco are manufactured by Polara and will assist blind and visually impaired pedestrians by emitting a rapid ticking sound in tandem with the familiar "WALK" symbol displayed for sighted pedestrians. Other accessibility features include locator tones and vibrating pushbuttons to help those with visual impairments locate the devices, and the ability to provide helpful audible information such as street names when pedestrians press the pushbutton for one second or longer. In addition to installing the devices, the city will meet twice a year with blind community representatives to discuss implementation issues, as well as any new technology, legal, or safety developments in connection with APS. The city has also committed to maintaining the new devices, and will work with the CCB and other advocates to adopt a policy for San Francisco residents to request accessible pedestrian signals. The settlement agreement also includes detailed technical specifications for APS and a detailed checklist to enable the city to fairly prioritize requests based on safety factors and other criteria. The agreement with San Francisco was reached without litigation through a collaborative process known as structured negotiations. In addition to ACB's California affiliate, the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco, and local blind advocate Damien Pickering were involved in the negotiations. Disability rights lawyers Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian represented the blind community. When the APS program was announced in late June, city officials praised the community advocates and the structured negotiations process. The head of the agency in charge of the city's APS effort, Nathaniel Ford, said he was "very grateful to the advocates for San Francisco's blind community in working to advance this comprehensive agreement, especially Anita Aaron of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Eugene Lozano Jr., and many members of the California Council of the Blind." San Francisco's city attorney stated, "This agreement reflects far more than our commitment to public safety -- it represents San Francisco's commitment to engage the disability community in a manner that is cooperative rather than confrontational on matters involving accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. ... [I am] thankful for the positive approach taken by advocates for the blind and visually impaired community." Learn More ACB members interested in learning more about San Francisco's APS program can find the settlement agreement and all related documents on Linda Dardarian's web site at www.gdblegal.com/whatwedo.php?menuItem=36&case=71 . Word documents and other formats are also available by contacting Linda's office at 1-800-332-6177 or e-mailing Lainey Feingold at lfeingold@earthlink.net. CCB advocates involved in the effort can be reached as follows: Jeff Thom, President, California Council of the Blind, jsthom@comcast.net Gene Lozano, CCB Second Vice President and Chair, Access and Transportation Committee, (916) 278-6988 or lozanoe@csus.edu Linda Porelle, President, San Francisco Chapter of the California Council of the Blind, (415) 694-7315 or lporelle@lighthouse-sf.org Jessie Lorenz, CCB member and Director of Public Policy and Information at the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, (415) 694-7361 or jlorenz@lighthouse-sf.org ACB members and chapters are encouraged to share the San Francisco documents with their local traffic engineers and other state and local officials. Pedestrian safety is a critical issue for the blind community, and APS should be a significant part of all pedestrian safety programs. ***** BOARD DISCUSSES IDENTIFIABLE CURRENCY, BID FOR 2010, LITIGATION, AND RETURN OF THE CONVENTION EAR by Charles S.P. Hodge President Chris Gray called the pre-convention board meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. Central time on Saturday, June 30, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis, Minn. Secretary Donna Seliger called the roll, and all board members were present. In addition, staff members Melanie Brunson and Phil Strong were present as well as Don Stevens, ACB's parliamentarian. A number of guests were also in attendance. Gray reviewed the proposed meeting agenda with the board, and he agreed to add a number of items suggested by board members. Paul Edwards moved to adopt the meeting agenda as amended. The motion carried on a voice vote. Mitch Pomerantz asked Gray about the status of ACB's direct mail campaign, and was told that a mailing had recently been sent out along with an e-mail campaign to prior contributors with no report of results available at this time. Oral Miller inquired about ACB's involvement with the World Blind Union (WBU). Gray replied that ACB continues to be deeply involved with the WBU, especially with the North America-Caribbean regional group. Treasurer Mike Godino made a joint budget committee report and treasurer's report to the board, setting forth ACB's year-to-date financial situation which, after the first five months of 2007, is promising for the rest of the 2007 fiscal year. Seliger then presented the draft minutes of the May 23, 2007 telephone conference call for approval. Edwards moved to approve those minutes. The motion carried on a voice vote. Melanie Brunson then reported to the board on the results of the survey on identifying currency