TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Line

President's Message

From the Executive Director's Desk

Education and Welfare Report

Public Relations Report

MCB Convention Highlights

Some Thoughts On the Constitution

In the Footsteps of Our Founders by Jerry Annunzio

The Many Visual Problems of Macular Degeneration

CCTV'S and CVS

Guidelines for Relating to People Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

What to Do When You Meet a Sighted Person

Affiliate Affairs

From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

A Punctuation Puzzle

Hugs

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  Editor's Line
  by John Weidlich

   Has it really been almost two years since I became editor of the Chronicle? This continues to be one of the most enjoyable things I do. I love hearing from you and looking for articles and features I think you will find interesting. Thank you for your words of encouragement at the convention.

   Beginning with this issue, those of you who receive the Chronicle on cassette will notice a change in format. I have found a new producer for the Chronicle who can put it one cassette at slow speed. I think some of you will be pleased that the tapes also have Braille labels. The tape edition is being produced by the Potomac Talking Book studios in Bethesda Maryland, the same company that produces the Braille Forum. I will continue to do the master tape. This new format will save us a considerable amount of money, which is quite important these days. I hope you will find it convenient to have the Chronicle on one tape instead of two. If this format poses a problem to any of you, please let me know and we will work something out for you.

   You will read many Holiday wishes in this issue, so I will add mine. May you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, with no computer crashes to worry about. And Happy New Millennium to those of you who didn't think we did it last year!

  In this issue: meet a new Affiliate, read about the Branson Convention, learn more about macular degeneration and find out what to do when you meet a sighted person. Enjoy!

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     President's Report
     by Chip Hailey

   Dear MCB members and friends,

   I would first of all like to take this opportunity to congratulate those of you who were elected as MCB officers at our stat

Public Relations Report

e convention in Branson. Your willingness to serve as officers only goes to show that you care a great deal for the organization. I am certain that all of MCB appreciates your care and concern and that is why it has placed its confidence in you to lead this organization. I am equally certain that you are as excited as I am about getting started. We have a great future in front of us and I am confident that your dedication and commitment to the organization will be greatly rewarded. I trust that you have a lot of energy to burn because, believe me, we are certainly going to need it. There will of course be tremendous challenges before us, but I am again confident that together we can meet those challenges. I am truly looking forward to working with each and every one of you in making MCB a more vibrant and stronger organization. But also I trust that throughout our work together you will be as patient with me as I hope to be with you and together, we will certainly accomplish even greater things for MCB.

 

   I would second of all like to thank those of you who have so faithfully served as MCB officers over the past several years. Your time and efforts will certainly not be forgotten. MCB owes you more than a mere gratitude of thanks. Instead, we stand and salute you for your long hours of hard work and absolute resolve in making MCB the leading blind consumer organization, not only in the state but the country as well. We are eternally indebted to you because you were primarily responsible in setting the stage for the future of this wonderful organization. You set a high standard of motivation and success for all future officers to follow. Because of your diligent efforts, you have made us all very proud to be called the Missouri Council of the Blind.

   As for myself, I pledge to follow this same kind of work ethic and by the grace of God, perhaps I too will be able to look back one day and be able to say that I was fortunate enough to contribute something to the success and growth of MCB.

   I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who voted for me to be your next MCB president. The overwhelming confidence that you expressed in me at our state convention was truly a humbling one. I can not recall any other time in my life that I felt so much love and respect. I sincerely thank you from the depths of my heart and I will do my very best to live up to your confidence in me. However, I would like to make this one request and that is that you not only see me as your president but as your servant as well. That is how I see myself in leading this organization. That is not to say that I will not take my role as your president seriously but I would also like to be considered your servant as well. I trust that you feel as though you can approach me with any questions or concerns regarding any of the programs and services of MCB.

   I would now like to leave you with these words. Everybody can be great'''bbc anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. Martin Luther King, Jr. Finally, it is my prayer that all of you will experience a most joyous and wonderful holiday season. May God's Spirit be with you throughout the remainder of this holiday season and on into the new year.
    Very truly yours, Chip Hailey MCB president.

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   From The Executive Director's Desk
   by Sheri Keller

   It is hard to believe that the Holiday season is fast upon us. So let me begin by saying Happy Holidays to everyone. Since my last report, Patti Ashby began employment with the Missouri Council of the Blind as our Secretary. Most of this reporting period was spent working with others on our Convention. Thanks to everyone who helped with the 2000 Convention.

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    Education And Welfare Report
    by Lucille Fierce

   Where has the time gone? We just got back from a lively convention and I must congratulate those people who saved our Saturday evening. At first it looked like we were doomed to a long, boring evening with little to do, but, as usual, our members took charge and it turned out to be a tremendous success. You were great!

   Around here we have been struggling with the election material. The Wolfner Library did everything that we asked for and I wish to thank Mr. Richard Smith for his support and John Stegmann, a new staffer, for doing the Brailling for those who have asked for the voting material in Braille or large print. He worked like a trooper since the materials were late in getting to the Library. The MCB office has also worked hard and I wish to thank Sheri and Patti for all their efforts. As we told you at the Legislative meeting, the dates for our legislative days are February 20 and 21 in Jefferson City. It will be the same type of format as last year. We will be using the Monroe Plaza Hotel. You are aware of our need to keep costs down as much as possible. If any changes occur, we will let you know.

   By the time you read this article, the Holidays will be upon us. We wish you all good things and we hope this Holiday season will be as much fun as our stay in Branson. Thank you Queen City!

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   Public Relations Report
   by Bill Burris

   My report for this issue of the Chronicle will be short and sweet. I want to thank everyone who made an appearance at the MCB Convention in Branson, making it the best attended convention that we have had. I also want to thank those who came to the PR meeting that we had on Friday morning. I thank you so much for being there and bringing forth your ideas on how to improve the public relations job of MCB. Without your input, things are not going to be done as well as they should be. We all need to work together in the PR department to advertise MCB as much as we possibly can. Thank you for picking up the materials that I made available to you. I hope that you will use them in publicizing your affiliate and the Council. If any of you have ideas on things you would like to see me purchase over the coming year, as far as products to be used for advertising, please contact me. For those who still want them, the large red vests are $15. I only have about seven or eight left, all in the large size.

   I thought the convention went very well and I hope that our new officers will continue to do the excellent job that has been done by the previous officers of the organization. Now it's time for all of us to pitch in and do our very best to make this the strongest organization for the blind in the state of Missouri.

   Barbara Fairchild has agreed to do some public service announcements for us. When we get copies made, we will be sending them around to the affiliates and asking you to help me get them distributed to radio stations in your area.

   As you all know, the 800 number for the president's office remains the same as it was when Edna had it. It is (800) 664-9667. Chip has already indicated that he would be happy to have your input on how to make this a better blind organization, so let's all give him some good positive thoughts and give him the assistance he will need during his two years as president. Good luck, Chip.

   I still have a few items left that I can dispense to you. I've got to start putting my orders in for other materials. Again, I'm going to ask each affiliate to please let me know no later than some time in January the number of large print calendars that you're going to need. Remember, our budget is only $5,000 and your number may have to be cut in order to keep within the budget guidelines. We'll do our very best to get you what you want. Hopefully, we won't have to cut them any lower than we did for this year. If I don't hear from you, I will order the same number that I ordered for this year. That's it for this time. I want to wish you a happy Holiday season and a Happy New Year. We'll see you at the Board meeting in January.
 

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   MCB Convention Highlights

   It was the first MCB Convention held in Branson and the first convention hosted by the Queen City Council. It was our first meeting with the new Wolfner Library Director. It brought us a new president and some new Board members. We took in a new affiliate and heard details about a new program which will provide blind people with free adaptive computer equipment. It was the year 2000 MCB Convention, hosted in excellent fashion by the Queen City Council. It was, I think, the biggest convention ever, with more members registered than at any other convention. If you missed this convention, you missed a good one. In this article, I will look at some of the high points of this year's Convention--the speakers, the entertainment, the banquet and the election. We'll also give you details about next year's convention which will be held in Springfield. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started.