which had been published earlier in "The Braille Forum." She indicated that of the 55 responses thus far reviewed, 18 use money identifiers and one uses the Optacon. Of these 19 respondents, 11 indicated that the devices used were not effective. Several respondents reported that foreign currency of different sizes and colors were sufficient for identification purposes. She stated that some recently received responses had not yet been reviewed and thus were not included in her report. She suggested that the results of the survey should be published in "The Braille Forum." MJ Schmitt suggested that the currency survey be made available to attendees at this convention; however, obtaining board volunteers to man a table to distribute and complete survey forms proved to be a problem. Carla Ruschival suggested that beginning on Monday, the currency survey could be made available to convention attendees. The survey results should be available at the fall board meeting. David Trott, chairman of the resource development committee (RDC), stated that "The Braille Forum" raffle was going well, and that the winning tickets would be drawn at the banquet on Friday evening. Convention coordinator Carla Ruschival stated that she had a bid for the 2010 national convention from the downtown Phoenix, Ariz., Sheraton Hotel. Two representatives from the Downtown Phoenix Sheraton Hotel then spoke about their hotel and the greater Phoenix area. They indicated that their hotel was in the final phases of construction, and would be open to the public early in 2008. They indicated that the hotel was planning on a 6,500-square-foot guide dog relief area. The hotel will have a full-service restaurant as well as a Starbucks in the lobby. There are several eateries across the street from the hotel, and audible pedestrian signals are already in operation throughout the downtown area. Ruschival then asked Jim Halliday of HumanWare Inc. to share his views with the board on corporate partnershipping and seeking corporate sponsorships for ACB projects. Halliday began by suggesting that one project which HumanWare would be interested in helping to sponsor is promoting braille literacy through programming on ACB Radio. Another project which has limitless opportunities and possibilities for corporate partnershipping agreements and corporate sponsorships is the American Center on Blindness and Visual Impairment project which ACB members are being encouraged to support. He emphasized that partnershipping is the best path toward achieving successful project completion. Because HumanWare Inc. had contributed so much to the 2007 convention, Ruschival presented to Halliday and his company their "Ruby" sponsorship certificate, which equates to a $10,000 contribution. Ruschival continued her report by indicating that the Phoenix Sheraton was proposing a firm room rate of $89 per night for 2010. Bradley then moved to authorize the convention coordinator to go forward with the bid for 2010 from the Phoenix Sheraton Hotel provided that the on-site inspection, to be conducted after the facility is open to the public in 2008, proves to be satisfactory. On a voice vote, the motion carried. Ruschival indicated that while the Hyatt Regency Hotel has been most accommodating in resolving problems, convention attendees were unable to connect to the Internet from their guest rooms. Ray Campbell volunteered to follow up with the hotel in order to work out the bugs in the hotel's computer access system. Ruschival concluded her report by informing the board that the Convention Ear has successfully been resurrected and will be operational during this convention. Brunson reported that all category one 2006 resolutions have been capably handled by our new legislative and governmental affairs director, Eric Bridges. She added that the category two 2006 convention resolutions are currently being worked on. She then made a brief report on the lawsuit filed by Independent Living Aids (ILA) against the American Council of the Blind and its president, Christopher Gray, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The article which appeared in the April 2007 edition of "The Braille Forum" written by President Gray will in all likelihood be taken down from the ACB web site until further notice. (That decision would be made by the board of publications at its meeting July 1, 2007.) Paul Edwards moved that the board recommend to the board of publications that the article in question be removed from the web site until the conclusion of the litigation. Edwards noted that a statement will be prepared in consultation with our attorneys to appear in the place of the article in question on the web site. The motion carried on a voice vote. Ray Campbell then moved to recess the board meeting and to convene a corporate membership meeting of the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services, Inc. (ACBES). The motion carried on a voice vote. Michael Garrett, chairman of the ACBES board, opened the meeting by informing the members that a member of the ACBES board of directors has resigned. He recommended that David Trott be elected to fill this vacant position. By consensus, the members decided to leave that seat empty until the next corporate membership meeting, which is being planned for September. Garrett reported that the store managers were brought to Minneapolis for a two-day meeting in March, and that he felt that they were given useful information which they could bring back to their respective stores and use effectively in their daily operations. He anticipated that ACBES would meet its financial goal of support for ACB for fiscal 2007. Ray Campbell moved to adjourn the ACBES corporate membership meeting. The motion carried on a voice vote. As the ACB board meeting reconvened, Schmitt moved to accept the ACBES report. On a voice vote, the motion carried. Gray then asked Chrissie Cochrane of ACB Radio to address the board. She discussed ACB Radio World, which is envisioned to be a combination of Mainstream and the interactive stream, which will be heard in several languages. The secretary of the American Council of the Blind of Wisconsin (ACBW) indicated that Nona Graves would be in attendance at the post-convention board meeting to accept a charter of affiliation with ACB on behalf of ACBW. Charlie Hodge made a brief report to the board on behalf of the BOP. He announced that the biannual revision of the BOP's editorial policy manual will be presented to the BOP tomorrow. He also indicated that his successor as ex officio member of the board from the BOP would be selected at the BOP meeting tomorrow. Lori Scharff then brought to the board a request for funding to meet accessibility needs, such as interpreters for individuals who are hearing impaired. She observed that this year, ACB has been very lucky to have had donated funds from AOL to fund interpreters for the deaf-blind members who are attending this convention. Mitch Pomerantz moved to refer this matter to the convention coordinating committee. On a voice vote, the motion carried with one dissenting vote. Gray recognized M.J. Schmitt for her years of dedicated service to ACB in her capacity as a member of the board. He also singled out Paul Edwards for having been a valuable and contributing board member. With no further business to conduct, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Central time. ***** FOLLOWING CONVENTIONAL WISDOM by Ken Stewart (Editor's Note: The American Council of the Blind constitution and bylaws require that a narrative summary of every board of directors meeting be prepared by the board of publications' ex officio representative to the board of directors. Upon approval of the minutes of these meetings by the board of directors, the minutes will be made available to the membership on the web site. Members who cannot access the minutes in that way may request assistance from the national office.) Just 24 hours after the American Council of the Blind's annual convention in Minneapolis elected them, the organization's new cadre of officers swung into action. At its post-convention meeting on site, the newly constituted board of directors got right down to business, not a little of which was generated by the convention attendees. It was an open meeting with approximately 40 observers seated around the periphery of the large fifth floor hotel meeting room. With the aid of a wireless microphone, all those observers were able to introduce themselves. From time to time during the meeting, several of them were called upon by newly elected president Mitch Pomerantz to contribute to a particular discussion. Pomerantz set the tone for the new administration by expressing a determination to maximize the participation of all board officers and directors in organization business during the coming year. Close liaison will be established with committees, and effective communications will be maintained among board members. After the minutes of the previous board's May 23 meeting were approved, conditional approval was voted unanimously for a new chapter, the ACB of Wisconsin. Final board approval is conditional upon national office reviewing the affiliate's proposed constitution and bylaws. The Milwaukee area's Badger Association has agreed to disaffiliate; its members are among the approximately 30 seeking the new charter. Before the board tackled the substance of the resolutions which were not yet considered at the close of the convention due to time constraints, Ray Campbell and several other board members expressed their discomfort with the task. Respect for the many convention attendees who opposed the referral to the board, as well as a determination to find ways of avoiding a repeat of that dilemma at the next annual convention, were widely acknowledged. Resolutions committee chair Judy Jackson read the text of each pending resolution. A vote was taken after discussion and "wordsmithing," and then later in the meeting, a priority was assigned to each resolution that had been approved either by the convention body or the board. The seven given top priority will be implemented immediately by national office staff. Nine which were assigned a priority two will be acted upon in the next several weeks. The remaining two will be pursued as soon as staff time allows, or are described as "ongoing actions" at the national office. The text of every approved resolution will become available to the entire organization membership promptly. Resolution 07-20, concerning NLS page navigation in DAISY format mark- ups, was defeated by a nearly unanimous vote, but several board members were identified who will develop appropriate wording to respond to any remaining concerns in this area. Resolution 07-31, submitted by the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America