   On Friday afternoon, following opening ceremonies and the roll call of the affiliates, MCB voted in a new affiliate. It's called InnerVisions, Inc., another St. Louis-based affiliate. The president is Daryel Banks, who works for A. G. Edwards Company. It has twelve members, most of whom are under age thirty. This is very encouraging, since one of our challenges is to recruit younger members to carry on MCB'S work. I will tell you more about this affiliate in another article. Sadly, however, MCB lost an affiliate. The Board voted to remove the West Central Workers from the affiliate list since they have been inactive for some time.

   This convention featured a number of informative speakers. The first was Charles Crawford, the Executive Director of our parent organization, the American Council of the Blind. Mr. Crawford touched on a number of issues and concerns and made some very provocative statements such as his assertion that "we have produced in our mainstream a generation of blind people that has no idea of who they are." These are young blind people who have not been exposed to other blind people and who think that all the battles have been fought and won. Some of them feel that there are no more issues important enough for blind people to organize around and that, therefore, organizations of the blind are no long relevant. We need to find ways to bridge this gap by showing newly blind people the reality of how our organizations can change the future for blind people. On another issue, Crawford asked what other group in society has to go to the pools and tell someone else who they are voting for. We have been robbed of the freedom to make voting decisions without pressure from others because the system has not been educated about the fact that there are alternate ways for us to cast our ballots. He also spoke about the power of association as our only weapon. He said "together we can change things, alone we are the victims of things." He also praised the Fcc for its ruling requiring the TV networks to add descriptive video to its programming and said that this will cause the entertainment industry to think of blind people as a customer base that it must serve. Crawford stated that "if we don't have the civil rights and the access to the information that everybody else has, we can't possibly contribute in the same ways or understand the issues in the same ways that they do." ACB is also involved in a class action lawsuit in Oregon to persuade all theater owners to install audio description equipment for all movies. He also spoke about pedestrian safety issues and the need for audible pedestrian crossing signals. Because of intersections controlled by computers that determine traffic flow and light cycles, blind pedestrians are more at risk than ever before. He said that ACB'S Environmental Access Committee will soon define what an accessible pedestrian signal is. Referring to the controversy over wheelchair ramps and curb cuts and their effects on blind pedestrians, Crawford said disability groups need to respect each other enough to care about each other and to make choices that will meet each other's needs. By doing so, we can design wheelchair ramps that will also meet the needs of blind pedestrians. He left us with the message that you can't take care of somebody else until you take of yourself, but if you only take care of yourself, the world can be a pretty lonely place.

   At last year's convention, we all said a sad and emotional farewell to Beth Eckles, who was fired as Director of the Wolfner Library. At this year's convention, we got the chance to greet and welcome Dr. Richard Smith, the Library's new chief. He has held a number of positions, including Director of the Louisiana Library for the Blind. I think Dr. Smith made a very favorable impression on us. He seems quite friendly and personable and very interested in the Library. He talked to us about the summer reading program for children and teenagers and about some new staff members.

   We learned about the many services offered by the Alphapointe Association for the Blind, a private agency in Kansas City. These include a library, a service center for older blind adults and employment opportunities.

   Several staff members from RSB were on hand to talk about developments in rehabilitation services. We were told that RSB made 278 employment closures last year and that 70 blind Missourians are operating independent businesses through the vending program. RSB is looking for ways to expand the vending program into military installations and correctional facilities.

   The presenter who seemed to generate the most interest from conventioneers was Diane Golden, Director of the Missouri Assistive Technology Project, a state agency that promotes the use of assistive technology by people with disabilities. Diane gave us the details about TAP, the Telecommunications Access Program. Beginning next year, this program, which originally provided telephone equipment for the disabled, will be expanded to provide free adaptive equipment which will allow blind and other disabled people to use the Internet. Applicants must have a computer and an Internet service provider and be residents of Missouri with an annual income of under $60,000. The TAP program will provide you with the adaptive equipment you need to access the Internet. This will include several screen reading products with speech output, screen enlargement software such as ZoomText and Magic, refreshable Braille devices such as the Power Braille 40, speech synthesizers, and alternative devices for people who cannot use traditional keyboards. There will be a list of products but products not on the list can also be purchased for eligible users. Printers and Braille embossers are not covered because they are not essential for using the Internet. The program is intended to provide equipment primarily for home use, not for employment. Children who meet the application requirements are also eligible for this program. This equipment will be provided at no cost to eligible persons. However, you will be responsible for repair and upkeep. Applications will be available after January first. The program is funded through a telephone surcharge which generates a good deal of money. In fact, about a million dollars will be available for the program next year. Needless to say, there was a lot of interest in this program and many questions were asked. For more information or for an application, call the Missouri Assistive Technology Project at (800) 647-8557 or send e-mail to dolir.state.mo.us/matp4

   Those of us who love and support Braille heard some very disturbing words from Chris Gray, the President of the Braille Revival League, with regard to the proposed Unified Braille Code being developed by the Braille Authority of North America and the International Council on English Braille. The Unified Braille Code is an attempt to combine the various Braille codes, such as literary braille and Nemeth code into one single Braille code. Gray characterized the current proposal as disastrous, the single biggest blow to the use of Braille that has happened in the last hundred years. It would make major changes in the literary Braille code that most of us read, changing spacing rules, eliminating many contractions and adding new symbols to indicate things like different types of print. It would require retraining of Braille transcribers, proofreaders and Braille readers. He said that many of the people working on this system are not Braille readers and that they are ignoring the views of blind people who do read Braille. He was also critical of the proposals for mathematical Braille. The code will probably be voted on in 2002 and may very well be approved for use unless we can find ways to make our voices heard. He urged us to speak out in opposition to this proposed code loudly and meaningfully and he asked MCB to support the idea of a national conference on Braille that may be held next year. Gray said that Braille is not perfect. We need a more unified Braille code but not one that totally alters the codes we have today. Gray cautioned us that we should not say that we will not accept change, but that we are opposed to the system currently being proposed. There are, he believes, alternatives that are far superior to what is being proposed. For more information on the proposed code you can visit the Web site at www.iceb.org4

   Chip Hailey urged us to become more involved with the independent living centers throughout the state to ensure that they will provide services to blind and visually impaired persons. Many of the centers can produce information in Braille and large print and many have low vision libraries. The centers are also certifying agencies for the TAP program. They also have grants to help people attend the Power Up Assistive Technology Conference that will be held April 8-10 in Columbia Missouri.

  Next year's MCB Convention will be in Springfield, hosted by the Springfield Service Club as part of their 70th anniversary celebration. The convention will be held on October 11-14 at the Day's Inn, the site of two previous MCB Conventions. The hotel is located at 3108 North Kentwood in Springfield. Room rates will be $45 per night. One hundred and seventy-five rooms will be available. The overflow hotels, if needed, will be the Motel Six and the and the Super 8 hotel. The banquet will cost $18. Free continental breakfast will be available. The hotel has a restaurant and there is a Waffle House across the parking lot. You can begin making reservations for next year's convention now by calling (877) 633-3108.

   Branson is the place to go for great entertainment. Most of us did not get the chance to go to any of the shows, but some great entertainment came to us on Friday evening. Following a delicious barbecue, we were entertained by country singer Barbara Fairchild. The highlight of the evening was her performance of her hit song "Teddy Bear" accompanied by MCB'S teddy Bear Bill Burris. I understand it's on videotape.

   I said that last year's banquet was one of the most outstanding banquets I have ever attended and I'd have to say the same about this year's banquet. Once again, Dennis Miller was master of ceremonies and once again he did a splendid job, having to contend with a crowded stage, microphone cords that wrapped themselves around his legs and a banquet speaker who failed to appear. More about that later.

   The highlight of any banquet is the presentation of our annual awards. Sadly, there is no recording of this year's banquet and no written copy of any of the presentations, so we'll have to make do with my summary. The President's Special Service Award, which goes to a sighted member of MCB, was presented by Edna Freeman to Donna Giger, a member of the Springfield Service Club. Edna spoke about Donna's helpfulness at summer camp and at conventions and Board meetings. She is always there to give assistance when it is needed and it is always given in a friendly and cheerful manner.

   The Alma Murphy Braille Award from the Braille Revival League was presented to Don and Bev Shockley in recognition for their countless hours of providing Braille for the MCB office and for individuals. It was presented by Zada Albee.