and expressing its displeasure about some convention aspects, also failed. The president will attend to those concerns informally. Resolution 07-21 on accessibility of web sites and Resolution 07-24 on large print on currency were not acted upon due to the unavailability during the meeting of final proposed wording or the need for more staff attention to their text before board action. The board discussed at some length the convention, evaluating what features were successful as well as problem areas. Eleven attendees received a total of 158 hours of sign language interpreter services, but a lengthy exchange among several board members and a representative of the relevant committee failed to fully clarify what the total cost to the organization will be, and how much of the service was donated. The board will probe this matter further. Comptroller Lane Waters was present for a portion of the meeting, and commented briefly on financial matters, identifying no issues calling for board action or cause for worry. He noted that thrift store sales have been stronger lately. He also noted management efficiency improvements in that area. Treasurer Mike Godino reported a total of $17,150 in donations were pledged from individuals and affiliates from the convention floor. It was also reported that the ACB Store at the convention generated about $2,000 in revenue. It was announced that two affiliate presidents, yet unnamed, will join Pomerantz, Godino and Bradley to comprise the office review committee. Campbell was selected to represent the board of directors on the Internet oversight committee, and Charles Hodge passed the baton to Ken Stewart as the board of publications' ex officio member sitting for the year on the board of directors. Pomerantz will be joined on the executive committee by first vice president Kim Charlson and immediate past president Chris Gray, elected by the officers to represent them, and directors Keith and Thom, elected by their fellow directors. With any needed board conference calls in the interim, the next assembled board of directors meeting will be scheduled in October or November, possibly at a site of a potential future convention. Chicago and San Diego had been mentioned earlier in the meeting as under consideration as convention sites. The board adjourned after almost five hours in session. Board Teleconference August 2, 2007 On Aug. 2, the board resumed discussion of several pieces of business not completed on July 7. The teleconference, lasting a bit over two hours, also considered important issues which had surfaced more recently and deserved attention before the next face-to-face meeting, planned for the weekend of Oct. 13-14 at a site yet to be determined. Executive director Melanie Brunson reported that the business relationship with an Internet travel service has been severed as requested by Damar Travel, based on the previously existing exclusive contractual relationship between Damar and ACB. The Internet service had generated negligible income for ACB. Damar's connection has generated revenue in past years from cruise business, although there is no record of any for the current year as yet. When the Damar contract expires in 2008, ACB will be free to negotiate with any travel service to obtain the most favorable business terms. Brunson also reported to the board on staffing adjustments within the national office, and indicated that her review of the submitted constitution from the ACB of Wisconsin group has satisfied her except for one provision which she is assured will be appropriately modified. Based on the executive director's recommendation, the board approved the new ACB of Wisconsin's charter. The two remaining convention resolutions not already finalized were processed, both receiving a passing vote. Resolution 07-24 expresses the organization's continuing advocacy for more accessible U.S. paper currency, without endorsing any single solution for achieving full accessibility. Resolution 07-21 relates to the need for more accessibility on commercial web sites, urging the application of the ADA's Title III, compliance with standards of web site accessibility, and removal of "captcha," a security feature which cannot be engaged non-visually. In a related action, the board passed a motion expressing support for the on-line petition asking Yahoo to move toward establishing a non-visual method of interacting with its web site "captchas." The board considered at some length the most appropriate language for a motion supporting the ADA Restoration Act, which is currently being advanced in the U.S. Congress. The motion ultimately receiving a unanimous voice vote conveyed support for the legislation as well as a strong desire to amend it so that it addresses the ADA concerns of people who are blind or visually impaired. The board also spent time allocating a very generous unrestricted bequest just received in the amount of $400,000. Many deserving budget areas were identified before a decision was reached to place $325,000 into the designated reserve fund, consistent with standing policy aimed toward the goal of building organization reserves to $1 million. The remainder will go into the general fund. Brunson indicated that there may be an additional sum to follow from that bequest, and that another monetary gift was recently received at the national office. Prior to concluding the teleconference, the board selected representatives to the public relations and credentials committees; they are Billie Jean Keith and Ray Campbell, respectively. ***** INTRODUCING THE NEWEST BOP AWARD: THE HOLLIS K. LIGGETT BRAILLE FREE PRESS AWARD! At its mid-year meeting in March, the ACB board of directors approved the board of publications' proposal to establish the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award. This award was named in honor of Hollis Liggett, and is intended to promote best journalistic practices and excellence in writing in publications of ACB's state and special-interest affiliates. All periodicals of ACB affiliates, distributed no less than semi- annually, are eligible to be considered for the Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award. Nominations must be submitted by the affiliate's newsletter editor or president. Submissions are due on or before January 15, 2008, and should be sent to "The Braille Forum" editor. Submissions must include the following: 1. Two issues of the affiliate's publication from the previous calendar year sent electronically and in hard copy in the format which the affiliate recognizes as the format which best represents its readership. 2. Answers to the following questions: A. How many members are in your affiliate? B. How often is your publication published per year? C. In what formats is your publication produced? The BOP will take the submitted information into consideration as well as the following: 1. The number of contributing writers in a single issue; 2. The variety of information written about in each issue; 3. How well the publication portrays the affiliate; 4. The quality of writing throughout the publication; and 5. The overall layout and presentation of the publication. Send your submissions to Sharon Lovering, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005. Make sure they'll arrive no later than January 15, 2008. We look forward to receiving your nominations. The first Liggett Award will be presented at the convention in Louisville, Ky. ***** DESIGN A LOGO AND WIN $300! by Donna Seliger No, we're not kidding. The National Education and Legal Defense Services for the Blind needs a logo. Q: What is the National Education and Legal Defense Services for the Blind? A: It is a group of blind and visually impaired men and women who got together back in 1992 with the idea of helping other blind people with discrimination issues at work, school, church and in their daily living activities. Q: How does this organization help people? A: NELDS currently has three attorneys on its board; however, when needed, others are consulted depending on the situation. Let's say an individual feels discriminated against at work and needs help. He or she can contact a NELDS member and ask for help. The case would be reviewed and, if NELDS can assist, the wheels are set in motion. Q: Will I be charged for this service? A: No. Our members sell benefit tickets each year to raise funds and also accept membership applications from individuals, chapters and state and special interest affiliates. Now for the logo; develop your design and send it either by USPS to Donna Seliger, 3912 SE 5th St., Des Moines, IA 50315 or via e-mail to dseliger@worldnet.att.net. The entries must be sent no later than Feb. 15, 2008. The winner will be notified and an announcement will appear in a future issue of "The Braille Forum." For questions, please call (515) 284-0505. ***** MEMBERSHIP SEMINAR SUMMER 2007 Compiled by Ardis Bazyn The three segments of the ACB membership seminar at this year's convention were: creative ways to involve students and seniors in your chapters; how state and special-interest affiliates can work together to provide diverse conventions; and how to find blinded veterans in your communities throughout the U.S. to invite them to your affiliate meetings and events. First we had two skits, one with two students (Elizabeth Kelly and Claire Stanley) talking about a recent chapter meeting that one of them had attended. Next we had a skit with two seniors (M.J. Schmitt and Allan Peterson) talking about a chapter meeting that one had attended. In both skits, the student and senior who had attended a chapter meeting were sharing the positive aspects of the meetings with their friends. If you'd like copies of the skits to use at your affiliate convention, contact Ardis Bazyn via e-mail, abazyn@bazyncommunications.com, or by phone, (818) 238-9321. After the skits, Brenda Dillon read and distributed copies of program ideas particularly of interest to students and another for topics specifically for seniors. Those are included at the end of this article. The presenters of the second segment of the seminar were: Debbie Grubb (Florida), Jeff Thom (California), Ann Byington (Kansas), and Marlaina Lieberg (Washington). These presidents told the audience how their state and special-interest affiliates work together to give ample time in the convention schedule for joint and separate programs. In some cases, the state affiliate convention committee incorporated members from the special- interest affiliates. In other cases, contacts were made with special- interest affiliates to ask if they wanted to have any programming at the convention. These state affiliates only charged the special-interest affiliate for rooms when they had to pay extra for them. These state affiliates do include the special-interest