   It is going to be a little difficult for me to write about this next award presentation. Each year MCB presents the Nathaniel Johnson Award to a member who has provided service to the blind community. For those new to MCB, Nathaniel Johnson was a blind MCB member from St. Louis who worked for Rehabilitation Services, then known as the Bureau for the Blind. His life and work on behalf of blind people were cut short by cancer at a very young age. Past recipients have included Mike Keller and Don and Bev Shockley. Chip Hailey came to the mike to make this year's presentation. After introductory remarks, he began to describe this year's recipient, keeping the identity a secret, as is the custom. However, when he said this year's recipient was born on March 25, 1946 and graduated from the Missouri School for the blind in 1964, I realized with a shock that Chip was talking about me. I have heard many award presentations over the years, but I cannot describe the feeling that came over me when Chip continued his remarks. But I had plenty of time to compose myself (or so I thought) and to think briefly about what I would say in accepting the award. But when my name was read and I heard the cheers and applause, I lost whatever composure I thought I had acquired. In short, I was left speechless for one of the few times in my life. I tried to speak, but instead of words there came tears which I could barely hide. I did somehow manage to read the plaque aloud, which was written in Braille. The plaque said that the award was given to me "in appreciation of many years of dedicated service in the Missouri Council of the Blind by enriching the lives of blind persons utilizing radio, newsletters and personal contact throughout the disability community." for outstanding work for the blind through radio, newsletters and personal contacts within the disability community. Now, perhaps, I can try to say the things I would like to have said when I received this award. It is hard to express how deeply touched I felt, and still feel, about receiving this special award. It is a wonderful and humbling experience to be so honored by my friends in MCB. I don't feel that I have done nearly as much for MCB or for blind people as many of the other recipients but I hope this award will encourage me to do more in the future. This is an award I will always cherish. I will value this award always and will do whatever I can to continue to deserve it. Thank you all so much.

   MCB'S highest award, the Ellis M. Forshee Distinguished Service Award, was given earlier in the day to the Director and staff of the Missouri Assistive Technology Project in recognition for their work since 1991 in providing disabled people in Missouri with assistance in learning about and acquiring the technology they need to live independently. It was presented by Dennis Miller to Diane Golden following her talk at the convention.

   Our banquet speaker was to have been Yakov Smirnoff, the comedian from Russia who now performs in Branson. However, due to a scheduling mix-up, he failed to make an appearance, although he did speak to the convention on Sunday morning. But MCB members are a resourceful lot. When it became apparent that we would not have a speaker, our talented members took matters into their own hand, putting on an impromptu show, featuring such folks as Bob Jaco, Bill Burris, Leroy Welch, Rick Belcher and that wonderful trio of Jack and June Lenk and Jack's daughter Linda Gwin. Even Charlie Crawford got into the act, doing impersonations. Following these acts, we were entertained by Willie Nash, one of the singers with the Platters. Willie is a nephew of one of the original Platters and he is blind. Willie sang many of their hits, including "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "The Great Pretender." Of course, many of us sang right along with him.

   The final session on Sunday morning featured a very spirited election of officers. The positions up for election this year were President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Secretary. Chip Hailey was elected President by acclamation. For First Vice President, there was a very close race between Dennis Miller and Bill Benson, which was won by Bill Benson by a handful of votes. (Luckily, no one demanded a re-count, except for Don Shockley, who voted for both candidates.) There were several contenders for the office of Second Vice President. The eventual winner in a run-off election was Jack Lenk, who has never before served on the MCB Board. Our new Secretary will be Marti Watson, who ran unopposed. That would have ended the election except that Bill Benson, who is now First Vice President, already held a spot as one of the three Directors on the Board. So we had another election to fill the rest of his term. Again several members were nominated. The winner in a run-off election was Dennis Miller. Congratulations to the new officers. May they meet the challenges ahead with energy and wisdom.

   The convention closed with an entertaining talk by comedian Yakov Smirnoff, who apologized at length for failing to show up on Saturday evening and then entertained us with his comic remarks about America and a moving account of what it was like to come here from Russia.

   As I said earlier, it was our first convention in Branson. I for one hope it will not be our last.

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   Some Thoughts on the Constitution
   by John Weidlich

   I'd like to say a few words--more than a few words actually--on a subject that has occupied our attention for some time now: our Constitution and Bylaws. As you know, we have been involved in a long and somewhat controversial attempt to revise MCB'S Constitution and Bylaws. The stated reasons for this are first, to bring MCB into better compliance with state laws governing corporations and, second, to better organize the rules by which MCB is governed. A revised Constitution was brought to the convention in 1999 with no action taken. Then, another revision of the Constitution and Bylaws was brought before this year's convention. When it became evident to me that there was insufficient time on the agenda to fully consider this document, I made a motion that the Constitution be referred back to a Bylaws Committee to be appointed by the President, that a new set of Bylaws be drafted and circulated to the members and that adequate time be given at next year's Convention for their discussion. The motion was adopted overwhelmingly by the assembly. Chip has asked me to chair this Committee, and I have agreed to do so. The other members of the committee will be Chip Hailey, Dennis Miller and Marti Watson.

   Perhaps it is a bit premature for me to comment on what the committee will do, but I would like to share some of my thoughts with you on this subject, since it seems to be a source of much discussion among our members. First, I do not think we need to re-invent the wheel. I hope to keep the basic framework of the Bylaws that we have. Although I had a few reservations about the Constitution brought to the last convention, I think by and large it was a good document. There are, I think some provisions that need to be clarified and discussed. If the Board is to be given more responsibility for running our organization, as state law seems to dictate, we also must make sure that all of our members will continue to have a strong voice in our organization and that those voices will be heard by the Board. The members also need to be fully aware of what the Board is doing. There is one fairly big change I would like to make, a change in the structure of our Constitution. In the past, we have operated under two documents, one called the Constitution, the other called the Bylaws. This is the way organizations have traditionally been governed. However, Robert's Rules of Order says, and our Parliamentarian has confirmed this, that the practice today is for organizations to draft a single document called Bylaws, which sets forth all of the rules governing its operation. This is what I propose we do when drafting this latest revision. Let's put everything in one place and call it the MCB Bylaws or, if you prefer, the MCB Constitution.

   Second, whatever the new committee eventually comes up with, it should be widely circulated before the convention. I hope we can finish our work in time for the whole document to be included in the June or September issue of the Chronicle, even though it will take a good portion of that issue. It would also of course, be sent to board members and affiliate presidents and you would be encouraged to discuss it at affiliate meetings. Please remember that when the new Bylaws are presented, you will have an opportunity to suggest amendments and changes to the Bylaws at the Resolutions Committee meeting and on the convention floor. And if the Bylaws are accepted, they can always be amended at future conventions.

   In an organization as large and diverse as MCB, no set of Bylaws, however well drafted, will please everyone. There will always be differences of opinion among members regarding how our organization should be run. My hope is that we can finally put together Bylaws that will give the Board the authority it needs to carry out our projects and keep MCB growing, while at the same time allowing all of our members to have their full input into the work of MCB. Does that sound like a tall order? Indeed it is, but I have confidence that, with your help and support, we can draft Bylaws that will serve MCB well in the years ahead. I welcome your ideas and suggestions. We will not always agree, but I know that we all have the good of Mcb at heart. Let's work together to get this done so that we can continue the work of MCB.

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    In The Footsteps Of Our Founders
    by Jerry Annunzio

    It is indeed humbling to think about and remember those who have laid the foundations from which we build today, the ones who stepped to the forefront from the Missouri Council of the Blind to help get the American Council of the blind started.

   Today the leaders of ACB are working on current problems and dealing with issues of importance such as pedestrian safety. But one project that is nearing completion is the ACB history. At the September Board meeting, Kim Charlson from the ACB Board of Publications reported that the history of ACB should be ready for distribution at the 2002 Convention in Houston. We were told that it will be a book of about 600 pages in print and of course much larger in Braille. We all will have much to learn from that document.

   As I continue to learn and grow into the position as your representative on the ACB Board, I will continue to practice and sharpen the following skills: the skill to listen and to hear your concerns, the skill to understand what is important to you, and the skill of leadership to get your issues heard. Missouri has been too long without a voice on the ACB Board. Now that situation has been corrected.

   Thank you all again for your help and support in the past and do not forget to let me hear from you because those foundation builders from our past expect us not only to carry the torch into the future but also to make it such a bright and shining beacon that no one will ever ignore us again.

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   The Many Visual Problems of Macular Degeneration
   by Richard L. Windsor, O.D., F.A.A.O.
  