affiliate events in the state affiliate registration form and also include their items in the affiliate convention program. Speakers addressed the general sessions as well as in some special-interest sessions, sharing or saving expenses for both. Each presenter felt that having joint conventions was a positive way to build membership in the state and special-interest affiliates. Kansas has also added a unique component: having speakers give accredited seminars so professionals can get continuing education unit credits for attending these sessions. These panel members urged audience members to contact them if your state convention committee would like to have more participation with special-interest affiliates. The third segment of the seminar was on the topic of reaching out to blinded veterans. How can local chapters and state affiliates work together with the Blinded Veterans Administration to support local veterans? The speakers on this panel were Robert Smith of Minnesota, a regional outreach coordinator for the BVA, and Ellsworth (Skip) Sharpe from Maryland, the current president of Visually Impaired Veterans of America. Skip talked about the benefits of VIVA and told the listeners to tell their members about the support and information available. Bob Smith advised audience members to contact local veterans' hospitals and find out about blinded veterans in your community. Each VA hospital has staff assigned to assist blinded veterans. You can let them know how your local chapter can support blinded veterans. What follows are the handouts given at the seminar. Program ideas for young people: - Employment panel: employed visually impaired persons - Employment skills: focusing on resumes and interviews - Computer technology tips: what students would want to know a. How to copy CDs, DVDs, etc. b. How to use Excel or other Office programs c. How to merge documents - How to write formal papers - Leadership training - Inviting both blind and sighted students to an event - Transition to college - Social events a. Pizza party b. Sports event or DVS movie c. Dance instruction Program ideas for seniors: - Using radio reading services - Eligibility for paratransit and local transportation services - "Available Senior Companion" or "Helping Hand" service - Free or low-cost computer training programs - Where to find inexpensive computer systems - "Friend to Friend" services (phoning seniors who live alone) - Signing up seniors for Medicare D - Showing low vision aids (magnifiers or cooking aids) - Advantages of a guide dog or white cane Your affiliate or local chapters could prepare a resource list to share with new members, seniors, or others with recent vision loss. These lists should include where they can receive disability support and services in the local community as well as the state. Please share your membership ideas at the next membership focus call on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007. Keep this date open on your calendar. As always, the call-in number will be 1- 866-633-8638. The passcode will be the date of the call, 102107. The October call topic will be "Boosting Your Membership: Getting them in and Keeping them in." ***** AFFILIATE NEWS Mid-Atlantic Regional Convention Mark your calendars for Nov. 2-4, 2007! You're invited to attend the first regional convention of mid-Atlantic state affiliates of the American Council of the Blind: ACB of Maryland, D.C. Council of the Blind, Old Dominion Council of the Blind, National Capitol Citizens with Low Vision, and Maryland Area Guide Dog Users, Inc. Events on the agenda include: workshops and presentations on such topics as getting, finding and keeping a job; emergency preparedness; books and technology; transportation and pedestrian safety; "is a guide dog right for you?"; exhibits; and plenty of opportunities to socialize. The hotel is the Holiday Inn Rosslyn; phone (703) 807-2000 to make your room reservation. Rates are $99 per night single or double occupancy. For more information, contact Doug Powell at (703) 573-5107, Patricia Beattie at (703) 623-9840, or Billie Jean Keith at (703) 528-4455. ***** LETTER TO THE EDITOR The contents of this column reflect the letters we had received by the time we went to press, Sept. 15, 2007. Letters are limited to 300 words or fewer. All submissions must include the author's name and location. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. Regarding 'Tilt!' I have long been impressed with the democratic nature of the American Council of the Blind. But I wonder why the organization would lend credence, by their publication in its national magazine, to the views expressed by Carl Jarvis in his article ("Tilt!," June 2007). Jarvis begins his article by stating that he thinks the blind are going about it the wrong way by suggesting that they are just as good as the sighted. Such a view is demeaning. But it's also downright dangerous. He adds further insult with his portrayals of the beautiful young blind woman with the guide dog and the muscular blind man with the cane, which, though they're meant to be tongue-in-cheek, are patently offensive. Jarvis concludes his piece by stating that the blind don't need a level playing field, they need a separate one. What he's suggesting is the establishment of a separate "blind culture." Such an idea hasn't worked out for the deaf and hearing-impaired community. It won't work for the blind. Too often, we in the blind community cry out for accommodations. When we get them, (which we generally do) we find we can't use them, either for lack of training in the alternative skills we need to use as blind people, or for any number of other reasons. Sure, the playing field will not always be level. But it shouldn't stop us from entering it and doing the best we can. Hopefully, our examples would then lead to the changes we desire and often desperately need. All of us in the blind community could stand some critical self- examination. We probably won't like some of what we see. But I hope the exercise would lead us to strive not just to be better blind people, but better representatives of humanity as a whole. -- W. Kent McGregor, St. George, Utah ***** HERE AND THERE by Sue Lichtenfels The announcement of products and services in this column is not an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its staff, or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to info@acb.org, or call ACB at 1-800-424-8666 and leave a message in mailbox 26. Please remember that postal regulations prohibit us from including advertisements, and that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates. ** 2007 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field, founded in 2001, is housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Ky. It is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. In October, the Class of 2007 -- Charles Campbell for his work in vocational rehabilitation and Everett Hill for transforming the field of orientation and mobility -- will be inducted into the hall. For more information on these two leaders, visit www.aph.org/hall_fame/news.html. ** CONGRESS FOR BLIND CHILDREN The World Blind Union is sponsoring the first-ever International Congress for Blind and Partially Sighted Children in Pontevedra, Spain, March 25-29, 2008. Twenty-four students between the ages of 14-16 will be selected to travel to Spain and participate in discussions on the status of blind and partially sighted teenagers in the world today, focusing especially on education, the family and relating to your peers. To enter the competition, submit an essay of less than 1,500 words on one of the following by Dec. 31, 2007: your life as a visually impaired teenager (in a creative form, perhaps a poem, a letter or a newspaper article); your experience with children's rights in your community, country or region; or one of the three areas to be addressed during the congress (the family, education and relating to peers). Entries can be in print, braille, or an electronic format. Submit essays by fax at 34 91 589 47 49, by e-mail at umc@once.es, or by mail to Listening to the Children, Attn. Enrique P‚rez, c/o ONCE, C/ Almansa 66, 28039 Madrid, Spain. For more information, call 34 91 589 45 33 or visit www.worldblindunion.org. ** BRAILLE BOUTIQUE OPENS Julie Cook Rimes has recently established BRAILLE'iant!, A Braille Boutique that offers personalized braille fine-silver jewelry and braille T-shirts for all ages. The goal of BRAILLE'iant! is to provide sassy and practical products for both visually impaired and sighted people that will help to raise braille awareness. These products are available to browse at www.brailleiant.com. For more information, or to order, call Julie Cook Rimes at (225) 247-0006. ** APPRENTICESHIP FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED Get Some Marketing is offering an apprenticeship program called Blind Online Success System (BOSS). They are seeking interested people to participate in the intensive learning environment, where individuals will learn Internet marketing and e-commerce in order to run and manage an online business from home. Interested parties must have a computer with an Internet connection. To learn more, contact Jeff Wark and Loretta Steffen at (410) 433-5943 or e-mail support@ecorepreneur.com. ** BRAILLE PLAYING CARDS Carson City Natives and Newcomers is sponsoring a project to offer free braille playing cards to blind or visually impaired individuals. To request a free deck, send an e-mail to Heidi DePuy at wenarced2@aol.com. In the subject line, type "braille playing cards." Include your name and address, the number of decks you need, and what you will be using the cards for. Cards will be sent free matter. ** TWO NEW MAGAZINES Recorded Periodicals recently added two new monthly magazines to its selection: "Better Homes & Gardens" and "Essence." For a free audio sample of these magazines, call (215) 627-0600, ext. 3206, or send an e-mail to jcorrigan@asb.org. You can visit www.asb.org for a complete list of magazines available on audiocassette, as well as over 400 braille titles. ** WEB RESOURCE VisionAWARE.com is a self-help web site for vision loss. It contains free, practical information to enhance the quality of life and independence for adults with vision loss. The site has released a special issue of its newsletter focusing on age-related macular degeneration. Also available is a question-and-answer section discussing makeup application for people with vision loss. FREE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE The DuBoff Law Group, LLC, is pleased to announce that as part of the settlement of a case it handled against Vonage Holdings Corp. for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, Vonage will be providing qualified disabled Americans with free