   From The Editor, Here is an article I've been holding onto for quite some time. It appeared in a recent issue of Vision Enhancement, a quarterly publication of Vision World Wide. The writer is a low vision Specialist who practices in Indiana. Other articles in this series may appear in later issues of the Chronicle as space permits.

   Patients are diagnosed daily with macular degeneration but few patients are adequately counseled on how their vision will be affected. Vision loss from macular degeneration is much more than just a loss of visual acuity. It is important that we counsel these patients on the variety of visual problems they will encounter.

   Decrease of Visual Acuity: "The sharpness of my vision is decreasing!" The macula is the center of our vision and when functioning properly provides our sharpest vision. In macular degeneration, this area is damaged and visual acuity of 20stbj is no longer possible. The surrounding retina can be used, but it is not as sensitive as the macula.

   Visual Distortion: "I see wavy words, and the letters vary in size and look like they are distorted like in a funhouse mirror." Damage to the retina may result in distortion and wavy vision due to the stretching and distortion to the retinal layers. Imagine you are projecting slides onto a screen when someone wrinkles the screen.

   Come and Go Vision: "Now I see it. Now I don't." Macular Degeneration patients develop small areas of vision loss or blindness. They may see an object when it falls on the peripheral retina. Then as they attempt to look straight at the object, the image falls inside the blind spot and it disappears. During reading, parts of the words may fall inside the blind spots, causing parts of the word to suddenly disappear.

   Eccentric Viewing: "I can see you better if I don't look at you." Patients must look away or turn their head to see well. This is called eccentric fixation, and it is a simple way to place the image on the peripheral retina, which is not damaged by the degeneration. Family and friends may mistakenly think the patient is not looking at them.
  
   Photostress: "When I come in out of the sun, I don't see well. Things look dark." Photostress is a term used to describe bleaching out of the chemicals in the rods and cones. These chemicals are created to react to light and thus create vision. Outside in bright sun, the light exposure uses up the chemicals. Unfortunately, the damaged retina may be unable to rapidly produce new chemicals and vision may seem to decrease or dark spots may appear. This is the same process we all experience when someone takes a flash picture of us, and we see a dark afterimage for a short period. Unfortunately, in macular degeneration the spot or decrease in vision may last much longer.

  Photophobia: "Bright lights seem to bother me!" General light sensitivity may increase in patients with macular degeneration. Some patients are unable to tolerate bright lights in their home. Due to this photophobia, patients usually begin wearing sunglasses to help cope with the bright lights. When scars form in the retina they serve as reflectors to scatter light back off the retina causing further intolerance to bright lights.

  Better Vision at Night: "I see much better at night!" The majority of the rod cells are located in the peripheral retina and are thus unaffected by macular degeneration. Rod cells function in lower levels of light allowing the patient to have better vision.
  Color Vision: "I no longer see colors as well!" The macula has the highest concentration of cones, the cells that provide color vision. Thus with the degeneration of the macula, it results in damage to the cone color cells. Patients still see colors but color perception may become more and more impaired in advanced macular degeneration.
  The Paradox of Peripheral Vision Sensitivity: "I see a tiny speck of paper on the floor, but I can't see to recognize faces." The peripheral retina is very sensitive to small objects and relative motion. With the central retina damaged, the patient may not be able to see faces straight ahead while seeing stars, lint on a shoulder or a speck of paper on the floor, because they are picked up in the peripheral retina or side vision. If they try to look straight at the object, it may disappear just as words or other objects do. Family members often mistake this ability as an indication that the patient can see better than he or she claims.
  Visual Hallucinations--Charles Bonnet Syndrome: "I see things that I know are not there! Am I crazy?" Visual hallucinations may occur in any patient with severe vision loss. Patients are often afraid to mention them for fear someone will think they are crazy. These are in the vast majority of cases not psychotic hallucinations, but are related to the brain misinterpreting the distorted image. This condition is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, and has been reported in the literature for over 200 years. Bonnet, Swiss naturalist, first described this as he observed in his grandfather.

   Depth Perception: "My depth perception seems impaired!" Depth perception is a very fragile visual function. Any decrease in vision may disrupt ocular depth perception. Two full functioning eyes are required for ocular depth perception. Threading a needle and other skills that require depth perception may become difficult.

   Good Days and Bad Days: "Some days I just don't see well." Patients often describe having some days when their vision is worse. This may be caused by light conditions, general health fluctuations and/or fluid changes in the retina. I hope this list will help those suffering from macular degeneration and those working with ARMD patients to better understand the complex set of vision problems associated with macular degeneration.

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   CCTV'S and CVS
   by John Weidlich

   It is well known that many sighted computer users experience visual fatigue after many hours of using a computer. The condition is, in fact, so common that it has been given a name: it's called Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS. Computer Vision Syndrome refers to a series of symptoms including visual fatigue accompanied by neck, back and shoulder pain. Visual fatigue can include painful eye irritation, double vision, headaches, blurred near vision with difficulty in focusing, and light sensitivity. What isn't so well known but is now being studied is the incidence of CVS among visually impaired people who use closed circuit tvs (CCTV'S) for reading. According to an article in the September issue of AccessWorld Magazine, 76 percent of 115 CCTV users surveyed reported serious fatigue symptoms when using their CCTV'S, many experiencing the fatigue after only 15 minutes. According to the writers of the article, Mark Uslan and Alec Peck, this is probably not surprising. Computer monitors and CCTV monitors are both video display units. Using a CCTV is a visually demanding task and of course CCTV users, being visually impaired, are particularly susceptible to visual fatigue. Unfortunately, most of the CCTV users studied said their CCTV was extremely important to them in their jobs. Fortunately, the authors suggest a number of things you can do to reduce visual fatigue.

   Proper lighting seems to be one of the keys to the problem. The authors say that with computers and CCTV'S "all important surfaces in the visual field should be of the same order of brightness." Too much light causes bright screen reflections and every time you look from one level of lighting to another, your eyes have to take time to adjust. So avoid uneven lighting. Use indirect lighting. Avoid reflective ceiling and wall paint. Don't use reflective surfaces like white desktops. Use several low-intensity light sources instead of one bright one. Avoid glare from windows by using window shades or tilting the monitor to reduce reflection and glare. White clothing can be very reflective, thus causing reflection on the screen. Also, keep the screen clean because dirt, fingerprints and smudges cause reflection.

   Another consideration is screen polarity. Most users seem to prefer positive polarity (white letters on a black background). However, negative polarity, meaning black letters on a white background, is less reflective. There's a downside to that, though. Negative polarity can increase screen flicker, which you don't want. The authors suggest trying both settings to see which works best for you.

   Posture is also important, as is the design of your work area. Poor posture can cause back and shoulder pain, and how you position yourself in relation to the computer screen can also affect visual fatigue. Computer users and CCTV users should remember to take short breaks and change position frequently. Staring at a CCTV or computer screen for a long period of time also causes visual fatigue because of reduced blink rate. The recommended distance between your eyes and the screen is 20-26 inches. However, most CCTV users sit much closer than that. Sitting too close to a large screen can cause excessive re-alignment and movement of the eyes, leading to fatigue. Looking up at a monitor can lead to neck strain. The writers say your eyes should be level with the top of the monitor so that you are looking downward when you look at the center of the screen. The monitor should have a slightly upward tilt. Ideally, you should have a table and seat that are adjustable. This seems to be particularly important when using a large monitor or a CCTV in which the monitor is mounted over the camera. Mark Uslan, one of the writers of this article, would like to hear from CCTV users regarding this problem. You can e-mail him at < muslan@afb.net >

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   Guidelines for Relating to people Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

   There have been many guidelines like these written over the years. This latest one appeared in the vision access newsletter published by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision. We of course already know these things, but it may be worth passing them along to sighted friends and family members.

   1. Remember there are differences among blind and visually impaired people. Many have some remaining useful vision, and there are variations in how well individuals have adjusted to vision loss.

   2. Speak directly to the blind person, not to his or her companion.

   3. Offer assistance, but do not help unless the offer is accepted. If you are unsure what to do, ask how you can help. Offer and provide help quietly and in ways that preserve the person's dignity.

   4. Do not pet or distract guide dogs; they are on duty.

   5. When initiating conversation with a blind person, identify yourself and introduce anyone else who is nearby or joins the conversation. When you leave, say so. Otherwise, he or she may be embarrassed by talking when no one is there.

   6. Unless you have reason to believe otherwise, assume that a blind person has normal hearing, normal physical strength, and normal intelligence. Do not speak louder or slower. You do not need to avoid common metaphors like "see what I mean" or "it depends on how you look at it."

   7. To guide a visually impaired person, allow the person to take your arm above the elbow and follow your body motions. Tell the person when approaching stairs or curbs. Place his or her hand on stairway handrails.

   8. Never leave a blind person in an open area. Guide him or her to the side of the room, to a chair, or to some landmark that provides orientation.

   9. To help a blind person to a seat, put the person's hand on the chair and help him or her feel where the seat is.

   10. Be explicit in giving verbal directions to a blind person. Pointing or saying "over there" is of no help.

   11. If you notice a visually impaired person heading for danger, give the immediate short command to stop. Do not say "watch out," as he or she won't know whether to stop, duck or back up.

   12. A half-opened door is a dangerous obstacle to a blind person. Leave all doors either all the way open or all the way closed.

   13. Do not move furniture or other items in the home or work space of a blind person without that person's knowledge. Moving furniture without a blind person's knowledge can cause injury. Moving smaller items can result in the person being unable to find them.

   14. When stepping on an elevator with a blind person already inside, or when a blind person enters an elevator, say hello so that the person knows you are there. As a courtesy, when getting off the elevator, mention the floor number.

   15. When eating out with a blind person, ask how you can help. Offer to read the menu, including the prices. Tell him or her when each item of food is placed on the table. Describe food items on the plate using numbers on the clock as the reference point, if the person wishes. The person may want assistance in cutting meat and buttering bread.

   I think those are pretty good guidelines, especially number 3 and number 6. What do you think of them? Are there points you would add or eliminate? Is Number 14 necessary? Perhaps, with your input, MCB could someday put together a set of guidelines like these to distribute to the general public as a public relations project. Need to keep you busy, Bill.

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   What To Do When You Meet A Sighted Person (Author Unknown)

   From The Editor: Many articles have been written over the years telling sighted people what to do when they meet a blind person. AFB has even made a very amusing video on the subject, which has recently been updated. This article, sent to me by Chip Hailey, turns the whole subject on its head. I hope you find it amusing.

   People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted people or "people who are sighted." Legal "sight" means any visual acuity greater then 20stbjj in the better eye without correction or an angle of vision wider than 20 degrees. Sighted people enjoy rich full lives, working, playing, and raising families. They run businesses, hold public office, and teach your children!

   How do Sighted People Get Around?
  People who are sighted may walk or ride public transportation, but most choose to travel long distances by operating their own motor vehicles. They have gone through many hours of training to learn the "rules of the road" in order to further their independence. Once that road to freedom has been mastered, sighted people earn a legal classification and a "Driver's License" which allows them to operate a private vehicle safely and independently.

   How Do You Assist A Sighted Person?
  Sighted people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means that in many situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and may resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions may also be used to convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert the sighted person to his surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. Questions directed at the sighted person help focus attention back on the verbal rather than visual communication. At times, sighted people may need help finding things, especially when operating a motor vehicle. Your advance knowledge of routes and landmarks, particularly bumps in the road, and traffic lights, will assist the "driver" in finding the way quickly and easily. Your knowledge of building layouts can also assist the sighted person in navigating complex shopping malls, and offices. Sighted people tend to be very proud and will not ask directly for assistance. Be gentle yet firm.

   How Do Sighted People Use Computers?
  The person who is sighted relies exclusively on visual information. His or her attention span fades quickly when reading long texts. Computer information is presented in a "Graphical User Interface" or GUI. Coordination of hands and eyes is often a problem for sighted people, so the computer mouse, a handy device that slides along the desk top, saves confusing keystrokes. With one button, the sighted person can move around his or her computer screen quickly and easily. People who are sighted are not accustomed to synthetic speech and may have great difficulty understanding even the clearest synthesizer. Be patient and prepared to explain many times how your computer equipment works.

   How Do Sighted People Read?
  Sighted people read through a system called "Print" this is a series of images drawn in a two dimensional plane. People who are sighted generally have a poorly developed sense of touch. Braille is completely foreign to the sighted person and he or she will take longer to learn the code and be severely limited by his or her existing visual senses.

   Sighted people cannot function well in low lighting conditions and are generally completely helpless in total darkness. Their homes are usually very brightly lit at great expense, as are businesses that cater to the sighted consumer.

   How Can I Support A Sighted Person?
  People who are sighted do not want your charity. They want to live, work, and play along with you. The best thing you can do to support sighted people in your community is to open yourself to their world. These Americans are vital contributing members to society. Take a sighted person to lunch today!
 

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   Affiliate Affairs
Where we find out what's happening in your corner of MCB.

Blind of Central Mo
Convention is over the holidays are near,
We hope for you all this has been a good year.

Hello to everyone from Bcm.
I would like to thank the Queen City Council of the Blind for a very nice convention. I wish Springfield Service Club of the Blind good luck on their upcoming convention. I also want to thank Edna Freeman and the Mcb for allowing a few moments of silence for Susan Sanderson's mom who passed away on Sunday, October 15th, the last day of the convention.

Our outreach picnic was a big success and there was plenty of fun, food, and fellowship, even though the flies wanted to try and join us.

Our 2-year calendars have sold really well. It has been a good fundraising for us.

We have a new member in our club. His name is Willis Arnold and he has some sight. Congratulations Willis and welcome to our club.

Susan and Terry, from our club, and another girl named Linda saved some people while they were at camp tubing. There were some people that were canoeing and their canoe high centered on a tree. They didn't know how to swim and didn't have life jackets. They were not from our camp. They were from Eagles nest and were just out canoeing. They didn't even know what they wanted Terry and the others to do. The people at the camp didn't even know they were missing. They did a great job saving them.

Some of our members will ring bells for the Salvation Army on Saturday, November 25th. It is a great way to help the Salvation Army with the many programs that they offer.

We will have our Christmas party sometime in December. We will have a gift exchange afterwards

We hope everyone has a good Holiday season. Until next time keep smiling and keep a song in your heart.

Trudy Howard
Blind of Central Mo
Recording Secretary

 Delta Area Blind

Hello from the Delta Area Blind,

   Since our last report in June we had our picnic on the 23rd of September. We had a nice turn out. A big thanks to those who came from Cape Girardeau and to those who came from Poplar Bluff. You all really helped make our picnic a big success. We had hamburgers and hot dogs along with the other things that people brought with them.

   We would also like to say thanks to Jim Sharrod for doing the cooking for us.

   Three of our members, Marie Thompson, Mickie Ormsby and Laura Craig, attended the MCB Convention in Branson and I would like to say it was a super convention. Good job, Queen City.

   We hope all of you have the best of Holidays. God bless all of you.

Marie Thompson, Delta Area Blind Secretary

      Innervisions, Inc.: MCB'S newest Affiliate

   Our newest affiliate, Innervisions, Inc. was voted into the fold at the Convention in Branson. I had the opportunity to attend their November meeting and to tell them about what MCB has to offer. Innervisions is based in St. Louis. Most of the members are from North St.. Louis County, but a couple of them live in the city of St. Louis. The president is Daryel Banks, who works for the A. G. Edwards Company. This is a young group, many of the members being under age thirty. One of their members came here from Nigeria several years ago. They were eager to hear about MCB and had many questions about our programs and services. Nine of them asked to receive the Chronicle. They seem to be a very enthusiastic group, eager to get to work on new projects. Welcome to MCB. I hope to hear a report from the new affiliate in the next issue.

  Joplin Service Club

   Janie Clemens, who was to be our Public Relations person, resigned because she felt she did not have the time to give to the job. So the new PR person is our newest member, Cynthia Rowen.

   We are sorry to report that two of our members have passed away. Dick Green died in July and Charles Leavitt passed away on August 9th.

   Several members attended the convention in Branson in October.

   On October 14, we had a dinner hosted by Villa Heights Christian Church. They provided us with a wonderful evening of entertainment. Our next dinner will be on November 16th. It will be our Thanksgiving meal, hosted by the Telephone Pioneers Group. Our Christmas dinner will be hosted by the St. Mary's Catholic Church.

   Our prayers and thoughts go out to Virgil McCoy following recent surgery. We hope he has a speedy recovery and will be back with us soon. We miss you, Virgil.

   The Joplin Association for the Blind is hosting a "Chili Or Soup Feed" on November 9.

   Submitted by Cynthia Rowen

   Lake Stockton Area Council of the Blind

Greetings from Lake Stockton,

   Several members attended summer camp in June. We had our 14th birthday and auction on August 5th which was well attended. We did a great job on it and it was a huge success as usual. Several members and guests attended the State Convention in Branson. We are looking forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays coming up. Hope everyone has a blessed time during the Holidays.
    Nadine Price

 Missouri Guide Dog Users

   The first part of this report is an announcement of the new officers of the Guide Dog Users Special Interest Affiliate. It will be followed by a message from their new President, Marie Thompson.

   At the Missouri Council of the Blind State Convention in Branson, the Missouri Guide Dog Users held its election of officers with the following results: Marie Thompson, President; Maryan Harrison, First Vice President; Mickie Ormsby, Secretary and Lynda Purdy, Treasurer. Congratulations ladies! We know you will do a fine job in guiding this special interest affiliate. If you should have any questions regarding guide dog issues, please contact Marie Thompson at 932 Highway 162 East, Portageville, Missouri 63873, telephone (573) 379-5007. The election of officers was held on Friday, October 13, 2000, at the Missouri Guide Dog Users breakfast.

   Hello, First of all, let me say that it is an honor to be your new Guide Dog User's President. I will do my best to do a good job for all of you. If any of you Guide Dog Users have have any suggestions as to how you would like things done, please feel free to let me know. You might also have some ideas for a fund-raiser.

   Congratulations to all of our new MCB officers. I know all of you will serve MCB well.

   I look forward to hearing from you.
Marie Thompson, President, Missouri Guide Dog Users

  Progressive Council of the Blind

   Hello to all MCB members. I want to introduce myself. My name is Barbara Dewberry and I will be doing public relations for the Progressive Council of the Blind. I am a fairly new member of MCB. I got to experience my first National Convention in Louisville in July. It was the best vacation I have ever had. I met lots of interesting and wonderful people and enjoyed many of the activities.

   We had our first picnic on September 10th at Swope Park. There was lots of delicious food and a good time was had by all.

   We are working hard on our membership drive and we have three new prospective members. Progressive Council is currently in the middle of three fund-raisers. One is our annual nut sale, the second is a candle sale and the third is the sale of honey bears and angels. We want to thank those of you who helped to support us with our sales at the State Convention in Branson.

   I wish you all a wonderful and enjoyable Holiday season. God bless you all.
    by Barbara Dewberry

   Editor's note: Barbara, I haven't had the chance to meet you, but I went to school with three of your brothers at MSB. Leroy graduated with me in 1964.

 Queen City Council of the Blind

  The past months have been very busy with hosting the MCB Convention in Branson under the capable leadership of co-chairmen Nancy Hodson and Rosario Mazzella. Members have been collecting items for the goody bags and door prizes under the direction of Vivian Marshall and Otella Robeson. A great big thanks to everyone for helping to make the 2000 Mcb Convention a great success!

   We have recently welcomed six new members to our affiliate; this brings our total to 41 members.

   In November, we made our annual trip to Silver Dollar City for the Christmas festivities. November also finds us delivering Thanksgiving food to blind people and shut-ins and selecting appropriate Christmas gifts for the area blind children and their siblings. Last year, we delivered gifts to seventeen children. This is a challenging task but a very rewarding one.

   After a busy summer and fall of attending the ACB Convention, going to MCB camp, hosting the convention and celebrating the Holidays, we are looking forward to a laid back winter time.

    Jobelle Burk

  From The Editor: The following letter from Yakov Smirnoff was sent to the Queen City Council. Nancy asked me to include it in the Chronicle so that all of you could read it. To the Queen City Council of the Blind,

   Recently your organization contacted my office with a request to speak at a function to be held in Branson. I was extremely proud to be asked to speak at your October gathering and readily accepted your offer. However, though my intentions were good, I failed to meet my obligation. Upon notification of this scheduling error, my staff contacted a member of your conference and arranged for a brief appearance prior to its adjournment. This was my way of demonstrating the remorse I felt for not attending the previous night's function, as well as to express the importance to which I take my obligations. My staff and myself realize the inconvenience this caused for all of you and offer my sincerest apologizes for this misguided error. With heart-felt intentions,
   Yakov

     Southeast Missouri United Blind Club

Hello from Poplar Bluff,

   We are having beautiful weather here at the time of this writing, and it was nice for getting to and from our Branson Convention. As we went up, the leaves were beginning to turn and it was so pretty. We had fifteen members to attend this year. We all enjoyed Barbara Fairchild's show on Friday night and the free meal sure was appreciated. Thanks, MCB.

   The breakfast provided was really nice, and it helped not having to go out somewhere and hope to be served and get back before the meetings started.

   We are happy to report we have two new members since my last report, Paul Guzman and Danny Sisco. Our President, Delavina Ferren, went to Phoenix, Arizona this summer to visit her niece. Her daughter, Beulah Ziggler, drove her out there and then she went on to visit her husband's family in Las Vegas.

   I'm running late to get this in the mail, so I have to cut this short, so until next time, keep smiling, have a happy holiday and God bless everyone.
    Eunice Ezell

   Southwest Missouri Friendship Council

   Twelve members attended our August meeting at the American Legion Hall. We have several new members.

   Our social was held on August 19th at the Broadway Market in Web City, which is now a Chinese restaurant.

   One of our members, Harold Griffiths, went into the hospital but he is doing much better. He is currently in a nursing home.

   Rita Galbraith is our new President. Several of our members attended the convention in Branson.

   Edna Freeman, you were a wonderful president. I still have a card you sent me when I received an award from our club back in 1986. You were always so kind to everyone at summer camp. You had answers to our questions and a laugh for everybody. You are a wonderful lady and we're really going to miss you. Congratulations, Chip on your election as MCB'S new President. Our next dinner at the Legion Hall will be in Chip's honor.

   This is a wonderful organization and I've learned a lot in the eleven years that I've been in this club. Kathleen Eett is the oldest member of the Southwest Missouri Friendship Council. She was there when it started at the Friendship Baptist Church. She is 84 years old. Kathleen, we take our hats off to you. You've taught me a lot and I love you very, very much.

   That is all I have to report this time.

   by Helen Highley

     Springfield Service Club

Happy Holiday Season!

   First of all, we want to congratulate our new MCB President, Chip Hailey, and all of the new Board members. We especially want to congratulate Donna Giger, one of our members, who received the President's Special Service Award at the convention banquet. It was certainly well deserved. We also want to congratulate all of the other people who received awards, too.

   We had some very sad news when we got back home from the Convention. Lee Bowers, who was our Treasurer for 40 years, passed away the previous Friday. She will be missed by all of us.

   Nine of our members attended the fall camp session in September and twelve of us attended the convention. We are already working on the convention which will be held here in Springfield next October.

   We had our election in August and our new officers are: Phyllis Lovett, President; Marti Watson, Vice President; Carol Hewitt, Secretary; and Donna Giger, Treasurer. Marti will also be our MCB Board Representative as well as Secretary of MCB.

   We welcome Linda Gwin into our group. She has moved here from Joplin, where she was a member of the Friendship Council.

   Our Thanksgiving dinner was held on November 17th. We invited the West Plains group and the group from Sedalia. It certainly was an enjoyable time.

   We certainly hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

   Submitted by Marilyn Tuso and Mildred Taylor

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   From The Lower Left-Hand Drawer

   Well, it's time to slowly pry open that big lower left-hand drawer and see what tumbles out. Here's a new book about Helen Keller, some scented candles, a catalog from Ann Morris, Braille maps, and--oh, look--a toilet designed especially for the blind. You think I'm kidding? Just wait, we'll get there soon. As usual I need to tell you that mention of a product or service i this column does not indicate an endorsement by me, my relatives or the MCB. These are just things I run across that I hope you will find interesting. Your submissions are always welcome.

   In last month's column, I mentioned a new magazine called Disability Life, a bimonthly publication which will focus on disability issues and personal stories about disabled individuals. The address has changed. The new address is 790 Washington Street, Denver CO 80203. The phone number is (800) 321-8708. It is available in large print or cassette for $21 a year. Now several of you have pointed out to me my ridiculous error, referring to the publisher, Homer Page, as the sister of MCB member Patty Schonlau. Of course I meant--well, you know what I meant. How many times did I proofread that before I sent it out? Actually, I was just trying to see if you were paying attention. And apparently, you were. Whenever I get a copy of the magazine, I'll tell you more about it.

   Kitty Demsky and her sister Joanne are selling Amber Glow scented candles. There are 45 different fragrances. They come in four sizes and range in price from $5.25 to $14.60. You can find out more by calling Kitty at (314) 544-7640. Sorry, the limburger cheese candle is currently out of stock.

   Do you still have trouble programming your VCR? Well, in her new catalog, Ann Morris lists a device called the VCR Co-pilot which she says can be used by anyone to set a VCR, although sighted assistance is needed to set the clock. You set the day and time by moving tactually marked switches and dials. I don't know how you program in the right station. It sells for $49.95. Of course, the Talking VCR is still available. For the latest Ann Morris catalog (braille, large print, tape or disk), call (800) 454-3175, or write to Ann Morris Enterprises, 551 Hosner Mountain Road, Stormville NY 12582-5329. Speaking of catalogs, the new Jett Enterprises catalog is available on cassette or computer disk. To get one, call (800) 275-5553. In addition to products for the blind, the catalog lists kitchenware, jewelry, electronics, health products and more.

   Last time I mentioned several new books written by blind people. Here's a new book about a very famous blind person. The book is Helen Keller: a Life, written by Dorthy Herrman. Herrman maintains that most people these days are only familiar with Helen Keller's early life as portrayed in The Miracle Worker. But Helen did grow up and live a long adult life, (she was 88 years old when she died in 1968), a life filled with achievements and controversy. Helen was venerated by some people as a saint, sentimentalized by others as the perfect handicapped person, but damned by many as a fraud who was manipulated by Annie Sullivan and her other constant companions. Probably most people are not aware that Helen Keller held very radical political views, frequently defending Socialism and Communism. Although Helen never married, she nearly eloped with a man named Peter Fagan. Herrman describes Helen Keller as a "complex and enigmatic individual, beautiful, intelligent, high-strung and passionate." Despite her fame and celebrity, Helen apparently yearned for a traditional life, for romance and sex, and for a husband and children, which were denied to her. The book also describes Helen's travels all over the world on the lecture circuit. There are extensive quotes from her letters and writings. The author also examines the complex personality of Helen's devoted teacher and companion, Annie Sullivan, giving much attention to her physical and emotional problems and her failed marriage to John Macy. There is also an account of Helen's life after Annie's death. The book ends with a chapter about other successful deaf-blind individuals. Helen Keller: A Life is available in Braille and on cassette from Wolfner Library. I found it to be a very readable and fascinating book.

   Before we move on, I would like to mention one subject discussed in this book that I found particularly interesting, because I have written about it in some earlier articles. Helen Keller, who completely lost her sight and hearing before the age of two, liked to speculate about what she would do if she could regain her sight for three days. First, she would look at the faces of the people she loved, especially her teacher, Annie Sullivan. She would examine printed books, go to museums and look at works of art, walk in the woods to see the beauty of nature, and walk through the city to see if the real world looked as she pictured it. In reality, though, Helen knew that people totally blind from birth who gain sight through surgery are usually totally bewildered by their first visual encounters with the world. People and objects they knew by touch would be unrecognizable by sight. The author says that this phenomenon has been observed in about twenty people, beginning with a English patient in 1728. Most of these individuals had no clear concept of space, form, distance or size. Sometimes, they were distressed because things that had seemed appealing to their touch were ugly in appearance. They were sometimes appalled by their own appearance or the faces of their loved ones. Some rejected their newly acquired sight and chose their own world of blindness where they could identify things by touch. Some became deeply depressed and died shortly after gaining vision. Dr. Oliver Sachs describes such a case in his book An Anthropologist On Mars, which I intend to check out.

   In the last column, I told you about several new services providing information from the Internet over the phone. Well, one of them My Quack, has already ceased operation. (I suppose you could say it quacked up, but I won't.) Tell Me has added a very interesting new feature to its menu called driving directions, which gives you turn by turn directions to get from one address to another, anywhere in the United States. You just say your address and the address you're trying to locate, and the voice gives you exact directions on how to get there. It also gives you the mileage. It stops after each step and pauses until you tell it to continue. Of course, most of us don't drive, but this certainly could provide us with directions on how to get where we're going to give to the person who is driving us. I don't know how well it would work in small towns or rural areas, but I have tested it for locations in the St. Louis area. I also asked it to tell me how to go from my house to locations in other cities and it seemed to work fairly well. Sometimes the computer has difficulty understanding street names. When I asked for an address in Maplewood, Missouri, I ended up in Maywood, Missouri and then in Maplewood, New Jersey. How I got from there to St. Paul Minnesota, I'll never know. But try it out, you may find it useful.

   I think I mentioned in September that the Missouri School for the Blind will be celebrating its 150th anniversary next year. MSB was officially chartered on February 27, 1851. It moved to its present location on Magnolia Avenue in 1906. Patty Schonlau, (Homer's sister), has put together a very informative book on MSB'S history along with some memories of MSB students. The book tells how Ely Whelan, a young blind man from Tennessee, came to St. Louis in 1850, hoping to establish a school for the education of blind children in the Midwest. He contacted a local ophthalmologist named Dr. Simon Pollack, who after some initial reluctance, eventually encouraged his efforts. The school began with three students, one of whom, interestingly enough, was named Elizabeth Taylor. The book also describes Helen Keller's visit to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, which brought enormous financial support to the school. It is fascinating reading. On February 27, 2001, the school will commemorate the anniversary with day-long activities, including some re-creations of life at the time the school was founded. There will be story tellers, a trivia contest and food from that era. Alumni are welcome to attend. Contact MSB to get more information and an invitation. The planners of the celebration are also looking for old photographs, written or recorded stories about MSB and recipes from different decades that will be compiled in a cookbook. MSB is not the oldest school for the blind in this country. That distinction belongs to the Perkins School in Boston, which was founded in the 1820's. In fact, MSB was the twelfth school for the blind in this country. But our school does have the honor of being the first American school to introduce Braille to its students, right around 1859. The oldest living MSB graduate has apparently been located. Her name is Verne Jacoby. She is 97 years old and lives in St. Louis. I understand she plans to be there on February 27 at the anniversary celebration.

   A company called Criss-Cross Technologies is offering some tape tutorials for blind people who use talking computers. The address is 110-64 Queens Boulevard, Number 406, Forest Hills NY 11375, Phone: (718) 268-6986.

   The Party Line is a 90-minute monthly tape magazine that allows subscribers to share their thoughts on various subjects. Contact Sanford Rosenthal, 3360 Northeast 33rd Street, Fort Lauderdale FL 33038.

   Knitting and crochet patterns, cookbooks and poetry books are available from Marjorie Arnott, 1446 North Coronado Street, Chandler, AZ 85224. You can call her at (480) 345-8773. A braille catalog is available.

   Seeing The Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Museum with Julian Padowicz, an audio book on five tapes, is available from BFI Audio for $24.95. To order, call (800) 260-7717.

   Future Forms Inc., a division of Pushmill Business Forms of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has introduced Verbal Eyes, software which allows visually impaired computer users to fill out forms on-line. Visit the web site www.futureforms.com for more information.

   Final Touches is a 33 page Grade Two Braille code chart. Its small size makes it easy to carry for use while traveling. It is available for $5 from Infinidot Access Services, 4303 South M Street, Tacoma WA 98408, Phone: (253) 971-9248.

   Here's a new tape magazine you might want to check out. It's called the Disabled Christian Tape Fellowship. Begun in July, it is a monthly Christian tape magazine and a forum for sharing information. Reader participation is encouraged. Subscriptions will be $12 a year. Contact Disabled Christian Tape Fellowship at 610 B Avenue, Vinton IA 52349. You can send every-mail to disabledchristianjuno.comdis

   The Kansas City, Missouri Garden Club has created a texture and fragrance garden near the Luce Park Center with a variety of flowers and plants that can be touched and smelled. There are signs and brochures in Braille and large print. For more information call (816) 561-9710.

   Do you want to keep up with the latest developments in technology but you don't have time to read through lots of magazines and every-mail lists to find out what you are looking for? Well, for $20, a lady named Amy Ruell will sift through every-mail lists, magazines and newsletters and send you timely information about new products and resources, equipment upgrades and changes in vendors. Her address is 9 Quail Run, Hingham, MA 02043.

   The Jordy Low Vision System is a magnifier that can be worn over the eyes like a pair of eyeglasses or used as a CCTV when placed in a separate stand. Jordy is very portable, weighing less than ten ounces, has full color and a magnification range from 1 to 24. It sells for around $2,700 from Enhanced Vision Systems, 2130 Main Street, Suite 250, Huntington Beach CA 92648. The phone number is (800) 440-9476.

   The International Electronic Braille Book Library contains more than a thousand Braille books in the form of ASCII text files which can be read on-line or downloaded for use in Braille note takers and read as Grade II Braille files. The library has books from ancient to modern times, including classic American and English authors. The Web site is http://braille.org/braillebooks/dis

   Current History Magazine is offering a series of tapes on such topics as the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the rise of China and the global economy. Each tape costs $5.95. To order, call (800) 726-4464.

   One of the problems we blind people face constantly is keeping track of our medicines. We've all devised various ways to do that. Some of us use Braille labels; some use rubber bands or other markings; some of us memorize the shapes of the containers or the shape of the pills. The ASKO Corporation out of Stamford New York is marketing a device that might help. It's called the Aloud Audio Labeling System. Here's how it works. The system consists of two devices: a small recording unit which would be purchased by your pharmacist and a small playback unit which you would purchase. When you get a prescription, your pharmacist would record a label with the name of the medicine and any other information you need, such as directions for taking the medicine or possible side effects, and attach it to the bottle. You play back the label on your playback unit in order to identify each prescription. You can replay the label as often as you need to, but you can't erase it; only the pharmacist can record on it. The playback unit is portable and operates on a rechargeable battery. I recently spoke to a gentleman at the ASKO Corporation by the name of Nick, who told me that the recording unit will be priced at $150, the playback unit will cost $99. In about six months, a second generation recording unit will be available which could be purchased by blind persons to make their own labels. Currently, ASKO is trying to market this system to drugstores and pharmacy chains. It will be interesting to see if pharmacies are willing to purchase these devices to assist their blind customers. If you would like a brochure about the system to show to your druggist, you can call Nick at the ASKO Corporation, (877) 732-9227.

   I don't know about you, but I've never found Braille maps to be very useful. But if you do, there's a company in New Jersey that is producing lots of them. The company is the Princeton Braillists. They've made Braille maps of several states, maps of Russia and its former Soviet Republics, maps of the Holy Land, and an atlas of North and South America. They've also produced diagrams of the human anatomy. Their latest project is a series of eleven maps of the British Isles, covering England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There are separate maps of each country and a map showing the major attractions of London. To check out any of these maps, contact the Princeton Braillists, 28-But Portsmouth Street, Whiting, NJ 08759 or call (732) 350-3708.

   The Harvard Business Review is now available on cassette for $75 a year from the Massachusetts Association for the Blind. Contact Robert Pierson at (617) 972-9117.

   Here are two companies specializing in creating computer games that blind computer users can play. The first is Bavisoft and their Web site is inghttpwhststwww.bavisoft.comdis Bavisoft's first offering is a game called Grizzly Gulch, a game set in an old West town, complete with saloons and gunfighters, which costs $53.95. The other company is called Personal Computer Systems. Their address is 541 Compton Avenue, Perth Amboy NJ 08861. The phone number is (732) 826-1917.

   Full Life Products now sells the Dialogue JV-35 phone. It has jumbo-sized buttons with Braille characters and it announces the numbers as you dial. It also has several speed-dial memory buttons. The company also sells several models of Talking Caller Id's and the Voicemate Personal Organizer. Their number is (800) 400-1540.

   The Braille Institute of America is offering a series of free tapes called Sound Solutions that provide encouragement and helpful information to people experiencing vision loss and their family members. There are four sets of tapes, each dealing with a specific stage in vision loss. They are packed with tips and techniques for dealing with blindness. The titles are: 1. Understanding and Expressing Your Feelings About Sight Loss, 2. Techniques For Living, 3. You And Your Family and 4. Taking Care Of You! Physical And Emotional Well-being. To order, call (800) 272-4553.

   Did you know that there are low vision service centers located in 89 Missouri counties? Established by RSB, they contain a variety of low vision aids that you can try out, including magnifiers, bold lined writing paper, check writing guides and signature guides. Each center also has a CCTV. Call your RSB office to find the location of the low vision center near you.

   An access guide to our State Capitol, Jefferson City, is available from the Missouri Assistive Technology Project in Braille, large print and cassette. Call (800) 647-8557.

   Blind-novel-tees is a new gift shop that sells t-shirts that say things like "blind people feel better" and "ears work, eyes don't." The shirts come in extra large and sell for $17.95. The address for Blind-novel-tees is Box 460, New Tazewell, TONIGHT 37824.

   Opportunities for the Blind is an organization that gives seed money to blind people who want to start their own businesses. Since it began operation, the organization has given one million dollars and helped hundreds of blind people start up in business for themselves. Grants are awarded four times a year and must be employment-related. For details on this program, call (800) 884-1990.

   The latest edition of the Blind Community e-mail Directory is now available from National Braille Press. It lists e-mail addresses for hundreds of blind individuals and organizations. It costs $10 and you can order it by calling (800) 548-7323. or by sending every-mail to ordersnbp.org4

   Cathy Anne Murtha, an access technology specialist, is offering on-line training in access technology for blind computer users. For more information, call her at (916) 922-3794 or log onto www.cathyanne.com4 Scholarships are available.

   MCB member Amy Hall has been hired to teach Braille at the MERS office at 1727 Locust in St. Louis. For more information, call (314) 241-1133, extension 341.

   Kelly O'Ccnor, a nature science photographer, has developed a concept called Pictures for the Blind, which are designed to allow blind and visually impaired persons to experience photographs of natural settings. Each picture comes in a folder containing a photograph, an embossed representation of the photograph and a cassette describing the photo, accompanied by natural sounds depicting the setting of the photo. Three pictures are currently available: The Mighty Merced River, Lighthouse, and Mesas of the Southwest. You may find them a bit pricey. Each one costs $250. To find out more, contact Kelly O'Ccnor at Box 1020, Los Gatos, CA 95031, or call (408) 378-5600.

   Ok, I warned you this was coming. I have read that a gentleman in Montana by the name of Pat Schildt, noting that blind people sometimes have trouble finding toilet paper in public rest rooms, has designed (are you ready for this?) The Hygienic Toilet for the Blind and Physically Challenged. It is described as a stainless steel toilet with covered toilet paper dispensers attached to each side of the bowl. What will they think of next? The price has not been announced and, no, I did not find it in the Ann Morris catalog.

   On that note, I close the drawer for this time. Perhaps I should have closed it one note sooner. I'll open it again for you in March.
    

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Punctuation Puzzle

This seems like utter nonsense, but it actually makes perfect sense if you read it correctly. Can you figure it out?

A funny old man told this to me:
"I fell in a snow drift in June," said he,
"I went to a ball game out in the sea,
I saw a jelly fish float up in a tree
I found some gum in a cup of tea
I stirred my milk with a brass key
I opened my door on my bended knee
I beg your pardon for this," said he,
"But 'tis true when it's told as it ought to be.
'Tis a puzzle in punctuation you see."

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Hugs

   I leave you with this poem, sent to me by Valva York from the Joplin Service Club. Its message is clear: We all need hugs!

It's wondrous what a hug can do,
A hug can cheer you when you're blue.
A hug can say "I love you so,"
Or "Gee, I hate to see you go."
A hug is "Welcome back again"
And "great to see you! Where've you been?"
A hug can soothe a small child's pain
And bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! there's just no doubt about it--
We scarcely could survive without it!
A hug delights and warms and charms,
It must be why God gave us arms.
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.
And chances are, your favorite aunts
Love them more than potted plants.
Kittens crave them; puppies love them.
Heads of state are not above them.
A hug can break the language barrier
And make your travels so much merrier.
No need to fret about your store of 'em;
The more you give, the more there's of 'em.
So stretch those arms without delay
And give someone a hug today.

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