directory assistance beginning in late 2007. ** NEW TALKING FIRST AID KIT The Talking First Aid Kit from intelligentFirstAid (TM) is individually labeled with color-coded injury packs so the user has all the supplies and instructions for managing a specific injury. By the press of a button, the audio module attached to each injury card provides step-by-step instructions to manage the wound, pausing and repeating when necessary for accurate response. Each kit includes nine injury-specific packs: Breathing, Bleeding, Shock, Head & Spine, Bone, Eye, Burns, Bite & Stings, and Basics. To learn more, visit www.intelligentfirstaid.com. ** TALKING GLUCOSE METER The Prodigy Autocode Talking Glucometer offers audible prompts to guide you through each step, and audible test results. To learn more, call toll-free 1-866-805-5016. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP ** FOR SALE: Nokia 6620 cell phone with Nuance talking software on it. In excellent condition; rarely used. Asking $250 or best offer. Contact Shawn Cox at (757) 487-5404 or (757) 295-7785. ** FOR SALE: PAC Mate QX400 with a 20-cell braille display and a qwerty keyboard. It comes with the charger, carrying case, wireless Internet card and USB adaptors. Rarely used; in great condition. Asking $2,500 or best offer. Contact Derrick Elsen via e-mail, elsen@ksu.edu. ** SEEKING GOOD HOME: Standard braille writer in a hard case for donation. The brailler is in need of cleaning and repair. Please contact Margie Donovan at (415) 218-8715 or margie.donovan@med.va.gov. ** FOR SALE: Two braille writers. Asking $300 each. Contact Chuck at (267) 443-9109 or Melody at (267) 232-7336. ** FOR SALE: Juliet braille printer. In good condition. Approximately seven years old. Asking $1,400 or best offer. Contact Rodney Neely at (703) 319-0881 or (571) 527-8905, or via e-mail, blindlion@verizon.net. ** FOR SALE: Bibles on cassette tape, New and Old Testaments. Both dramatized and narrated versions. High-quality audio cassette tapes. Old- time radio stories. Contact J.C. Kelly at (903) 794-4852. ** FOR SALE: Two PAC Mate units, one QX and one BX. Both have version 4.1 software. The QX comes with a 40-cell braille display, charger, quick- start manual in print and braille, earphones, a long USB cable, a wireless modem, carrying case, two plastic covers that allow the unit(s) to be used independently, a short USB cable for connecting peripherals, CDs with PAC Mate software (data CD and companion CD). Asking $2,700. Make me an offer I can't refuse. The BX comes with a 40-cell display, one long USB cable, one short USB cable, charger, quick-start manual in braille and print, carrying case with pouch, Socket communications modem, Street Talk GPS and receiver, CF card with backup and Destinator software, Destinator software CDs, plus the CDs that come with the PM Companion and data, and two plastic covers that let each unit operate independently. Asking $2,800. Make me an offer I can't refuse. Cashier's checks, money orders and PayPal accepted. Contact Isaac Obie via e-mail, iobie@theworld.com or iobie@gis.net. ** FOR SALE: PowerBraille 80, with braille manual, power adapter and long serial cable. In good condition; reliable performance. Works with all versions of Windows and JAWS. Asking $1,500 or best offer. Flaws: two continuously firing dots and navigation bars slightly sticky in cold environments. Will refer a buyer to high-quality and inexpensive repair shop upon request. For more information, call Kane at (574) 386-8868 or e-mail kbrolin65@gmail.com. ** FOR SALE: Small Talk Ultra 1. Asking $1,500. Contact Thelma Johnson at (239) 275-0556. ** SEEKING TO TRADE: Would like to trade a PAC Mate QX400 for a BrailleNote mPower QT18. Please call Deborah Jenkins at (509) 455-5115 or (509) 481-3063 (cell). ** WANTED: Donation of laptop, BrailleNote or PAC Mate and portable CCTV. Contact Angela Randall via e-mail, arandall0227@starkstate.net. ** WANTED: Used or nearly new PAC Mate and Street Talk. Contact K.L. Fieldwin by e-mail at parkstreetlw@netzero.net or phone (970) 493-8814. ** WANTED: HP 3P Scanjet scanner, model C-2570-A. Contact Andre Traversa, (847) 318-6413, or e-mail goandre@xnet.com. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA STREET #402 PASADENA, CA 91106 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT KIM CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVE. WATERTOWN, MA 02472 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT BRENDA DILLON 313 OVERRIDGE COVE HERMITAGE, TN 37076 SECRETARY MARLAINA LIEBERG 632 S. 189TH ST. BURIEN, WA 98148 TREASURER MIKE GODINO 104 TILROSE AVE MALVERNE, NY 11565-2024 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER GRAY 94 RAMONA AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ed Bradley, Houston, TX Ray Campbell, Glen Ellyn, IL Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Oral Miller, Washington, DC Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Naomi Soule, St. Louis, MO Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA David Trott, Talladega, AL Cammie Vloedman, Oklahoma City, OK Ex Officio: Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Edwards, Chairman, Miami, FL DeAnna Noriega, Fulton, MO Jenine Stanley, Columbus, OH Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY Cindy Van Winkle, Bremerton, WA Ex Officios: Janelle Edwards, Springfield, MO Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY